Enhancing Learners' Critical Thinking Skills through Cooperative Learning Strategies: A Classroom-Based Action Research

Abstract

The cultivation of critical thinking is widely recognized as a central goal of 21st-century education, yet many classrooms continue to privilege rote learning and lower-order cognitive tasks. This study explored how cooperative learning strategies, implemented systematically over time, can enhance learners' critical thinking skills in a Grade 10 social studies classroom. A classroom-based action research design, anchored on the Kemmis and McTaggart (2014) spiral of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting, was employed across three cycles spanning 12 weeks. The participants comprised 36 Grade 10 learners and the teacher-researcher. Data were collected through a critical thinking pre-test and post-test based on the Watson-Glaser-style item set, structured classroom observations, learners' written outputs, and the teacher-researcher's reflective journal. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t test, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in learners' critical thinking scores between the pre-test and post-test (t(35) = 8.42, p < .001, d = 1.40), with the strongest gains observed in evaluation and inference. Qualitative findings highlighted the role of structured cooperative tasks, learner accountability, and teacher questioning in deepening reasoning. Implications for classroom practice, teacher self-improvement, and the integration of cooperative learning into the secondary curriculum are discussed.