Investigating Critical Thinking Skills Practices in Qatari Elementary Schools

By Yassir Semmar and Aisha Fakhro.

Published by The International Journal of Learning

Format	Price
Article: Print	$US10.00
Article: Electronic	$US5.00

The purpose of this study was to examine how government and independent elementary school teachers in Qatar compare on promoting students’ critical thinking skills in the classroom. A total of 441 participants completed a 30-item, critical thinking skills questionnaire based on Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives—cognitive domain, which aimed at assessing teachers’ frequency of using certain critical thinking activities in the context of classroom instruction. Multivariate analysis of variance procedure indicated significant differences on the application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels, but not on knowledge and comprehension. No significant differences were observed between the government and independent school teachers based on years of teaching experience. These results are discussed in light of their implications for the undergoing education reform in Qatar.

Keywords:	Critical Thinking, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Elementary Schools

The International Journal of Learning, Volume 16, Issue 1, pp.13-24. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 1.182MB).

Dr. Yassir Semmar

Assistant Professor, Psychological Sciences Department, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Yassir Semmar is Assistant Professor of psychology and chair of the student support committee in the College of Education at Qatar University. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty in the College of Graduate and Continuing Education at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, USA. Dr. Semmar had previously taught both at the United Arab Emirates University and California State University, Long Beach. His research interests include e-learning practices in higher education, cognitive and affective variables in second and foreign language acquisition, students’ attitudes towards seeking psychological help, and relationship between students’ personality traits, social competence, and academic performance. His hobbies include swimming, scuba-diving, running, and reading.

Aisha Fakhro

Associate Professor, Educational Sciences Department/College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Dr. Aisha Fakhro is Associate Professor of Educational Sciences in the College of Education at Qatar University. She has numerous contributions in both regional and international conferences in the subject of elementary school education. Her research interests including teacher professional development, critical thinking skills development in early childhood, constructivist approaches to teaching math and science in elementary schools, and differentiated instruction in light of Qatar School Reform.

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