A Comparative Study of Critical Thinking Skills of Educators in Elementary, Secondary, High, and Pre-university Schools in Bushehr Province and Providing Strategies to Promote Critical Thinking

Subject Areas : Education

F. GH ¹ , A. مهاجری ² , SH. اسکندری ³ , H. آب روشن ⁴

1 - دکترای برنامه ریزی درسی، معاون پژوهش، برنامه ریزی و نیروی انسانی اداره کل آموزش و پرورش فارس
2 - کارشناس تحقیقات اداره کل آموزش و پرورش فارس
3 - کارشناسی ارشد دبستانی و پیش دبستانی
4 - دانشجوی دکتری و مدرس دانشگاه فرهنگیان

Received: 2014-02-02 Accepted : 2014-02-02 Published : 2013-11-22

Keywords: critical thinking, Deductive reasoning, Inductive reasoning,

Abstract :

This study compared educators' critical thinking in elementary, secondary, high, and pre-university schools and sought to provide strategies to promote such skills. In this study, a descriptive research method was used. A sample of 280 educators (teachers and managers)  from elementary, secondary, high, and pre-university schools of Boushehr province was selected through  multi-stage sampling. Research instrument was the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. In order to answer research questions a use was made of t-test and factorial ANOVA. The results suggested that there was no significant difference among educators' critical thinking. The results also indicated that teacher' inductive and deductive reasoning critical thinking skills were highest. In addition, no significant difference was found between male and female educators, and educators with different degrees, or with different work experience levels in terms of critical thinking skills. Besides, Arts teachers exceeded all other teachers in critical thinking skills.