Enhancing Critical Thinking in Malaysian Primary School Students through PLS Method
Journal Title: International Journal of Educational Methodology - Year 2018, Vol 4, Issue 4
Abstract
Pictologics (PLS) is a language teaching method which relies on imaginative usage of pictures. The current paper reports the effects of applying this method on enhancing critical thinking ability of the Malaysian students. 69 students (32 boys & 37 girls) in two classes in a public primary school in Penang, Malaysia participated in this study. The experiment covered ten 1-hour sessions which were all audio-recorded and video-taped. The main objective was to engage the students in short conversations in English by using new words that they were learning via PLS. The following qualitative instruments were employed in this study: interviews with the teachers, focus group interviews with the students, a group interview with students’ parents, class check-list of the students’ behavior during the sessions, photos, and video footages. The findings reveal significant patterns of critical thinking among the students such as recognizing and criticizing assumptions, giving reasons to support a conclusion, incorporating isolated data into a wider framework, and using analogies to solve problems. The author strongly recommends application of adopted PLS techniques to be used either alone, or combined with the other conventional language teaching methods.
Authors and Affiliations
Abolfazl Sasi
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP469408
- DOI 10.12973/ijem.4.4.243
- Views 98
- Downloads 0
Field Trial Analysis of Teaching Material Civic Education Based on Problem Based Learning (PBL) to Improve Student’s Outcome
This research is part of developing study on the Civic education teaching material based on PBL. This research aims to determine the process of developing the teaching material of Civic education based on PBL for the fou...
An Integrated Model Approach: Exploring the Energy Literacy and Values of Lower Secondary Students in Japan
Energy literacy is a minimum required capacity for developing a sustainable society that participates in and discusses on energy and environmental (EE) issues. Understanding the energy literacy structure is of significan...
Examining Mathematics Classroom Interactions: Elevating Student Roles in Teaching and Learning
This article introduces a model entitled, “Responsive Teaching through Problem Posing” or RTPP, that addresses a type of reform oriented mathematics teaching based on posing relevant problems, positioning students as exp...
Preservice Teachers’ Transforming Perceptions of Science and Mathematics Teacher Knowledge
Teacher Education Programs (TEPs) are intended to prepare students to become qualified professionals in the field of education. Yet, many preservice teachers (PSTs) have difficulty recognizing their new roles, not simply...
Altruism and Popularity
Popularity, as a manifestation of social status, has been widely researched and determined by group members. Prosocial behaviors are actions with intention of benefiting others or society as whole with little or no perso...