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Preparatory School Learners’ Level of Critical Thinking Proficiency and Its Correlation with Their Academic Achievement in Ethiopia: The Missing Ingredient

Received: 19 March 2019     Accepted: 6 May 2019     Published: 3 June 2019
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Abstract

The present study investigated the level of preparatory school learners' critical thinking proficiency and its relation with their academic achievement. To the researchers' best knowledge, there is hardly any documented study exploring the relationship between these constructs among preparatory learners. To attain the purpose of the study, 108 grade 12 preparatory school learners from two sections (53 social science and 55 natural science majors: 56 male and 52 female students) were selected using a simple random sampling technique from Woldia Preparatory School. Data was collected through a critical thinking proficiency test adapted from “Cornell Class-Reasoning Test, Form X” (CCTT) and learners’ previous semester cumulative average. The data was analyzed statistically, employing Descriptive Statistics, Independent-Samples T Test, Pearson product-moment correlation, and linear regression. The results from the descriptive analysis showed that the critical thinking proficiency of preparatory school learners was weak, namely, most students lack critical thinking proficiency at this level. Moreover, the level of critical thinking didn’t vary significantly across majors and gender according to the independent-samples t test analysis. However, results from Pearson product-moment correlation indicated a fairly strong and positive correlation between critical thinking proficiency and academic achievement. The linear regression results also revealed that critical thinking proficiency act as the best predictor of academic achievement. The discussion and implications of the research are further presented with reference to the finding.

Published in English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 4, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11
Page(s) 32-38
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Critical Thinking, Academic Achievement, Predictor, Preparatory School Learners, Proficiency

References
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[2] Hove, G. (2011). Developing Critical Thinking Skills in the High School English Classroom: A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Education. The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout; May, 2011.
[3] Jie, Z., Yuhong, J., and Yuan, Y. (2015) The Investigation on Critical Thinking Ability in EFL Reading Class. English Language Teaching; 8(1), pp. 83-94; E-ISSN: 1916-4750, doi:10.5539/elt.v8n1p83.
[4] Ammons, J. H. and S. Friday-Stroud, S. S. (2009). Enhancing Performance in Critical Thinking: Quality Enhancement Plan, Prepared for Submission to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University.
[5] Snyder and Snyder (2008) Snyder, L. G. and Snyder, M. J. (2008). Teaching critical thinking and Problem solving skills. The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 1(2), pp. 90-99, Spring/Summer, 2008.
[6] Facione, P. A. (2011). Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts: Two parallel rational decision making systems_ associational and criterion automatic and well trained, reflective. The California Academic Press, Millbrae, CA.
[7] Zahedi, M. and Razi, H. Z. (2014). Studying the Effect of High School Curriculum on the Growth of Critical Thinking Skill of High School Female Students in Larestan City in Educational Year 2013- 2014, Indian J. Sci. Res. 7(1), pp. 421-432; ISSN: 2250-0138 (Online).
[8] Iakovos, T. (2011) Critical and Creative Thinking in the English Language Classroom. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(8); pp. 82-86. July 2011.
[9] Lai, E. R. (2011) Critical Thinking: A Literature Review Research Report, June 2011 Pearson, Available at: http://www.pearsonassessments.com/research.
[10] Tung, C. and Chang, S. (2009). Developing Critical Thinking through Literature Reading. Feng Chia Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, No.19, pp. 287-317.
[11] VanTassel-Baska, J., Bracken, B., Feng, A. and Brown, E. (2009) A Longitudinal Study of Enhancing Critical Thinking and Reading Comprehension in Title I Classrooms. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33(1), pp. 7–37. Prufrock Press Inc., http://www.prufrock.com.
[12] Külekçi, G. and Kumlu, E. (2015) Developing Critical Thinking Skills in English Language Teaching Classes through Novels. International Journal of Language Academy, 3(2), pp. 76-90 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18033/ijla.222.
[13] Marin, L. M. and Halpern, D. F. (2011) Pedagogy for developing critical thinking in adolescents: Explicit instruction produces greatest gains. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6, pp. 1–13; Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2010.08.002.
[14] Reed, J. H. (1998). Effect of a Model for Critical Thinking on Student Achievement in Primary Source Document Analysis and Interpretation, Argumentative Reasoning, Critical Thinking Dispositions, and History Content in a Community College History Course. [A dissertation]. College of Education, University of South Florida.
[15] Karbalaei, A. (2012). Critical thinking and academic achievement. Medellín – Colombia, 17(Issue 2) (May–August 2012), pp. 121-128, ISSN: 0123-3432.
[16] EGRA (2002) Ethiopia Early Grade Reading Assessment (2010). Data analytic report: Language and early learning (EDDAT II). RTI International and the Center for Development Consulting.
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[23] Yen, T. S. and Halili, S. H. (April 2015). Effective Teaching of Higher-Order Thinking (Hot) in Education. The Online Journal of Distance Education and e-Learning, 3(Issue 2), pp. 41-47. Retrieved from: www.tojdel.net.
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  • APA Style

    Yohannes Sisay. (2019). Preparatory School Learners’ Level of Critical Thinking Proficiency and Its Correlation with Their Academic Achievement in Ethiopia: The Missing Ingredient. English Language, Literature & Culture, 4(2), 32-38. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11

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    ACS Style

    Yohannes Sisay. Preparatory School Learners’ Level of Critical Thinking Proficiency and Its Correlation with Their Academic Achievement in Ethiopia: The Missing Ingredient. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2019, 4(2), 32-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11

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    AMA Style

    Yohannes Sisay. Preparatory School Learners’ Level of Critical Thinking Proficiency and Its Correlation with Their Academic Achievement in Ethiopia: The Missing Ingredient. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2019;4(2):32-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11,
      author = {Yohannes Sisay},
      title = {Preparatory School Learners’ Level of Critical Thinking Proficiency and Its Correlation with Their Academic Achievement in Ethiopia: The Missing Ingredient},
      journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
      volume = {4},
      number = {2},
      pages = {32-38},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20190402.11},
      abstract = {The present study investigated the level of preparatory school learners' critical thinking proficiency and its relation with their academic achievement. To the researchers' best knowledge, there is hardly any documented study exploring the relationship between these constructs among preparatory learners. To attain the purpose of the study, 108 grade 12 preparatory school learners from two sections (53 social science and 55 natural science majors: 56 male and 52 female students) were selected using a simple random sampling technique from Woldia Preparatory School. Data was collected through a critical thinking proficiency test adapted from “Cornell Class-Reasoning Test, Form X” (CCTT) and learners’ previous semester cumulative average. The data was analyzed statistically, employing Descriptive Statistics, Independent-Samples T Test, Pearson product-moment correlation, and linear regression. The results from the descriptive analysis showed that the critical thinking proficiency of preparatory school learners was weak, namely, most students lack critical thinking proficiency at this level. Moreover, the level of critical thinking didn’t vary significantly across majors and gender according to the independent-samples t test analysis. However, results from Pearson product-moment correlation indicated a fairly strong and positive correlation between critical thinking proficiency and academic achievement. The linear regression results also revealed that critical thinking proficiency act as the best predictor of academic achievement. The discussion and implications of the research are further presented with reference to the finding.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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    T1  - Preparatory School Learners’ Level of Critical Thinking Proficiency and Its Correlation with Their Academic Achievement in Ethiopia: The Missing Ingredient
    AU  - Yohannes Sisay
    Y1  - 2019/06/03
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.11
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    JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
    JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
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    AB  - The present study investigated the level of preparatory school learners' critical thinking proficiency and its relation with their academic achievement. To the researchers' best knowledge, there is hardly any documented study exploring the relationship between these constructs among preparatory learners. To attain the purpose of the study, 108 grade 12 preparatory school learners from two sections (53 social science and 55 natural science majors: 56 male and 52 female students) were selected using a simple random sampling technique from Woldia Preparatory School. Data was collected through a critical thinking proficiency test adapted from “Cornell Class-Reasoning Test, Form X” (CCTT) and learners’ previous semester cumulative average. The data was analyzed statistically, employing Descriptive Statistics, Independent-Samples T Test, Pearson product-moment correlation, and linear regression. The results from the descriptive analysis showed that the critical thinking proficiency of preparatory school learners was weak, namely, most students lack critical thinking proficiency at this level. Moreover, the level of critical thinking didn’t vary significantly across majors and gender according to the independent-samples t test analysis. However, results from Pearson product-moment correlation indicated a fairly strong and positive correlation between critical thinking proficiency and academic achievement. The linear regression results also revealed that critical thinking proficiency act as the best predictor of academic achievement. The discussion and implications of the research are further presented with reference to the finding.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 2
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Author Information
  • English Language and Literature, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia

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