Abstract
Abstract: This research was designed to study the effectiveness of using the discrete mental skills in teaching according to Costa’s model on brain information processing as well as developing and promoting thinking, creative thinking, and feelings strategies. Two teaching units (energy and chemical reactions) were chosen from the curriculum of first preparatory level. Their contents were analyzed and the concepts were restated per lesson and were taught during the first (energy) and second (chemical reactions) semesters (2013) for two classes (experimental, N= 38 and control, N = 36) of a randomly chosen girls' school, in Benha, Qualubia Governorate. A teacher guide and tests were prepared for logic, decision-making, problem – solving, and critical thinking strategies. Frank Williams' translated test was used for creative thinking and feelings strategies. After completing teaching the contents of the two units, the results indicated relative to the control that there were: 1- Significant increases in the discrete mental skills means and total scores of each strategy, 2- Significant increases in the mean total scores of each strategy, 3- The magnitude of increases in the mean scores of discrete mental skills for each strategy were higher for the chemical reactions unit than their counterparts of the energy unit, 4- The frequency distribution of the student scores according to research variables showed that scores of the chemical reaction unit were mostly grouped at the interval (>70), while those of the energy unit were scattered among the preceded intervals. The research recommended the extension of implementing Costa's model in the curricula of all educational levels, and ended with three interrogative suggestions. Keywords: Costa's Model of hierarchical thinking skills; Information Processing; Critical Thinking; Problem Solving; Creative Thinking and Feeling Strategies
Highlights
There has been great interest in education due to its crucial role in shaping the mind and thought of the future generations
2-There were no differences between the energy and chemical reactions units in frequencies distributions of students according to the mean scores of the strategies discrete mental skills
The results of Tables (1) and (2) showed the significant superiority of the experimental sample over the control relative to the discrete mental skills mean scores of each thinking, creative thinking, and creative feelings strategy. Such finding clarifies that using Costa’s model had a role in organizing the lessons of the two units to suit the learning situations. This led to reinforcing the discrete mental skills and help them to immerge in a hierarchal order which facilitated using the skills properly
Summary
There has been great interest in education due to its crucial role in shaping the mind and thought of the future generations. Costa (1988) was able to synthesize a list of pervasive behaviors and characteristics of mental action He reported that the basis of all learners' thinking involves taking information through the senses and driving some meaning which will enable the learner to think and develop a plan or strategy leading to the achievement of the goal. Due to scarcity of work in this area, this research was designed to study in an extended manner the effectiveness of using the discrete mental skills in teaching according to Costa’s model on brain information processing, and developing as well as promoting strategies of thinking, creative thinking, and feelings of female students at the preparatory stage. 2-There were no differences between the energy and chemical reactions units in frequencies distributions of students according to the mean scores of the strategies discrete mental skills
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
