CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.2. Conceptual Framework
2.2.3. Utilization of Techniques and Pedagogy to Enhance Critical Thinking in K-12
21st century skills play a significant role in the core areas of each person’s life. The development of skills such as critical thinking skills, communication skills and creativity is important for students. According to (Andreas Schleicher, 2010), the need for 21st century skills is as follows:
“Today, because of rapid economic and social change, schools have to prepare students for jobs that have not yet been created, technologies that have not yet been invented and problems that we don't yet know will arise.” Students may prepare for all of these challenges by acquiring 21st century skills, which shows how important these skills are. Therefore, students benefit from a myriad of learning outcomes associated with 21st century abilities. For example, children aged 3 to 10 have utilized these skills to express needs and emotions, solve problems by demonstrating curiosity, approach and respond to people beyond primary caregivers, interact with objects in the environment, demonstrate positive view of self, participate in group activities using interaction skills, demonstrate understanding of others’ emotions and viewpoints, identify where help is required and so forth.
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Remarkably, each skill within the 21st century skills framework has proved to have broad outcomes that affect each individual positively. Firstly, critical thinking leads to effective reasoning and enables the person to use reasoning appropriate to the situation to reach a desirable outcome (Halpern, D. F., 1984). For instance, strong critical thinkers demonstrate inquisitiveness with regard to a wide range of issues, show concern to become and remain well-informed and are open-minded regarding divergent world views (Ennis, R. H., 1962). Also, when motivated with integrity and justice, critical thinking can be a great service to humanity.
Creativity, on the other hand, which is the tendency to produce or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that might be useful in solving problems, communicating with people, and entertaining ourselves and others comes as a result of critical thinking skills. According to (Steve Jobs, 2005), “innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”, because creativity and innovation allow a person to think creatively, work creatively with others and implement creative ideas in order to make a useful contribution. Additionally, critical thinking is a skill that plays a significant role in schools, as it can be used to solve dilemmas of the curriculum (McPeck, J. E., 1981).
Additionally, educators have been aware of the importance of critical thinking skills as a result of learning. The skills of the 21st Century have defined critical thinking as one of many essential learning and innovation skills to prepare students for post education and the workforce in future.
A study reported that a deep concentration on improving critical thinking skills in K-12 can increase academic strength and raise the results on the standardized assessments (VanTassel- Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown (2009); McCollister & Sayler (2010). By using activities to increase critical thinking, students are better capable to recognize why something has happened instead of what has happened (Snodgrass (2011); Tsai, P., Chen, S., Chang, H., & Chang, W.
(2013). This more profound recognition permits the students to better analyze the situations inclosing the happening and varying perspectives about the happening (Tsai et al., 2013).
Critical thinking can be inspired in lessons throughout all behaviors by using meaningful questioning and evaluation of both information and sources (McCollister & Sayler, 2010). Also, looking at the data as a function instead of simply memorizing the data aids the students evolve skills of recognition and anticipation. Evaluating data and sources support students to learn
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accurate processes for finding and employing reliable data, as well as learning suitable and proper methods to make careful judgment (McCollister & Sayler, 2010). These skills will support with reading comprehension and problem-solving skills, both of which play a vital role in standardized assessments (VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown (2009); McCollister &
Sayler, 2010; Tsai et al., 2013).
Furthermore, a number of researchers have discovered that collaborative learning approaches trigger critical thinking (Bonk & Smith, 1998; Thayer-Bacon, 2000; Heyman, 2008). Proponents of collaborative learning emphasize that critical thinking skills allow learners to analyze arguments and make decisions (Paul, R. W., 1992). It is also argued that students with critical thinking skills contribute widely in group tasks (Bailin et al., 1999). To illustrate, critical thinkers who are inquisitive, attentive to opportunities, self-confident in their own abilities and demonstrate other characteristics of critical thinkers are the most likely people to contribute in tasks that require teamwork.
Moreover, collaborative language learning has considerable advantages in many aspects for the development of language development, such as the development and teaching of the English language. Traditional techniques emphasize the acquisition of knowledge by learners. For that reason, no negotiation of interaction and meaning takes place. Therefore, it is important to note that the development of communicative competence depends on interaction. Advocating this idea, (Jia, 2003) states that maximizing learners' communication demands through interaction and collaboration leads to effective language learning. Moreover, interaction encourages learners to negotiate for more input and produce comprehensible output (Crandall, 1999). As learners endeavor to communicate with each other in group settings, they will be provided opportunities to improve their listening comprehension and oral practice. According to (Mart, 2018), it is noteworthy to mention that communicative competence is necessary for language learning.
As mentioned above, these sorts of practices could be useful into the regular instructional time or extra timing by simply using things such as online discussion boards, classroom discussions, or optional samples of test in classroom environment (Snodgrass, 2011). It is also essential that any modification into the curriculum must be met with practicing new activities using them to their entire effectiveness. The creation of professional learning communities grants educators to think critically about the ways they are utilizing to teach, and setting good starting points for
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suggestions about involving critical thinking abilities in the classroom (Smith & Szymanski, 2013).