Enhancing critical thinking through cooperative learning in biology

النوع : Mémoire

Recent research findings such as Abrami et al (2008), White et al (2011), Jayapraba (2013), and Freman et al (2014) have shown that cooperative learning improves students’ thinking skills because it allows them to communicate actively with each other rather than listen passively. Therefore, cooperative learning has been proposed by many science educators to be implemented in the science classrooms to produce lifelong learners and critical thinkers (Lunenburg, Fred 2011). The present study aims to investigate the effect of cooperative learning on enhancing critical thinking in biology and also the effect of self-assessment (being a part of a successful cooperative learning) on promoting critical thinking skills. A sample of (120) students from two classes of different grades (seven and ten) in a private school in Beirut participated in this experimental study, whereby biology was taught to each class of the two different grades using two different teaching methods: cooperative learning (experimental group) and individualistic-direct learning (control group). Pre- and post- tests were administrated to both groups of each grade to compare students’ achievement particularly in critical thinking items before and after the intervention. In addition, self-assessment grids were administrated to students in the experimental groups for two times during the study to investigate the correlation between student self-assessment practiced during cooperative learning and the development of critical thinking skills. Moreover, teams’ self-assessment grids and teacher’s assessment grids were administrated to assure the reliability of the results of team’s work. Results of the study show that cooperative learning has significant effect on students’ critical thinking skills in grade ten only. However, in both grades there is correlation between self-assessment and critical thinking. The study also provides recommendations for future research and policy makers