Developing Critical Thinking Using Inquiry Based Science Education (original) (raw)

Revolutionary thinkers must never cease to question as the great philosopher and thinker Socrates once said, “Wisdom begins in wonder”. In this technologically information saturated world it is quite easy to become complacent and lax in our thinking, accepting everything presented to us, however, it is foolish for anyone to be so gullible even if the source is considered reputable. As educators we must inculcate in the minds of our students a mentality which fosters wonderment, inquiry and a drive to finding answers to questions. The sciences are a perfect course to achieve this in the young; through inquiry and questioning the minds of the young can be molded and shaped into great thinkers such as Socrates who was not fearful of the dominant culture and was courageous in these pursuits to question the hegemonic forces of the day. This study seeks to find out strategies that teachers can employ to promote critical thinking in students. Studies have shown that this skill is seriously lacking in both the young and old and is therefore limiting the potential of those individuals in achieving their fullest potential. Critical thinking is a natural thing in some but it is also a learnt skill as well coupled with these two known facts is the notion that no one will always get it right, but with this skill one can prepare themselves for uncertainty and minimize the negative effects of an uncritical mind. The mind of a critical thinker is one that is aware of the fact that they, no matter how much they think they know knows very little. The title of this Action Research is Developing Critical Thinking in a Group of 11 Grade Science Students using the Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) approach. This study will utilize a mixed method research design (both qualitative and quantitative approaches). The population for this study will come from two of my grade 11 science classes each consisting of approximately 30 students. The average age of the students in both classes is 16 years. The reason for this study is to find out whether the IBSE approach can develop students critical thinking. It is hoped that the findings of the study will benefit my practice and my students both present and future. The benefits I hope to achieve include: improvement in my students critical thinking, improvements in my instructional delivery and improvement in the academic performance of my students. Over the past ten years I have observed poor critical thinking amongst students, particularly in their analysis and interpretation skill component in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) School Based Assessment (SBA), and in their application of scientific knowledge. These two areas are necessary components of how to think critically, especially when answering higher order thinking questions; individuals must be able to analyze, synthesize, interpret, solve problems, and evaluate concepts and issues.