Questioning and critical thinking in liberal studies

Abstract

The present study examines the relations between questioning and critical thinking in Liberal Studies. In particular, it introduces the use of Questioning Cycle to investigate the effectiveness of questioning in cultivating students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions. By identifying difficulties and constrains in teaching critical thinking, it is hope to offer insights to improving questioning skills, in hope of developing questioning as an effective teaching strategy in Liberal Studies.

The study was conducted in 12 Liberal Studies lessons. 30 students from Form 5 of a local band 3 school were invited to undergo the treatment. 4 participating students were invited to attend a focus group interview. Data was collected from students’ pre-and post-questionnaire and focus group interview to analyze the effectiveness of questioning on students’ critical thinking and suggest ways to improve on teaching critical thinking in Liberal Studies.

The results revealed that questioning is by large extent, effective in cultivating students’ critical thinking, in terms of skills and dispositions. Students in general gave positive feedback on their learning experiences with questioning. Further suggestions on improving the teaching of critical thinking were discussed in this dissertation.