Development of an Instructional Model of Social Studies Teachers to Promote Critical Thinking Skills Among High School Students

Abstract

Development of an Instructional Model of Social Studies Teachers to Promote Critical Thinking Skills Among High School Students used research and development process. It aimed to 1) examine the current conditions and expectations of promoting critical thinking of high school student, 2) create the instructional models of social studies teachers to promote critical thinking skills of high school students and 3) study the results of using the instructional models of social studies teachers to promote critical thinking skills of high school students. The sample group consisted of 11 academic executive administrators, 83 social studies teachers, and 385 high school students from schools under the foundation of the Church of Christ in Thailand. The research instruments were a questionnaire and an interview. The data were analyzed for frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, and SWOT Analysis. According to the results, it was found that 1) the promotion of critical thinking skills of the high school students occurred at a certain level and the sample group statistically significantly expected to have more instructions that promotes critical thinking skills than the current situation. Moreover, it wad discovered that 2) the instructional models of the social studies teachers to promote critical thinking skills of the high school students consisted of 4 aspects which were 1) Principles of teaching and learning styles 2) Objectives of teaching styles 3) Instructional process content and 4) Measurement and evaluation, and 3) according to the results of using the instructional models of social studies teachers to promote critical thinking skills with the instruction that focused on process skills under APECCA Model in order to develop critical thinking skills consisting of 6 step which were 1) Awareness: A, 2) Process Learning: P, 3) Explanation: E, 4) Creating Knowledge: C, 5) Communication: C and 6) Application: A, it illustrated that the effectiveness and the propriety of the developed instruction focusing process skills under APECCA Model showed statistically significant improvement of the ability to think critically of the high school students after the experiment (t-test 12.126; p value =.000). After the experiment, the ability of the majority of the students were in intermedia level. It accounted for 59.20 percent. Before the experiment, the ability was intermedia level with 54.40 percent. In addition, the satisfaction of the social studies teachers and the high school students were in very high level. In conclusion, this research project was different from the existing research projects in the aspect of clarity fo the principles, theories, and the instructions that were based on the systematically operational curriculum. There were many aspects of the facilitating elements of the instructional models such as the management and the role of the executive administrators. Furthermore, the clarity to promote critical thinking skills of the high school students was the drive of the process. It became the mechanism to successful aims.Thus, social studies teachers should be aware of the changes in 21st century and design an instruction to promote skills for living in 21st century. For this reason, promoting critical thinking skill becomes more important in education in 21st century education.