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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 2
Publication Date: February 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.112.16442.
Hyder, H. (2024). The Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary School Students in Saudi Arabia. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 11(2). 88-98.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary School
Students in Saudi Arabia
Huma Hyder
(Independent Researcher)
Member KSAALT Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
ABSTRACT
The assessment of critical thinking skills in secondary school students in Saudi
Arabia involves evaluating their ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate
information. Various methods are employed, including traditional exams, project- based assessments, and scenario-based tasks. Traditional exams may include
questions that require students to apply logic and reasoning, while project-based
assessments assess their ability to solve real-world problems. Scenario-based tasks
present students with situations where they must make informed decisions,
encouraging critical thinking. Additionally, group discussions and debates are
utilized to gauge their capacity for reasoned argumentation. Educators often use
rubrics to evaluate students' thought processes and the depth of their analyses.
Challenges in this assessment process may include cultural influences on critical
thinking styles, language barriers, and varying educational backgrounds.
Therefore, it's crucial to design assessments that consider these factors and
promote a holistic understanding of critical thinking skills. Continuous professional
development for teachers and the integration of critical thinking across the
curriculum are essential for fostering these skills. Overall, a multifaceted approach
ensures a comprehensive evaluation of critical thinking skills in Saudi Arabian
secondary school students, preparing them for the complexities of the modern
world. The assessment of critical thinking skills in secondary school students in
Saudi Arabia employs diverse methods, encompassing exams, projects, and
discussions. These evaluations gauge students' abilities to analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate information. Exam questions are crafted to test logical reasoning, while
project-based assessments measure problem-solving in real-world scenarios.
Group discussions and debates assess students' reasoned argumentation,
promoting critical thinking. Rubrics provide a structured evaluation framework,
ensuring consistency. Cultural influences, language barriers, and diverse
educational backgrounds pose challenges. Adaptable assessments considering
these factors are crucial. Continuous professional development for educators and
integrating critical thinking across curricula enhance skill development. A holistic
approach ensures comprehensive evaluations, preparing students for the
complexities of the modern world.
Keywords: assessment, critical thinking, secondary school, Saudi Arabia, diverse
methods, challenges, continuous professional development.
INTRODUCTION
The application of critical thinking (CT) in education facilitates the development of students’
ability to comprehend and engage in analytical discourse and problem-solving activities.
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Hyder, H. (2024). The Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary School Students in Saudi Arabia. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 11(2). 88-98.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.16442
During academic activities within a classroom setting, both students and professors may
engage in intellectual discourse and initiate a debate. The acquisition and utilisation of CT
talents can enhance an individual’s performance in their routine tasks, enabling them to assume
additional responsibilities. In his seminal work published in 1970, titled “Pedagogy of the
Oppressed,” Paulo Freire emphasised education’s crucial role in resisting and challenging
systems of oppression and subjugation. The individual held the belief that education has the
potential to empower individuals who are marginalised or oppressed. Emancipation is attained
through the facilitation of “dialogue,” wherein the student assumes an active role in the
educational journey, and the instructor places significance on their perspectives and
contributions. The learner and the instructor are afforded exceptional opportunities for
learning and development.
Henry Giroux emerged as a prominent figure within the realm of critical theory, particularly in
the context of learning and education in the United States. In Giroux’s seminal study conducted
in 1978, it was discovered that children engage in active learning processes about culture,
science, and the history of humanity. Brookfield (2005) asserts that the incorporation of critical
thinking in the field of education holds significant importance. This educational approach
equips students with the necessary skills to effectively navigate and adapt to unpredictable
circumstances and successfully navigate the rapid shifts in social, economic, and technological
landscapes. “The application of critical thinking skills aids students in acquiring and evaluating
novel information” (Rodzalan and Saat, 2017). As mentioned earlier, the talents possess
numerous applications and benefits beyond the confines of an educational setting. In order to
cultivate critical thinking skills, it is imperative to incorporate this cognitive process into
various aspects of academic endeavours, such as courses, projects, collaborative work, and
individual assignments.
Governments prioritise basic and secondary school education (Topping, 2011; Dinham and
Rowe, 2008). Many attempts to improve educational results have focused on critical thinking
(CT) skills. Despite the significance of CT capabilities, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has yet to
take steps to adopt these advances. The Saudi Ministry of Education and education
professionals have expressed worry over secondary school pupils’ academic performance
(Moshashai and Bazoobandi, 2020). The Saudi Ministry of Education aims to strengthen and
progress the education industry through enhancing student and instructor skills. Saudi Arabia
has allotted more funding to improve social and economic areas. This additional funding has
allowed educational programmes to explore and implement innovative and effective
development initiatives. Information systems, professional staff, and information technology in
education and training have dominated previous initiatives (Tayan, 2017).
Education Policy in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi educational system requires formal schooling from six to eighteen years old. This
educational trip has four stages. Children start formal schooling at six in elementary school.
From 6 to 12, students learn basic topics in this school era. After that, students attend middle
school, usually 13–15. Middle school bridges elementary and secondary schooling. After middle
school, students attend high school for their last years of obligatory education, usually from 16
to 18. The high school offers a more focused and comprehensive education to prepare pupils
for college or the job. This educational trajectory from elementary to middle school to high
school equips children with the information and skills to succeed in further education or the
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workforce. Upper high school has two specialisations: sciences and humanities (Al- Shumaimeri, 1999). Gender segregation begins in fourth grade and continues through high
school.
Additionally, only female teachers may teach in girls' schools and only male teachers in boys'
schools. Saudi Arabian education policy aims to match education at all levels with the nation's
socio-economic and cultural needs (Alshaer, 2008). Saudi Arabian education strategy aims to
provide students with modern information and skills for national and global developments. The
Saudi government recognises education's importance in infrastructure development. Thus,
their five-year, ten-year, and Vision2030 strategic plans include social and economic growth
(Vision2030, 2017). However, cultural and political issues have limited Saudi Arabia's
education strategy, leading to a more conservative approach. The condition has limited pupils'
cognitive processes, moral standards, and critical thinking.
Al-Zahrani (2017) examined the advantages of computer technology (CT) in English language
instruction for non-native students. The study also addressed the possible problems and
complications of incorporating computational thinking into language learning. Al-Zahrani's
study examined instructors' roles in achieving her research goals. The researcher used
qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, to get specific information.
Students studying English as a second language will be assessed for critical thinking skills. The
study found many impediments to student critical thinking. These challenges include
traditional teaching methods, large class sizes, insufficient support from school administrators
and teachers in promoting critical thinking skills, and a curriculum that emphasises
memorisation over understanding. The research focused on King Abdul Aziz University and
Arab Open University students' demographics. Only qualitative research was used in all three
investigations. This study compares student and instructor critical thinking. A complete
research process includes quantitative and qualitative assessment. The research is important
since students provided significant insights. These insights help educational directorates and
the Ministry of Education provide perspective.
METHODS
This study focuses on addressing students’ abilities in critical thinking using a different
approach involving 25 items developed by Stupple and colleagues (2017). Quantitative
researchers follow the laws of natural sciences, relying on impartiality and reality. The
interpretive model uses induction to draw general principles or hypotheses from particular
observations or facts. The positivist paradigm uses empirical data to assess and validate
hypotheses or ideas. Depending on the research scope and goals, this literature review
examines how quantitative and qualitative research methods may be used to study critical
thinking. To understand how the researcher interpreted critical thinking in the national
curriculum, interviews were conducted.
It should be noted that this research used mixed methods. The quantitative study focuses on
“El-Riyadh City high school Students.”
Additionally, their professors participated in the qualitative section. Lockdown procedures
during the Coronavirus epidemic made it impossible to obtain a representative sample from
educational institutions and their students. The researcher created an online questionnaire
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Hyder, H. (2024). The Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary School Students in Saudi Arabia. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 11(2). 88-98.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.16442
hyperlink for the principal to send to students’ parents through email to solve the issues of
spreading the survey form.
The current research used a survey design to collect quantitative data from a student sample.
Within a given duration, surveys collect data from a large population, including people,
educational institutions, and other organisations. The researcher in this study has used a survey
to determine what characteristics affect high school students’ critical thinking. The researcher
also wanted to study how students’ personalities affect critical thinking. This research used
complex statistical methods, including multiple regression analysis, to examine the connection
between students’ critical thinking growth and their background factors. This investigation
utilised a closed-ended questionnaire that underwent thorough verification and validation
processes. In order to respond to the inquiries, participants utilised a Likert scale that consisted
of various options such as strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree. A
structured interview protocol was created to learn educators’ perspectives on critical thinking,
how students learn it, and how to integrate it into educational policies and the national
curriculum.
The study tool’s pre-test helps researchers find and fix data errors. A pre-test and pilot research
aims to determine how well pupils understand academic terms. This clarifies questions. A total
of 45 surveys were evaluated for accuracy, clarity, and student completion time. The
researchers utilised multiple linear regression because the dependent variable represented a
continuous variable. The development of critical thinking is assessed in this study. The
dependent variable in the study, student critical thinking, was examined in connection to
personal and familial background variables using multiple linear regression analysis.
Since Arabic is the primary language of instruction in Saudi Arabia, the poll was translated from
English to Arabic. After It finished, another scholar back-translated the instrument to ensure its
validity and accuracy. Headteachers emailed students with their contact information and the
survey form link. The Saudi Arabian three-year upper secondary school programme will
distribute the questions equally among the courses. Interviews are usually done in person. This
study used Microsoft Teams software for interviews due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study used descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney test, to
analyse the data. SPSS v25 was used. The Mann-Whitney test was impossible due to the three
GPA groups, so the Kruskal-Wallis test was used instead. In situations where the independent
variable represents more than two groups, the Kruskal-Wallis test is used so that many groups
may be compared. Developing critical thinking abilities is the primary emphasis of this research
(Boavista, 2017). Other studies on CT development used multiple linear regression (Stolk &
Harari, 2016). All categorical factors in this study, such as “sex, GPA, year of study, speciality of
studies, fathers’ and mothers’ educational degrees, and job status,” were transformed into
dummy variables. Male students are assigned a “1”, and female students are assigned a “0”
based on sex. The same approach was used for all other category variables in the research. The
data was qualitatively analysed in three steps: interview transcription, coding, and theme
analysis. The study’s goals, rationale, and the students’ consent to participate were included in
the information packet. The paper confirmed that participation was optional and that
instructors and students could stop or leave the survey and interviews anytime. The package
ensured data confidentiality and compliance with data protection laws.
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Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
RESULTS
Quantitative Results: Survey from Students
There was fifty-five per cent of male students, and forty-five per cent were female students.
These results reveal no significant differences in gender participation. Chart 4.2 shows that
almost seventy-nine per cent of students possess a science background, and twenty-one per
cent have been from arts fields in their secondary stage. As shown by graph 4.3, Third- and
First-Year students were almost high and low in numbers, respectively, while second-year
students were in the middle of them. Sixty per cent of students have acquired above ninety per
cent, and above 25% acquired eighty-one to ninety per cent, and the remaining have above
seventy per cent. Almost both parents of students were found to equally graduate. Fathers were
more employed in numbers than mothers, as shown in graph 4.5.
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Hyder, H. (2024). The Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary School Students in Saudi Arabia. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 11(2). 88-98.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.16442
The study reveals that 52.1% of students possess critical skills to identify improper emotive
language in scientific arguments. In comparison, 31.1% cannot do either. 82.3% of students
have well-defined aims, suggesting that most students can think critically and independently.
However, students need to be made aware of the need for critical thinking in psychological
issues. They are linked to their ability to handle college without it. Over 42.2% believe critical
thinking is essential for degrees, while the rest disagree. Over half of the participants can
communicate critical thinking effectively through writing, while very few cannot.
Approximately 42.2% believe critical thinking is a prerequisite for higher education, while
17.5% are unaware.
Students need more critical thinking abilities to finish assignments quickly, with over 80%
indicating they have not developed the necessary tools. They are eager to investigate and find
material beyond the classroom curriculum to help them think. Over one-third of students
consider themselves competent critical thinkers. At the same time, 42.2% deliver no opinion
and almost one-fourth are considered inadequate for competency. Less than half of students
have critical thinking abilities to write assignments appropriately, suggesting that professors
need to trust their students to think and act correctly, discouraging them from using their
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engage in thorough research, and excel in their coursework. The significance of actively
participating in classroom activities and engaging in collaborative education programmes
resides in their capacity to facilitate student interactions, ultimately resulting in an elevated
level of critical thinking. The study's results revealed that a notable challenge in promoting the
development of critical thinking abilities is the teachers' restricted ability to effectively
motivate and support students in actively participating in critical thinking activities. Integrating
current pedagogical methods and students' need for more confidence presents difficulties in
promoting the articulation and development of their viewpoints. Bullying presents a notable
obstacle for students, as it frequently pressures them to conform to the viewpoints and
ideologies of their peers, inhibiting their ability to engage in autonomous and critical thinking.
Teachers are essential in inspiring and promoting students' growth in critical thinking skills. A
safe learning environment must be created in the classroom by adapting teaching strategies
and developing student confidence.
DISCUSSION
The study examined critical thinking understanding among Saudi Arabian students and
teachers. The results showed that both groups had similar definitions of critical thinking,
emphasising problem-solving, analysis, and decision-making skills. Students had a wider view
of critical thinking, which included creativity and deep thinking. The study found that students
had some critical thinking skills but needed more confidence and awareness of critical
thinking's importance in psychology. The study found that female students had better critical
thinking skills than male students, consistent with previous research. Higher GPAs correlate
with increased development of critical thinking skills, indicating that academic performance
can motivate students to engage in critical thinking. The study found that mothers' education
had a greater impact on students' critical thinking skills than fathers' education. Lack of
motivation among teachers and students hinders the development of critical thinking skills.
The study suggested that teachers should receive specialised training. It highlighted the
importance of family environments and cultural changes in fostering critical thinking.
Addressing school bullying is crucial for students' self-expression and confidence. Teachers
suggested different methods to promote critical thinking, such as problem-solving projects,
written compositions, classroom discussions, and group discussions on social issues. The study
emphasised the need for teacher training and cultural changes to promote critical thinking
skills in students.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Critical thinking should be included in national high school and college curricula. Education
helps students develop and enhance their talents. It would enhance critical thinking skills for
high school students beyond the classroom. This study proposes a teacher-training course for
educators at all educational levels. These initiatives aid educators in teaching critical thinking
to students and integrating it into the curriculum. This study recommends involving parents in
critical thinking skill development activities. The government could promote extracurricular
learning and parental involvement through a public awareness campaign. This research
proposes a training plan to enhance teacher-student interaction and increase students'
confidence in their education. Families and schools should avoid imposing cultural norms to
promote independent and critical thinking. This study proposes improving critical thinking
skills in females after high school. Gender norms limit women's potential by confining them to
domestic duties, resulting in their underutilization and undervaluation. To achieve a