A Framework for Enhancing Critical Thinking in High School Biology Education

Thesis Abstract

The development of critical thinking skills is essential for fostering scientific literacy and enabling students to effectively engage with complex biological concepts in high school education; however, existing instructional approaches often inadequately cultivate these skills, resulting in a pressing need for a structured framework to guide educators. This study aims to develop, validate, and empirically test a comprehensive framework for enhancing critical thinking among high school biology students. The specific objectives include identifying key components of critical thinking in biology education, designing an intervention model grounded in cognitive and pedagogical theories, and evaluating the framework’s effectiveness in improving students’ critical thinking skills, academic performance, and engagement. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates qualitative exploratory techniques with quantitative experimental methods. The qualitative component adopts thematic analysis of focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with biology teachers, curriculum developers, and students to delineate core critical thinking dimensions and pedagogical practices. The quantitative component involves a quasi-experimental design with a sample size of 300 high school biology students from 10 schools in a metropolitan district, randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group receives instruction based on the developed framework, while the control group continues with traditional teaching methods over one academic year. Data collection instruments include a validated Critical Thinking in Biology Test (CTBiT), classroom observation checklists, and student engagement surveys. Validity and reliability of these instruments are established through pilot testing and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.80. Data analysis employs descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANCOVA to compare post-intervention scores, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the relationships between framework components and student outcomes. The anticipated findings suggest that students exposed to the framework demonstrate statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in critical thinking skills, higher engagement levels, and enhanced academic performance compared to their counterparts. The SEM analysis is expected to reveal that pedagogical strategies such as inquiry-based learning, Socratic questioning, and collaborative problem-solving serve as mediators between the framework and positive student outcomes. The study also identifies specific contextual factors influencing framework implementation and effectiveness, including teacher preparedness and resource availability. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing an empirically validated, contextually relevant model for integrating critical thinking development into high school biology curricula. It advances theoretical understanding by operationalizing the integration of Bloom’s taxonomy, Vygotsky’s social constructivism, and metacognitive strategies within a cohesive pedagogical framework. Practically, the framework offers actionable guidelines for educators and curriculum designers to foster critical thinking through targeted instructional practices and assessment strategies. In conclusion, the study underscores the significance of a structured pedagogical approach for cultivating critical thinking in biology education and offers evidence-based recommendations for policy revision, teacher professional development, and curriculum enhancement at the high school level. Future research avenues include longitudinal studies to examine knowledge retention and scalability assessments across diverse educational settings, thereby broadening the applicability and impact of the proposed framework.