Instructional model development to enhance critical thinking and critical thinking teaching ability of trainee students at regional teaching training center in Takeo province, Cambodia

Abstract

     The main purposes of this research are to develop, implement, and evaluate an instructional model based on the cognitive approach to enhance critical thinking among trainee students and to develop their abilities in teaching critical thinking to learners. The model was designed utilizing 4 main components of research and development processes and implemented with 15 trainee students whose majors were English and Khmer at the Regional Teacher Training Center. The received data was analyzed using scoring rubrics, descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon test, and content analysis. The results revealed that there were 6 main components of the developed instructional model: principle, objective, learning content, learning instruction, learning materials, and evaluation. The developed instructional model was at the highest level of applicability (X̄ = 4.21, SD = 0.23). Critical thinking learning instruction was designed into 8 steps consisting of: triggering activity, identifying problem, investigating related data, discussing findings, evaluating findings, creating solutions, presenting solutions, and reflecting learning outcome. Trainee students' post critical thinking was much higher than pre-critical thinking implementation, while their abilities in teaching critical thinking were at the exemplary level (X̄ = 20.62, SD = 0.28). Trainee students' perceptions toward learning critical thinking and teaching instruction were at the highest level (X̄ = 4.28, SD = 0.19).