Chapter 9 Teaching and Learning Science in the 21st Century
A Study of Critical Thinking of Learners and Associated Challenges
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Abstract
The teaching and learning of science entail a set of complex and interrelated tasks and skills ranging from testing prior knowledge to eventually connecting newly constructed knowledge to real-life situations. Yet, there is still little research reporting how teachers make instructional decisions based on learners’ prior knowledge in this technological-driven era, characterizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. One of the aims of teaching and learning science is to promote learners’ scientific reasoning and critical thinking through a process of criticality. Available studies show that teachers still encounter difficulties tapping on learners’ prior knowledge through the use of appropriate instructional practices during their lessons to foster critical thinking. A study was conducted to investigate the extent to which science students had developed a critical mind through scientific reasoning at the secondary school level, and to reflect on the subsequent implications at tertiary level in Mauritius. Questionnaires on an issue related to a power cut problem and with a focus on three levels of critical thinking, i.e. thinking, reflecting, and action was administered to a representative sample of students. Selected participants were then interviewed to corroborate findings from the initial data set. One of the key findings of this study is that science students at secondary and tertiary levels have developed limited critical thinking, based on their prior knowledge, to correctly assess a given contextual situation and eventually make the appropriate decision. The findings stemming from this study have far-reaching implications for the teaching and learning of science in the Mauritian and global education systems.