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Context and Rationale
In today’s fast-paced changing world, where almost anything and everything
is accessible by just a single click or tap of a finger in the online world, people reach
for their desires instantly. Having quick and easy access to personal needs diminishes
one’s capabiltiy to explore, thus reducing the opportunity to analyze, scrutinize, and
be skeptical on matters concerning one’s issues.
One of the emerging trends nowadays is the growing concern on critical
thinking as one of the primary goals of the basic education system. In fact, it has been
a constant challenge for educators to develop critical thinking skills among learners
throughout their delivery of instruction in the teaching-learning process.
Critical thinking is the ability of a person to analyze and evaluate an issue or a
circumstance in order to formulate a judgement. It involves careful analysis of facts
through rational and unbiased considerations of factual evidences. Critical thinking
works best by having effective communication and systematic problem-solving skills
as well as commitment to overcoming negative thoughts and isolation. Critical
thniking is therefore inclusive.
The Department of Education, Division of Pampanga, through its
memorandum order number 42, series of 2017, better known as National Adoption
and Implementation of Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, reiterates the
importance of carrying out the roles and responsibilities of teachers in the delivery of
instruction in the classroom setting. Particularly, it specifies the roles of raters in
evaluating the performance of classroom-based teachers and devoloping their
competence through the technical assistance provided to them. Futhermore, the
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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aforementioned memorandum order indicates how teachers are evaluated through the
indicator lists reflected on the rating sheet which will be accomplished by the rater
after conducting the classroom observation. Specifically, the third element of the
indicator list which requires teachers to apply a range of teaching strategies to develop
critical thinking and creative thinking among learners.
The researcher, as a Master Teacher and a rater at the same time, wishes to
pursue a study on the extent on how teachers in the Senior High School department
integrate teaching strategies that would develop and enhance the critical thinking
ability of learners in their delivery of instruction. In addition, the researcher would
also like to explore on the level of challenges and difficulties encountered by teachers
in employing critical thinking in their strategies if factors on their demographic profile
will be considered. Lastly, the researcher would like to be inspired and enlightened on
how the Senior High School teachers will be empowered in accepting the challenge to
enhance the critical thinking abilities of the learners.
This study mainly aims to determine the extent as to how the Senior High
School teachers of San Simon High School employ teaching strategies that will
develop the critical thinking skills of the learners with regard to factors such as art of
questioning, method of instructional delivery, and activities utilized for learning
enhancement.
Specifically, this study seeks to achieve the following:
1. To identify the extent on how the Senior High School teachers employ
strategies that will help develop the critical thinking skills of the learners,
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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2. To determine the challenges and difficulties encountered by the Senior
High School teachers in the deployment of of critical thinking skills for the
learners,
3. To know if there is a significant difference on the extent of deployment of
strategies to develop critical thinking skills among learners when teachers
are grouped according to their profile,
4. To find out if there is a significant difference on the level of challenges
and difficulties among teachers in the deployment of critical thinking skills
when they are grouped according to their profile,
5. To develop a program that will guide the Senior High School teachers to
craft effective teaching strategies to enhance the critical thinking skills of
learners during the teaching-learning process.
Review of Related Literature
In ancient Greece over 2,500 years ago, Socrates began teaching with what is
today known as critical thinking: he has been heralded as the first teacher of critical
thinking (Irfaner, 2006; Rozgay-Miller, 2009). This method of teacher and student
volleying information and questions back and forth in order to share dialogue and
engage in an exchange of ideas has been dubbed the Socratic Method (Chapman,
n.d.). This method brings the students’ eagerness to learn alive by probing their
beliefs and achieving a higher level of understanding rather than spewing memorized
facts (Chapman, n.d.; Le & DeFilippo, 2008; Rozgay-Miller, 2009)
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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Critical thinking is a necessary skill all students need to develop in order to
fully understand information presented in lessons (Lambert & Cuper, 2008). Students
that fail to develop their critical thinking skills accordingly typically suffer with lower
academic grades (Quitadamo, Faiola, Johnson & Kurtz, 2008). Understanding the
disconnection between the information presented and the students’ ability to deduce
the information is a vital component to change teaching methods and approaches in
the classroom (Dewey & Bento, 2009; Lucariello, 2012).
Fully addressing the gaps in education, meaning rote memorization versus the
facilitation of critical thinking skills, the goal of of teaching needs to be concerned
with encouraging students to become receptive, perceptive, reflective, critical, and
question inconsistencies within the lesson presented (Edmonds, Hull, Janik, &
Rylance, 2005; Irfaner, 2006; Sezer, 2008; Slavin, 2012; Webster 1994).
The lack of critical thinking skills utilized within the classroom greatly
diminishes the students’ chance for success (Irfaner, 2006).
Research Questions
The study seeks to be enlightened with the following general statement of the
problem:
How do Senior High School teachers develop critical thinking skills among
learners in their delivery of classroom instruction?
Specifically, it would like to answer the following questions:
1. To what extent do Senior High School teachers employ strategies that will
develop the critical thinking of learners with regard to:
1.1 Art of questioning?
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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1.2 Method of instructional delivery?
1.3 Activities utilized for learning enhancement?
2. What challenges and difficulties do Senior High School teachers encounter in
the deployment of critical thinking skills for the learners?
3. Is there a significant difference on the extent of deployment of teaching
strategies to develop critical thinking skills for learners among teachers after
they are grouped acording to their profile in terms of their age, educational
attainment, numbe rof years of experience, and area of specialization?
4. Is there a significant difference on the level of challenges and difficulties
among teachers in the deployment of critical thinkin gskills when they are
grouped according to their profile?
5. What program can be developed to craft effective teaching strategies to deploy
critical thinking skills during the teaching-learning process?
Significance of the Study
The study on the strategies employed by the Senior High School teachers is
timely and relevant as it addresses the emerging trend in the basic education system,
which is develop and enhance the crtical thinking skills of learners through effective
strategies employed during the teaching-learning process.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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The following are the beneficiaries of this study:
Senior High School Teachers
The Senior High School teachers of San Simon High School will greatly
benefit from this study as they have direct contact with the learners. The teachers are
the one responsible for developing the critical thinking skills of the learners as they
deliver every lesson during the teaching-learning process.
Senior High School Learners
The Senior High School learners will be the recipient of the efforts of the
Senior High School teachers as they will experience more efficient implementation of
instruction through the effective teaching strategies that will be employed by the
Senior High School teachers.
Senior High School Master Teacher and School Head
The Senior High School Master Teacher and the School Head will also
benefit from this study as they serve as raters and evaluators of the Senior High
School teachers during classroom observations. They are both providers of technical
assistance and developers or intiators of classroom interventions to strengthen and
maximize teaching-learning experience.
Community
The municipality of San Simon and other nearby communities will benefit
from this study as it will become a haven for learners who have impeccable critical
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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thinking skills, and a home of experienced and accompished teachers in developing
and enhancing the critical thinking skills of learners.
Scope and Limitations
This study will only deal with the experiences of the Senior High School
teachers of San Simon High School for the school year 2019-2020 with regard to
strategies they employ in developing the critical thinking skills of the learners.
Furthermore, this study is limited to the following considerations:
1. Sample under this study will include the 14 Senior High School teachers of
San Simon High School,
2. The study shall only be conducted for the school year 2019-2020,
3. Rating sheets that would reflect the result of classroom observation conducted
by the Senior High School Master teacher and School Head with particular
reference to the third indicator, and
4. Demographic factors affecting the Senior High School teachers which will be
limited as to their age, educational attainment, number of years of teaching
experience, and field of specialization.
Hypotheses
1. There is a significant difference on the extent of the deployment of teaching
strategies to develop critical thinking skills among Senior High School
learners among teachers when they are grouped according to their profile.
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Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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2. There is a significant difference on the level of challenges and difficulties
among Senior High School teachers in the deployment of of critical thinking
skills among learners when they are grouped according to their profile.
Method
This study will employ Quantitative Research. This method will emphasize
objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of
data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating pre-
existing statistical data using computational techniques.
The researcher will employ a survey questionnaire to be able to determine the
the extent to which Senior High School teachers develop critical thinking skills
among learners in the teaching-learning process. This study will also be able to
establish if there is a significant difference on the extent of deployment of strategies
among Senior High School teachers in developing the critical thinking skills of
learners when they are grouped according to their profile. In the same way, this study
will also be able to identify if there is a significant difference among Senior High
School teachers in the level of difficulty and challenges encountered in developing
critical thinking among learners if they are grouped according to their demographic
profile.
The researcher will also implement a semi-structured interview to gather
information as to the difficulties and challenges encountered by the Senior High
School teachers in developing the critical thinking skills of the learners during the
teaching-learning process.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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Respondents
The respondents of this study are the fourteen (14) teachers of the Senior High
School department of San Simon High School for the school year 2019 to 2020.
Among the fourteen Senior High School teachers, two are male respondents and the
remaining twelve respondents are female. The ages of the Senior High School
teachers vary from twenty to fifty years old. The respective number of teaching
experience of the fourteen Senior High School teacher-respondents also vary from
three year to twenty years, both from the private and public sector. The area of
specialization of the Senior High School teacher-respondents include English,
Mathematics, Science, Social Science, TLE-TVL, and MAPEH.
Sampling Method
This study will use Purposive Sampling. It will utilize the total population
which will include the fourteen Senior High School teachers of San Simon High
School for the school year 2019 to 2020. Using this sampling method, the study will
heavily rely on the results of the survey questionnaire and answers on the interview
questions which will be facilitated by the researcher.
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Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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Sources of Data
The researcher will use primary and secondary data. Primary data will be
collected based on the information which will be supplied by the teacher-respondents
from the administered survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Secondary
data will also be utilized based on available recorded information and materials from
the Internet, books, periodicals and publications. Rating sheets of the Senior High
Scool teachers on their classroom observation may be utilized as reference on some
findings. Reports on technical assistance on classroom observation will also be used
and records or minutes of specific Senior High School faculty meetings will also be
regarded for this research.
Proposed Innovation/Intervention/Strategy
A Capacity Building/Workshop will be crafted to be administered to the
Senior High School teachers to help them implement effective teaching strategies that
will develop critical thinking skills of learners during teaching-learning process.
Data Collection Procedure
Ethical considerations will be of utmost importance in the data collection
process. A letter to conduct action research will be initiated by the researcher. Once
approved, consent forms will be accomplished by the teacher-respondents. Teacher-
respondents will also be assured of the confidentiality of their identity as well as
results of the data collection process. Data collection will be done by the researcher
Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Senior High School Learners: Towards
Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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by distributing survey questionnaires, conduct of semi-structured interview, and
analysis of existing reports on classroom observation. A focus group discussion may
also be employed to gather supplemental data.
Instruments
This study will make use of a survey questionnaire to know the extent on how
Senior High School teachers employ strategies that will develop the critical thinking
skills of the learners. A semi-structured interview will also be used to gather
information about the challenges and difficulties encountered by Senior High School
teachers in employing strategies that will develop and enhance critical thinking skills
among learners. Guide questions will initially be prepared by the researcher but such
questions are not limited and may be subject for follow-up questions depending on the
responses of the sample. Analyses of available data such as rating sheets, observation
notes form, and technical assistance report may also be utilized to have a better
understanding of the school’s current condition.
Ethical Considerations
Before conducting the data gathering, a conforme from the school head will be
secured as proof of permission to conduct research. Teacher-respondents will be
asked to fill up personal information sheet to gather personal details. Teacehr-
participants’ personal profile will be kept confidential to protect their identities.
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Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
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Data Analysis
For the quantitative element of the study, the responses of the sample under
study will be interpreted through SPSS. Meanwhile, in gathering answers about the
difficulties and challenges encountered by the Senior High School teachers, the
process of coding will be implemented.From the data analysis, dependent and
independent variables will be determined to form the conceptual framework of the
study.
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Crafting Effective Strategies for Classroom Instruction
