Thinking Skills Research Articles

Inclusive Education through Digital Comic Creation in Higher Learning Environments

This research aims to promote diversity and inclusion among higher education students by examining the integration of technology into project-based learning (PBL) for English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher candidates. Based on a mixed-methods approach and convenience sampling (n = 84 participants), this study involved pre-service teachers who collaboratively employed several authoring tools to create 16 digital comic strips for teaching English. The focus of the project was on inclusivity, cultural diversity, and affective education. This study consisted of five stages corresponding to different critical thinking skills: comprehension, negotiation, creation, presentation, and evaluation. The instruments used for quantitative data included a pre/post-survey based on two validated scales. Qualitative data were gathered through class discussions and semi-structured interviews. The results, analyzed through SPSS and QDA Miner Lite, revealed that teacher candidates lacked prior experience using digital tools to create EFL-inclusive materials. However, the study also highlighted increased awareness of inclusive education and strong advocacy for the integration of transformative technology in teacher training programs.

The effect of cognitive flexibility on students’ spatial visualization abilities and computational thinking skills in a three-dimensional design and coding training

ABSTRACT Aim and background Today, students are encouraged to develop spatial visualization ability to meet the challenges of digital technologies impacting their daily life and education when exposed more time to a virtual 3D environment. This study investigated the effect of cognitive flexibility levels on students’ spatial visualization abilities and computational thinking skills in three-dimensional design and coding training. In addition, this study examined the effect of the training on the spatial visualization abilities and computational thinking skills of the students. Method The study employed a one-group pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. A total of 60 university students (51 female and 9 male) participated in this study. University students received three-dimensional design and coding training by using Tinkercad. The Spatial Visualization Test, the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, the Computational Thinking Scale and semi-structured interview form were used to collect data. Paired samples t-test and one-way ANCOVA were used for the data analysis. Results and discussion Results from the training indicated that the students’ spatial visualization abilities improved. Their spatial visualization abilities and computational thinking skills were related to their cognitive flexibility levels. The training also improved the spatial visualization abilities and computational thinking skills of students with high cognitive flexibility. 3D design and coding education could be more effective for students with high cognitive flexibility. The qualitative findings supported the results of the study.

Countermeasures of Teaching English Reading in High Schools in Response to the English Reform of the College Entrance Examination

By analyzing the countermeasures taken in high school reading lessons to realize Gaokao English reform, this paper describes the design of two reading teaching activities aimed at improving students’ reading, critical thinking, and communication skills. Activity 1 activates students’ foreknowledge through prediction and verification, develops their prediction ability, and improves the purposefulness and interactivity of reading. Activity 2 deepens students’ understanding of the text through detailed comprehension and discussion and hones their critical thinking and cooperative communication skills. Both activities focus on students’ subjectivity and participation and emphasize the teacher’s guiding and facilitating role in the process.

The Effect of Using Context-Based Learning Videos on Fluid Materials on Students Critical Thinking Ability

Starting from the learning media used in schools not being able to prepare students to think critically, using context-based learning videos is one solution to improve students' critical thinking abilities. This research aims to see the effect of context-based learning videos on fluid material on the essential thinking abilities of class XI students at SMA Negeri 5 Solok Selatan. This study uses a quasi-experiment with a posttest-only control design. The research population was all class XI IPA students at SMAN 5 Solok Selatan registered in the 2022/2023 academic year. Purposive sampling was chosen as a sampling technique, so classes XI IPA 1 and XI IPA 2 were taken as research samples. The instrument used to obtain critical thinking ability data was a written test using 8-item essay questions. Normality, homogeneity, and t-tests were used in the data analysis. The measurement results show that experimental class students (80,38) have higher critical thinking skills than the control class (70,56). Statistical analysis with the t-test shows that that tcount > ttable (3,41 > 2.006) means the working hypothesis is accepted. So, it can be concluded that using context-based learning videos on fluid material affects students' critical thinking abilities.

The Effect of Bilingualism on Children's Creative Thinking of Cognitive Functioning: Evidence from Chinese Native Speaker

This essay investigates the impact of bilingualism, specifically learning English as a second language, on the creative thinking of Chinese-speaking children. Bilingualism's influence on cognitive functioning, particularly creative thinking, has been widely debated, with studies showing varying results. The study includes Chinese monolinguals and Chinese-English bilinguals from different age groups, with the aim of exploring potential differences in creative thinking between the two groups. To assess creative thinking, a battery of standardized creativity tests adapted to the Chinese language and culture is used, including linguistic, figural, and ideational tasks. The results are analyzed using a mixed-method approach, considering the effects of bilingualism, age-related changes, and task-specific differences. Expected outcomes may include identifying a bilingual advantage in certain aspects of creative thinking, age-related variations in creative thinking skills, and task-specific disparities. This research provides insights into the complex relationship between bilingualism, cognitive functioning, and creative thinking, particularly within the context of Chinese-speaking children. The findings have implications for educational practices, curriculum development, and language learning strategies, highlighting the importance of considering language and culture when studying the impact of bilingualism on cognitive functioning and creative thinking. This study emphasizes the significance of investigating the effects of specific language pairs on cognition and creative thinking, shedding light on the potential advantages and challenges associated with bilingualism.

ANALYSIS OF COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING LEARNING IN 9 NAMANG PRIMARY SCHOOLS, CENTRAL BANGKA DISTRICT

This research aims to analyze Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) learning at Elementary School 9 Namang, Central Bangka Regency. Analysis uses qualitative analysis techniques with the Miles and Huberman model. The analysis is divided into 3 (three), namely: project, case and simulation-based Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) learning. The sample in this study consisted of one school principal and 8 class teachers. The results of this research are that in project-based Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) learning practices, the main obstacles faced by teachers are mainly related to class I, where students are still learning to read and write, experiencing a lack of attention and focus. However, progressive development is seen from class III to class VI, where students are faced with increasingly complex challenges, such as designing projects that are relevant to the curriculum and looking for project ideas from literature. In sixth grade, students engage in thorough evaluation of project ideas, selecting the best solution, and planning concrete steps for implementation. Case-based Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) learning is designed to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills along grade levels. Simulation-based Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) learning in grades I-VI takes students through a series of progressive stages, starting from simple games that emphasize cooperation to real-world situations using technology and role-playing. This research provides in-depth insight into the implementation of various Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) methods in educational contexts, with an emphasis on developing students' skills over time.

A New Construct in Undergraduate Medical Education Health Humanities Outcomes: Humanistic Practice.

Proposed educational outcomes for the health humanities in medical education range from empathy to visual thinking skills to social accountability. This lack of widely agreed-upon high-level curricular goals limits humanities educators' ability to design purposeful curricula toward clear, common ends and threatens justifications for scarce curricular time. We propose a novel approach to the hoped-for outcomes of health humanities training in medical schools, which has the potential to encompass traditional health humanities knowledge, skills, and behaviors while also being concrete and measurable: humanistic practice. Humanistic practice, adapted from the concept of ethical sensitivity, is an intentional process of applying humanities knowledge and skills to a clinical scenario by 1) noticing that the scenario requires humanities knowledge or skills, 2) informing one's clinical and interpersonal strategy and behavior with humanities knowledge or skills, 3) reflecting on the effectiveness of the strategy and behavior, and 4) reorienting to develop new approaches for future practice. The construct of humanistic practice may help address some of the foundational problems in health humanities outcomes research since it transcends the traditional diverse content domains in the health humanities, can link patient and provider experiences, and may bridge the divide among the additive, curative, and intrinsic epistemic positions of humanities to medical education.

Exploring Design Literacy in Socially Responsible Design Education

Students majoring in design have the important responsibility of implementing the Chinese national rural revitalisation strategy in their future careers. The Rural Planning and Design course at Shandong University of Art & Design (SUAD) is a contributes to the cultivation of students' quality of responsibility. The design of this course adheres to the national strategy and closely focuses on the cultivation of these responsibilities, which are integrated into the course syllabus and activities. Students in this course are required to go into the countryside, conduct in-depth investigations to determine what social problems the people face and then think independently, cooperate with each other, create and propose innovative design strategies to solve the problems. Multidisciplinary theoretical knowledge is integrated into the course to promote students’ design literacy, including collaborative innovation, critical thinking, communication and research skills. This article introduces this course in detail and uses it as a practical case through which to explore what kind of design literacy is needed, how to cultivate design literacy and its impacts on various practical challenges.

STUDENTS' CREATIVE THINKING ABILITY PROFILE IN MATHEMATICS LESSONS OF RIAU PROVINCE

This study aims to describe students' creative thinking skills in mathematics. The type of research used in this research is descriptive research. The population in this study were junior high school level students in Bengkalis Regency, Riau while the sample was 59 students in the Bathin Solapan District and 50 students from the Bandar Laksamana sub-district. The sampling technique in this study was simple random sampling. The data collection technique in this study was a survey using a questionnaire instrument. Before the instrument is used, the instrument in the form of a questionnaire is validated in terms of content and construct. In terms of content, validity analysis uses the Aiken formula and CFA First Order, while construct validity uses CFA Second Order. Data analysis in this study used descriptive statistics. The results obtained from the analysis of students' creative thinking abilities in mathematics at the junior high school level show that the indicators of Elaboration, Flexibility, Originality, and Fluency in students' creative thinking abilities, obtain a good category percentage of 22.02% and a bad category of 77.98% .

Peningkatan Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis pada Pembelajaran Matematika melalui Model Problem Based Learning Siswa Kelas 4 SDN 1 Purwantoro Malang

This study aims to improve the critical thinking skills of grade IV students of SDN 1 Purwantoro Malang through the Problem Based Learning (PBL) learning model in Mathematics subjects. The study was conducted during the first semester of the 2023/2024 academic year involving 30 students. Data were collected through observation, tests, documentation, and interviews, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed that the application of the PBL model was effective in improving students' critical thinking skills. It is evident from the increase in average critical thinking skills from 61.91 in the first cycle to 84.91 in the second cycle. Thus, the PBL model can make a significant contribution to Mathematics learning, making students more active, critical, and creative in solving problems.

Exploring Decision-Making Competence in Sugar-Substitute Choices: A Cross-Disciplinary Investigation among Chemistry and Sports and Health Students

Interdisciplinary teaching approaches have gained significant importance in today’s educational landscape. Among these approaches, decision-making competence plays a pivotal role by nurturing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Focusing on the decision-making process regarding the sensibility of using sugar-substitutes, this study addresses three key questions. (1) Do chemistry and sports and health students differ in evaluation-competence? (2) What criteria do they use in evaluating the decision-making problem? (3) How do they use ChatGPT (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, USA), an AI tool, in decision-making? Through surveys, the study revealed two evaluation-competence factors, identified decision-making criteria, and analyzed querying behavior using ChatGPT. The results revealed nuanced differences between the two student groups in the factors of evaluation-competence. While both groups showed improvements in recognizing moral dimensions and considering alternatives, chemistry students displayed enhanced abilities in establishing evaluation criteria and empathetic thinking. Furthermore, differences emerged in the criteria selected for decision-making and querying behavior, indicating varying engagement with ChatGPT. This study offers insights into enhancing interdisciplinary education and underscores the need for tailored interventions to address diverse student needs.

Cognitive strategies utilised by early learners when writing alphabet-letters from memory.

Occupational therapy handwriting studies have shown cognitive instructional techniques are effective methods to assist beginning or challenged handwriters. However, information about how children's cognitive (thinking) skills impact their handwriting development is scarce. This study examined the cognitive strategy efficiency of early learners while writing the alphabet-letters from memory. Participants included 408 mainstream children in their first two years of formal schooling (Year 1 and Year 2). Children were asked to write the 26-lowercase alphabet-letters from memory. Data were collected using alphabet-letters generated by the children and observation of their cognitive strategy use while writing. The measurement tool employed was the Perceive, Recall, Plan, and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis (Stage Two). The results found that Year 1 and Year 2 children had difficulties applying cognitive strategies across all four PRPP quadrants while writing the lowercase alphabet-letters from memory. Application of the cognitive strategies from the Plan and Recall quadrants showed the most inefficiencies. The lowest PRPP subquadrant scores were observed in Evaluating, Recall Facts, Sensing, and Programming. Except for the Attending subquadrant and the descriptor 'Regulates', Year 2 children were significantly better than Year 1 children at applying cognitive strategies from all other PRPP quadrants and subquadrants. The findings provide beginning evidence that efficient use of cognitive strategies from all four PRPP quadrants is important for children achieving proficiency in accurate and automatic alphabet-letter-writing skills. Recommendations for occupational therapy handwriting assessment and intervention are provided. Research suggests that occupational therapists can best help children with handwriting difficulties by using a cognitive approach. This approach involves instructing children how to form letters correctly, encouraging self-evaluation, and providing opportunities to practice handwriting. However, the cognitive (thinking) skills required for children to write alphabet-letters accurately are not well understood. To investigate this, a study was conducted on 408 mainstream children in their first two years of formal schooling (Year 1 and Year 2). The study examined how accurately the children could write lowercase alphabet-letters from memory and which cognitive skills they used to do so. The cognitive skills investigated were related to attention, perception, recalling, planning, and performing. The assumption tested was that mistakes in correctly writing alphabet-letters could be attributed to difficulties in using these cognitive skills effectively. The study found that Year 1 and Year 2 children made errors in over half of the 26-lowercase alphabet-letters they wrote. The cognitive skills, which scored the lowest were children's ability to evaluate their writing, recall how and where to write letters, gather information from their vision, and think carefully to ensure accuracy while writing. This implied that these thinking skills had the most impact on the children's ability to write alphabet-letters correctly. More research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the reliability of the tool used in this study to measure the children's thinking skills.

Content Analysis of the EFL Textbook Units According to Bloom’s Taxonomy: Between Theory and Practice

Content Analysis of the EFL Textbook Units According to Bloom’s Taxonomy: Between Theory and Practice

Students as co-producers

To engage students with academic research is recognised as a high-impact activity that supports the development of valuable critical thinking skills. Various approaches have been developed to promote student research both in and outside the curriculum. By incorporating the perspectives of both students and academics, this qualitative study evaluates the extent to which a research partnership is formed through an institutional research scheme called the Junior Research Associate. Our findings indicate that it is critical to move beyond the entrenched academic hierarchies of supervisor/supervisee to develop a negotiated research relationship. Challenges identified include the short timeframe to establish the conditions for successful partnership and differential expectations of partners at the outset of the scheme. It is also important to safeguard against such initiatives being instrumentalised by academics seeking to further their personal research agenda. The findings help to inform strategies to scale up such initiatives.

Analysing Critical Thinking Competencies of Rajiv Gandhi University Students in Arunachal Pradesh: An Empirical Survey

Critical thinking skills falls under the 4Cs of 21st century skills. Critical thinking involves approaching problems by analysing the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of an issue. This cognitive ability enables one to compare evidence, assess assertions, to come to sound conclusions. The purpose of the study was to investigate university students’ critical thinking competencies. In this study, descriptive survey method is used. Critical Thinking Scale by Sharma and Priyamvada (2022) was used to collect data. The study revealed no significant difference in the students critical thinking abilities between male and female, rural and urban, or from nuclear or mixed families.

Fostering Peer Evaluation and Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor (CAP) Domains in School Level Science Education: A Critical Reflection on the STEAM Approach

Fostering Peer Evaluation and Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor (CAP) Domains in School Level Science Education: A Critical Reflection on the STEAM Approach

ELEVATING LEARNING: DEVELOPING HOTS CHALLENGES FOR SENIOR STUDENTS AT SMK PUI Cikijing

ELEVATING LEARNING: DEVELOPING HOTS CHALLENGES FOR SENIOR STUDENTS AT SMK PUI Cikijing

KRUSKAL WALLIS ANALYSIS TO FIND OUT THE IMPROVEMENT OF DESIGN THINKING SKILLS IN OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING MATERIALS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

Education legislation in Indonesia currently requires Informatics subjects, which is closely related to programming-based material. However, many students in Indonesia still have difficulty learning about programming material. One of them is due to the background of students about the ability to think in the process of solving a program code. Seeing the phenomenon of today's students who are active on social media, it is a good step if social media is used as a learning media platform. This study aims to analyze the improvement of design thinking skills by using educational content-based learning media. The research method used was R&D with the ADDIE media development model and One Group Pretest-Posttest as the research design. The results showed an increase after students were given treatment in the form of educational content based learning media. The Kruskal Wallis test results showed a significant difference between the upper class, middle class, and lower class. The N-Gain obtained in the upper class is 0.560, in the middle class is 0.505, and in the lower class is 0.303. The average value of the results of student responses to learning media is 96.59 percent with the category "Very Good".

Assessing AI Adoption: Investigating Variances in AI Utilization across Student Year Levels in Far Eastern University-Manila, Philippines

This study investigates the prevalent use of artificial intelligence (AI) among college students at Far Eastern University. Despite the risks, it aims to understand the primary reason behind the continuous use of AI. According to academics, the benefits of implementing AI in higher education include better inclusion, increased efficiency in administrative costs, and improvements in the learning-teaching process (Pisica et al., 2023). However, the extreme utilization of AI among students has led to cheating and plagiarism for many reasons that impact their personal lives and mental health. The researcher identified potential gaps while assessing possible solutions to lessen the student using Artificial Intelligence (AI) excessively. Moreover, the researcher used a quantitative method analysis involving 40 college students from 1st-year level to 4th-year level to explore the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on their academic tasks and learning styles. Thus, examining the utilization of AI from different year levels of Far Eastern University college students revealed that the researcher provides valuable insights into addressing the challenges posed by excessive dependency on AI while maintaining academic integrity and the need for the students to develop their critical thinking skills. After the researcher analyzed the collected data, it showed that the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for academic workloads varies among participants covering different college students, showing that first-year students rely on AI due to peer pressure. In contrast, the second-year students use it to improve their academic standing. Third-year students depend on AI because of time constraints, while fourth-year students use AI to minimize the possibility of human errors. The study conveys no significant differences in the probability of using AI for academic purposes, and it does not prevent the students from using AI regardless of their year level. Therefore, the researcher recommends proposing stricter AI checkers and educating the students on responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage to mitigate academic misconduct.

Digital Competencies in Verifying Fake News: Assessing the Knowledge and Abilities of Journalism Students

Digital Competencies in Verifying Fake News: Assessing the Knowledge and Abilities of Journalism Students