Critical Thinking Skills of Secondary School Science Students: A Literature Review

Abstract

This study aims to review empirical studies and meta-analysis conducted on teaching critical thinking skills in secondary education published after 2012. This study analysed the instructional intervention used, test measure, different research designs used in previous studies. Study results suggested that science students need critical thinking skills to evaluate complicated data and reach well-informed conclusions, but students in underdeveloped countries frequently lack them, which hinders their success in both the classroom and the workplace. Critical thinking, which has its roots in psychology, philosophy, and education, includes dispositions (open-mindedness) and cognitive abilities (analysis, evaluation). There are ongoing discussions on whether it is domain-specific or transportable across disciplines, with varying opinions. Explicit instruction, group projects, and practical problem-solving are all examples of effective teaching techniques; however, critical thinking is frequently not adequately measured by conventional tests. Critical thinking can be taught, according to research, and the most successful treatments combine subject matter with critical thinking abilities. However, there are still issues with assessment design, which calls for authentic, open-ended activities to gauge higher-order thinking. To promote critical thinking at all educational levels, future efforts should concentrate on improving assessment instruments and improving teaching strategies.