scholarly journals Enhanced Critical Thinking Skills through Problem-Solving Games in Secondary Schools

10.28945/3677 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D McDonald

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Skills and Lifelong Learning (IJELL)] Aim/Purpose: Students face many challenges improving their soft skills such as critical thinking. This paper offers one possible solution to this problem. Background: This paper considers one method of enhancing critical thinking through a problem-solving game called the Coffee Shop. Problem-solving is a key component to critical thinking, and game-playing is one method of enhancing this through an interactive teaching method. Methodology: Three classes of Vietnamese high school students engaged in the Coffee Shop game. The method seeks outcome measurements through the use of analysis of multiple surveys to assess and interpret if critical thinking may have been improved. Contribution: The study may help to understand the importance of problem-solving in the context of an entrepreneurial setting and add to the variation of methods used to deliver the lesson to students in the classroom. Findings: The findings show that practicing problem-solving scenarios with a focus on critical thinking in a time limited setting results in a measured improvement of this skill. Recommendations for Practitioners : The findings suggest that educators could use games more as tools for problem-solving to contribute to their students’ learning outcomes around developing critical thinking. Recommendation for Researchers: More research could be devoted to developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills through game-play models. Impact on Society: Improved critical thinking skills in individuals could make a greater contribution to society. Future Research: A comparative study between different high school grades and genders as well as between different countries or cultures.

10.28945/3711 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 079-096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D McDonald

Aim/Purpose: Students face many challenges improving their soft skills such as critical thinking. This paper offers one possible solution to this problem. Background: This paper considers one method of enhancing critical thinking through a problem-solving game called the Coffee Shop. Problem-solving is a key component to critical thinking, and game-playing is one method of enhancing this through an interactive teaching method. Methodology: Three classes of Vietnamese high school students engaged in the Coffee Shop game. The method seeks outcome measurements through the use of analysis of multiple surveys to assess and interpret if critical thinking may have been improved. Contribution: The study may help to understand the importance of problem-solving in the context of an entrepreneurial setting and add to the variation of methods used to deliver the lesson to students in the classroom. Findings: The findings show that practicing problem-solving scenarios with a focus on critical thinking in a time limited setting results in a measured improvement of this skill. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings suggest that educators could use games more as tools for problem-solving to contribute to their students’ learning outcomes around developing critical thinking. Recommendation for Researchers: More research could be devoted to developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills through game-play models. Impact on Society: Improved critical thinking skills in individuals could make a greater contribution to society. Future Research A comparative study between different high school grades and genders as well as between different countries or cultures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Wayan Karmana ◽  
Iwan Dody Dharmawibawa ◽  
Titi Laily Hajiriah

The purpose of this research is to explain the effect of Problem Based Learning (PBL) and academic potential and their interactions toward problem solving and critical thinking skills of high school students. This research is a quasi-experiment that implements two different strategies with pretest-posttest non equivalent control group design by treatment factorial 2x2 which was conducted in the 2018/2019 academic year. Population of this research was class X students of SMA Negeri 8 Mataram, while the research sample was class X students of 2 classes with a purposive sampling technique. Research instruments is test of problem solving skills and test of critical thinking skills. Data analysis was performed with descriptive analysis and to test the hypothesis an anacova test was followed by further test used of Least Significant Difference (LSD). The calculation is aided by the SPSS 14 for Windows program. The results of this research showed that Problem Based Learning affects the problem solving and critical thinking skills. While academic ability (potential) and interaction of learning strategies with academic potential do not affect the problem solving and critical thinking skills of high school students on enviromental topic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (51) ◽  

21st century skills are considered as the skills that people need in a changing world such as creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and cooperation. This study aims to examine 21st century skills of high school students in terms of some variables and to investigate the relationship between students’ academic achievement and 21st century skills. The present study, based on survey model, was a descriptive research. The research was carried out with 323 high school students from different levels and schools in Istanbul. “Multidimensional 21st Century Skills Scale” with 5 sub-dimensions including Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills, Information and Technology Literacy Skills, , Social Responsibility and Leadership Skills, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills and Career Awareness and “Personal Information Form” were used as data collection tools in the research. The academic success of students was evaluated through the grade point average of the 2019-2020 fall semester. The analysis of the data was carried out quantitatively to evaluate each sub-dimension and all of the scale. According to the results of the research, while the multidimensional 21st century skills of the students measured throughout the scale do not differ significantly according to the gender variable, there is a significant difference in problem solving and critical thinking skills, information and technology literacy skills, entrepreneurship and innovation skills sub-dimensions. While the skills of students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills, information and technology literacy skills, entrepreneurship and innovation skills differ significantly according to their class levels, there is no difference in social responsibility and leadership skills and career awareness sub-dimensions according to the class level variable. Another result obtained in the research is that there is a positive relationship between students’ 21st century skills and academic achievements. As a suggestion, different factors affecting students’ 21st century skills development can be examined. Keywords: 21st Century Skills, High School Students, Academic Achievement, Survey Model


Mangifera Edu ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-149
Author(s):  
Krisianti Ayu Monita ◽  
Erlia Narulita ◽  
Aris Singgih Budiarso

In 21st century learning, critical thinking skills are the main choice that must be mastered by students. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of local wisdom-based science teaching materials in improving junior high school students’ critical thinking skills. Most science teachers still apply teacher-centered learning, so students tend to be passive. This type of research is quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest control group design. The study was conducted in the even semester of the 2019/2020 school year. The subjects of the research were grade VII students. Data collection techniques and instruments in the form of tests that include indicators of critical thinking skills. Data analysis used homogeneity test, Kolmogorov Smirnov normality test, independent sample t-test, and n-gain score. The results of the independent sample t-test are sig. (2-tailed) = 0,000<sig. α = 0.05. Students’ critical thinking skills in the experimental class were higher (N-gain score = 39.09%) than in the control class (N-gain score = 12.03%). Based on the study results, it can be concluded that there is a significant influence on the application of local wisdom-based teaching materials in improving the critical thinking skills of middle school students in the moderate category.


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