Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory

The Effectiveness of Teaching Critical Thinking Skills on Students’ Academic Achievement in Mathematics and Science: A Study in Timss Framework

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Sharifi 1
Jalil Fathabadi 2
Abdolazim Karimi 3
Masoud Sharifi 2

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Psychology, Educational and Developmental Psychology , Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Institute for Educational Research (IER), Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2018.77431
Abstract
The present study, conducted in Timss 2007 framework, aimed to examine the effectiveness of teachingcritical thinking on students’ academic achievement in mathematics and science. Research design was Quasi-experimental. Research sample (With available sampling method) included two classes of third grade students in Eghbal middle school in Baharestan, Tehran, Iran in 2014-15 randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Afterwards, the experimental group received critical thinking instructionfor 12 sessions, while the control group received no training during this period. The data were gathered using parallel forms of Timss 2007 framework, which were implemented in three periods. The data were analyzed through Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and t-test. Results showed that critical thinking teaching could considerably improve students’ performance in mathematics and science in domains of reasoning and applying; however, no significant relationship was revealed between critical thinking teachingand students’ performance in the domain of knowing. Findings of the follow up test, in addition, indicated a significant decrease in applicants’ scores of the experimental group. It can be concluded that critical thinking teachingshould be brought into sharper focus in syllabuses of middle schools as its principles could not only resolve students’ problems in academic issues but they would also result in improving performance of students in the domains of mathematics and science.

Keywords

Academic achievement
critical thinking
Timss study
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Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory
Volume 1, Issue 1
Spring 2018
Pages 21-30

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