Fostering critical thinking in science education: Exploring effective pedagogical models

Abstract

In the digital age, accessing information has both advantages and disadvantages. It is crucial to analyze available data before making decisions. Critical thinking skills are vital in mitigating the negative impacts of misleading information. This was exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused emotional distress in society and other harmful effects. Educators should aim to develop critical thinking skills in students from a young age, incorporating them into various subjects, including science education. This research aims to investigate trends in critical thinking research over the past decade, identify instructional models that facilitate critical thinking, and evaluate the efficacy of these models in enhancing critical thinking abilities. The search focused on research articles on critical thinking in science education at the K-12 level. The PRISMA model was followed, and the Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Springer, Wiley Online Library, and ERIC databases were utilized. The results suggest a significant increase in research related to critical thinking over the past decade. Eighteen articles that met our established criteria were identified and included. These findings demonstrate that STEM, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, cooperative learning, and predict-observe-explain (POE) instructional models are suitable for fostering critical thinking. These models exhibit characteristics that promote the development of critical thinking skills in the learning process. However, when selecting the most appropriate instructional model, it is important to consider learning objectives, subject matter, student characteristics, and contextual elements within the learning environment.