INVESTIGATING SECONDARY STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING: A CASE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research study was to measure and compare critical thinking among secondary school students in a district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Methodology: Quantitative research approach was applied to study critical thinking. A sample of 400 students was selected through a convenient sampling technique to collect the data. Critical thinking was measured by applying an adapted tool (Sarigoz, 2012). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Main Findings: Findings of the study revealed that female students, rural school students, and science group students showed slightly higher critical thinking than male, urban, and arts group students. The results were consistent with earlier studies having higher critical thinking among female and science group students. However, the results were inconsistent with the earlier research studies having slightly higher critical thinking among rural school students than urban school students. The study revealed that there is a discrepancy in aligning critical thinking with teaching and learning activities in secondary school classrooms. Application of this study: The findings of the study help understand the level of male and female students' critical thinking at the secondary level. It will surely assist the teachers in designing their classroom activities and modifications in teaching methodologies for gender perspective. Novelty/Originality of this study: The study is original as not a single research study investigated the critical thinking of secondary school students in the region of district Ghizar in Gilgit-Baltistan.