Thinking Skills Research Articles

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.

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.

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.

Nurse by numbers: The impact of early warning systems on nurses' higher-order thinking, a quantitative study.

To evaluate registered nurses' perceptions of whether the mandated use of the early warning system vital signs tool impacts the development of nurses' higher-order thinking skills. A concurrent mixed methods study design. Using an online survey, registered nurses' perceptions were elucidated on whether early warning system algorithmic tools affected the development of their higher-order thinking. Likert-type matrix questions with additional qualitative fields were used to obtain information on nurse's perceptions of the tool's usefulness, clinical confidence in using the tool, compliance with escalation protocols, work environment and perceived compliance barriers. Most of the 305 (91%) participants included in the analysis had more than 5 years of nursing experience. Most nurses supported the early warning tool and were happy to comply with escalation protocols if the early warning score concurred with their assessment of the patient (63.6%). When the score and the nurse's higher-order thinking did not align, some had the confidence to override the escalation protocol (40.0%), while others omitted (69.4%) or inaccurately documented vital signs (63.3%) to achieve the desired score. Very few nurses (3.6%) believe using early warning tools did not impede the development of higher-order thinking. Although experienced nurses appreciate the support of early warning tools, most value patient safety above the tools and rely on their higher-order thinking. The sustained development and use of nurses' higher-order thinking should be encouraged, possibly by adding a critical thinking criterion to existing algorithmic tools. The study has implications for all nurses who utilize algorithmic tools, such as early warning systems, in their practice. Relying heavily on algorithmic tools risks impeding the development of higher-order thinking. Most experienced nurses prioritize their higher-order thinking in decision-making but believe early warning tools can impede higher-order thinking. Registered nurses participated as survey respondents.

Workshop dan Pelatihan Pembelajaran Berbasis Higher Order Thinking Skill (HOTS)

Madiun is a city in East Java Province, Indonesia. The fourth largest city in East Java, after Surabaya, Malang, and Kediri, is 160 km west of Surabaya, or 111 km east of Surakarta, Central Java. The fourth largest city in East Java after Surabaya, Malang and Kediri. This city has a railroad industry (INKA) and a railroad high school. Based on the data above, the social capital owned by the city of Madiun must be maintained and increased from time to time as the times change and progress. Therefore, society and the world. Education in Madiun must keep up with the times by updating or reforming, learning innovations to be at the forefront, and at least not to be left behind. Higher-order thinking, known as higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), is an educational reform concept based on learning taxonomies (such as Bloom's taxonomy). The idea is that some types of learning require more cognitive processing than others but have more general benefits. The problem is that the busyness of teachers and the community and the lack of time to think about and carry out updates make teachers less active in implementing innovations or reforms in education. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to provide education and training on various ways of updating learning. The implementation method is carried out through lectures, demonstrations, and workshops to school inspectors and school principals in Madiun. Evaluation of the pretest results regarding the HOTS workshop showed that understanding increased by 19% with indicators during the activity, 90% of the participants were enthusiastic about practicing it, and 100% had made updates by carrying out HOTS-based learning. This community service is one of the PGRI Madiun University programs that implement the Tri Dharma of Higher Education by conducting training on implementing HOTS-based learning.

The relation between lateral thinking and inquiry skills of higher education students: A path analysis

AbstractThe aim of the study is to examine the relations between higher education students' lateral thinking dispositions and inquiry skills. Survey design and Structural Equation Modelling were used in the study. The sampling of the study consisted of 975 prospective teachers attending three faculties of education in three different state universities in Turkey. Inquiry Skills Scale and Lateral Thinking Disposition Scale were used to collect data. The collected data were analysed using R Studio programme. It was observed in the study that students' inquiry skills and lateral thinking dispositions were high. It was revealed in the study that inquiry skills predicted lateral thinking dispositions. Inquiry skills account for 31% of lateral thinking disposition. Thus, it can be concluded that lateral thinking dispositions of higher education students' depend on their inquiry skills at a percentage of 31%.

Promoting selected core thinking skills using math stations rotation

ABSTRACT The study aimed to investigate the impact of teaching mathematics using the station rotation model on secondary students' core thinking skills, specifically in analysing, generating, and evaluating information. A total of 120 Egyptian female tenth-graders were randomly selected and divided into two groups: an experimental group (60 students) studied the unit of similarity and triangle proportionality theorems through the station rotation model, while the control group (60 students) learned the same unit using the traditional method. A teacher's guide and student worksheets were prepared for the unit, incorporating the station rotation model. A core thinking test was developed to assess students' abilities in analysis, generation, and evaluation. The results revealed a statistically significant effect of using the station rotation model in developing secondary students' core thinking skills. Based on the findings, the study provided guidelines for the effective implementation of the station rotation model in teaching mathematics.

Exploring the influence of divergent thinking on social innovation in the micro-entrepreneurial context: Evidence from Poland

This article explores the link between divergent thinking skills and the capacity of micro-entrepreneurs to implement social innovations. Drawing on Guilford's Structure of Intellect theory and the Oslo Manual's 4th version, the study employs quantitative research on 1848 Polish micro-entrepreneurs. Through exploratory factor analysis and probit model estimation, findings indicate that three aspects of divergent thinking—Fluency, Flexibility, and Development—positively influence social innovativeness. Fluency and Flexibility align with Guilford's theory, while Development - which is our proposal - reflects micro-entrepreneurs engagement in the thinking process. This study underscores the need for further research to solidify the observed relationship.

Optimizing Project-Based Learning in Developing 21st Century Skills: A Future Education Perspective

Many studies show that the effectiveness of project-based learning in the perspective of future education is influenced by 21st century skills. This can be a support to solve any problems faced by students in learning. Therefore, it is important for students to improve 21st century skills as a guide to equip themselves to prepare for the life to come. The purpose of this research is to optimize project-based learning in developing 21st century skills. Creating a new innovation in the perspective of increasingly sophisticated future education, helping students develop more complex and in-depth thinking skills so that it can provide an effective solution related to all forms of challenges that occur in the world of education. The method used in this research is quantitative method. The steps are to make statements related to tips for improving 21st century skills from the perspective of future education. Then formulated into a google form and filled in by middle and high school students. Then the data is collected and then inputted and processed using the spss application. The truth of the data can be proven by the statements made on the google form which are adjusted to the facts that occur in students. Results. Based on effective observation, it is found that 21st century skills play an important role in today's modern learning process. Skills that can equip every student to prepare themselves and realize all forms of life demands that change according to the times. The conclusion of this research is that teachers are advised to understand more about 21st century skills, in order to teach students how to adapt to increasing technological changes, so as to expand learning opportunities and enrich students' learning experiences through skills practiced by teachers.

A Proposed Educational Program Based on Project-Based Learning (PBL) for Teaching Home Economics and its Impact on Developing Creative Thinking and Problem-solving Skills of Third-grade Intermediate Female Students

This study examined the effectiveness of using project-based learning (PBL) for the teaching of home economics and determine its impact on the development of students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers used the quasi-experimental approach. Pre- and post-intervention tests were conducted with two (experimental and control) groups of third-grade intermediate female students. Two tests were administered: one to test the students’ creative thinking skills, and the other to test their problem-solving skills. The control group were taught a home economics unit by conventional teaching methods; the experimental group were taught using the PBL approach. The following materials and tools have been prepared by the researchers: a proposed educational program based on project-based learning (PBL), a test of creative thinking skills, and a test of problem-solving skills. The findings revealed that there were statistical differences (0.05) between the mean scores for the pre-PBL and post-PBL tests, indicating that PBL significantly improved the students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Several recommendations and suggestions are offered based on the findings.

Development of PBL-Based GLOWASEA (Global Warming on the Sea) Educational Media to Train Critical Thinking Skills on the Topic of Global Warming

The low critical thinking skills of Indonesian students in the 21st century indicate the necessity of training these skills to prepare for a future replete with challenges. Teachers need to innovate learning materials that foster critical thinking skills. This study aims to develop a PBL-based GLOWASEA Edukit media product that is valid, effective, and practical for enhancing students’ critical thinking skills. This developmental research was conducted following the ADDIE model, which comprises five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Qualitative data were obtained through comments and suggestions for improvement in questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were obtained from the scores on the validation test, practicality test, questions’ validity and reliability test, and pretest and post-test score data. Data were analyzed using percentage analysis and qualitative description. Successively, the results of media and material validation and practicality were 82.61%, 91.17%, and 90.62%. The effectiveness of Edukit media is calculated using the N-Gain formula, resulting in an average score of 0.33, which meets moderate criteria. It can be concluded that the GLOWASEA Edukit media produced is valid, effective, and practical for training students’ critical thinking skills.

Influence of E-Scaffolding in Problem-Based Learning on Students’ HOTS in Standing Wave

In the 21st century, students’ higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are crucial, as they focus on students’ capacity to identify problems and think analytically to solve them. Therefore, students were required to have higher-order thinking skills. The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of e-scaffolding in problem-based learning (PBL) on students’ HOTS in the context of standing waves. This study utilized a quasi-experimental approach employing a non-equivalent control group design. The experimental group, which was taught with e-scaffolding in PBL, consisted of 31 students, while the control group, taught only with the PBL model, had 29 students. A total of eight multiple-choice questions that had been proven valid with a reliability of 0.752 were used to assess students’ HOTS. The data were then analyzed using ANCOVA, with pretest scores as covariates. The results showed statistically significant differences among students with increased higher-order thinking skills in favor of using e-scaffolding in PBL: 0.000 (α < 0.005). The eta squared statistic (0.785) indicates a large effect size. By employing PBL with electronic scaffolding, students actively participate in collaborative activities focused on successful problem-solving, resulting in a high success rate. Consequently, it is recommended to consider e-scaffolding as a primary method for developing higher-order thinking skills.

Enhancing High School Students' Future Thinking Skills through Interactive Digital Platforms for Teaching Energy Issues

In this paper, we investigate the potential of teaching energy-related topics to enhance secondary school students’ future thinking skills, including problem-solving, predicting, and envisioning. A physics enrichment program was conducted using the “Madrasati” digital platform in a semi-experimental design involving two groups of students (experimental and control). Utilizing a pre-post measurement approach, the study employed a novel instrument to assess future thinking across three distinct levels. The analysis, involving ETA squared, Cohen’s effect size, and independent sample t-tests, revealed a significant improvement in future thinking skills for the program group. These findings suggest the potential of incorporating energy-related topics and digital platforms into secondary science curricula to enhance critical thinking skills necessary for addressing future challenges. The study further underscores the potential of digital tools and innovative teaching approaches in optimizing students’ development of future thinking competencies.

Enhancing ESL Education with AI: Innovations in Teaching Methods and Au-thentic Materials

This article explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in English as a Sec-ond Language (ESL) education, focusing on innovative teaching methods and authen-tic materials. AI-powered gamification is discussed, highlighting the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance the gamification of key terms and concepts in ESL educa-tion. The interactive and enjoyable nature of gamified learning, combined with AI-driven content curation, deepens student understanding, critical thinking skills, and retention. By personalizing the learning experience, AI tools cater to individual stu-dent needs, allowing for flexibility in difficulty and fostering a love for the subject. Reflection and self-assessment play a crucial role in solidifying knowledge and pro-moting deeper learning. The article also discusses the importance of authentic materials in ESL education, emphasizing the use of AI-driven content curation to select and organize relevant and meaningful language content. AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of data, un-derstand patterns, and make accurate predictions, enhancing the user experience and delivering content that is most relevant and valuable to each individual student. The integration of AI in ESL education offers numerous benefits, including increased engagement, improved retention and application of key terms and concepts, personal-ized learning experiences, and enhanced critical thinking skills. By embracing AI-powered gamification and content curation, educators can create dynamic, interactive, and engaging learning experiences that foster a love for language learning and pro-mote deeper understanding.

Analyzing Students’ Thinking in Mathematical Problem Solving Using Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory

Objective: This study aims to investigate students' thinking in solving mathematical problem solving (MPS) using the Vygotskian sociocultural theory (SCT) in the form of mathematical objects. Method: This qualitative study involved 34 high school students in Palembang, 20 female and 14 male students. Data were obtained from students' work and video recordings when students solved problems. The analysis of students' work was reviewed from the semiotic system to see the students' semiotics, including languages (natural and alphanumeric), concepts and propositions, procedures, and arguments. The video recordings were analyzed to assess communication and collaboration among students during problem-solving activities. Research Findings and Discussions: Analyzing students' work and video recordings revealed significant insights into their problem-solving strategies and sociocultural interactions. Through semiotic analysis, it was possible to observe how students expressed and communicated mathematical ideas. Moreover, examining video recordings elucidated communication and collaboration dynamics within the classroom context. These findings shed light on the effectiveness of integrating Mathematical Problem Solving (MPS) with Socio-Cultural Theory (SCT) principles in fostering algebraic thinking and enhancing students' mathematical abilities. Research Implication: The findings of this study hold implications for both research and practice in mathematics education. They provide valuable insights for designing instructional approaches that promote collaborative problem-solving and facilitate the development of algebraic thinking skills. Additionally, the application of Vygotskian SCT in mathematics classrooms offers a promising avenue for cultivating a supportive sociocultural environment conducive to learning. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the existing literature by offering a comprehensive exploration of MPS through the lens of Vygotskian SCT, mainly focusing on using mathematical objects as mediational tools. By examining students' semiotic systems and sociocultural interactions, this research enhances our understanding of the complex processes involved in mathematical problem-solving and underscores the importance of sociocultural factors in shaping students' mathematical experiences.

The interaction between brain-based learning strategies and patterns of infographics and its influence on the development of information concepts among Saudi undergraduate cybersecurity students

The study reported in this paper investigates the impact of the interaction between brain-based learning strategies (spaced repetition and distributed practice - mental models) and patterns of infographics (static/animated) in e-learning environments and its impact on the development of informational concepts among cybersecurity students. The quantitative data were collected by means of Information Concept Test to determine the levels of information concepts according to the Frayer model (1969). The research sample consists of 80 male and female undergraduate students in Qassim University, who were classified into four quasi-experimental groups according to their preferred patterns in the infographic. Quantitative analysis of findings from this study shows an effect for the interaction between the variables of brain-based learning strategies (spaced repetition and distributed practice - mental models) and patterns of infographics (static/animated) in e-learning environments in the test scores of information concepts in the post-administration, where the significance level (.011) is less than the significance level (0.05). Findings also revealed that the repetition of information at increasing intervals of time using the infographics is effective to learning concepts in an organized manner and to improving short memory. Furthermore, the mental model’s strategy also helped to retain information. The study recommends encouraging the use of brain-based learning strategies and patterns of infographics (static/animated) in e-learning environments to explore the relationships between different scientific concepts, to expand students’ knowledge, and to discover inter-relationships between different subject elements. The study provides a platform for further research to employ different brain-based learning strategies within e-learning environments to acquire higher-order thinking skills and improve students’ memory and mental capacity with the use of modern technological techniques that achieve learning quality.

Improving critical thinking and metacognitive skills through the discovery learning model assisted by practicum for high school students

Metacognitive abilities and critical thinking support the success of learning biology, so these skills need to be empowered. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the practicum-based discovery learning model to improve critical and metacognitive thinking skills in digestive system material. The research method is a quasi-experimental research with a one-grub pretest-posttest design. The research was conducted from November to December 2022 at SMA Negeri 9. The research was carried out from November to December 2022 at one of the high schools in Mataram City. The research population was 98 students of class XI Science. The research sampling technique is a purposive sampling technique. The data collection technique used a test technique, namely 9 critical thinking essay questions and MAI. The instruments used in this study were the ability to think critically about the digestive system with several questions and the MAI instrument. The data analysis technique uses inferential statistics using the Paired Sample T-Test Assisted by SPSS IBM 27 software. The results of the study show that with an alpha of 5%, the practicum-based discovery learning model is effective for increasing critical thinking skills and metacognitive abilities. The average pre-test of critical thinking skills on the digestive system material was 54.0333 and the post-test was 75.8667. While the average pre-test of metacognitive abilities is 73.37 and the post-test of metacognitive abilities is 76.93 The application of the practicum-based discovery learning model effectively improves students' critical thinking and metacognitive skills with an alpha significance level of 5%.

Adopting Learner-Centred Pedagogy to Develop Business Studies Learners' Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking Skills in Selected Schools in South Africa

The need for problem-solving and creative thinking skills to be taught well in business studies classrooms can never be overemphasised due to the complexity of the problems and challenges faced by businesses in the 21st-century business environment. Teachers are, therefore, required to adopt pedagogies that would enable learners to acquire problem-solving and creative thinking skills to operate effectively in the new business environment. This study investigates business studies teachers' adoption of learner-centred pedagogy to nurture learners' problem-solving and creative thinking skills. This qualitative study is positioned within the interpretive paradigm. An exploratory case study was employed as a research design. Progressive Learning Theory was adopted as the lens of the study. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were used to collect data from six business studies teachers who were sampled purposefully from six secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The raw data was analysed thematically. It was found that most teachers managed to adopt learner-centred pedagogy and learning activities that promoted the acquisition of problem-solving and creative thinking skills. The study concluded that business studies teachers are now embracing learner-centred pedagogy in their classrooms, and they understand the importance of teaching learners to equip them with skills that are demanded by the 21st-century business environment. Despite these findings, it is still recommended that workshops and short learning courses be offered to teachers to equip them with pedagogical skills that would help them to engrain and sustain learner-centred pedagogy in their instructional practices.