THE EFFECT OF USING CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH OF INSTRUCTION IN DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILL OF ESTIMATION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Keywords:
Constructivist approach, critical thinking skill, development of critical thinkingAbstract
This quasi-experimental study was adopted to investigate the impact of a constructivist instructional approach on the development of critical thinking skill of estimation among secondary school students. The research aimed to determine whether the constructivist method could enhance students' estimation abilities more effectively than traditional instructional methods. The study involved two groups: an experimental group receiving constructivist-based instruction and a control group experiencing traditional teaching methods. Pre- and post-tests were administered to both groups to measure estimation skill. Results indicated that students in the experimental group showed significantly greater improvement in estimation skills compared to those in the control group. Additionally, the analysis
revealed no significant interaction between gender and the effectiveness of the constructivist approach, suggesting that the intervention benefits both male and female students equally. These findings support the adoption of constructivist instructional methods in secondary education to foster better estimation skill among students. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term effects and potential applications of constructivist approaches across different mathematical domains.