Critical Thinking Skills of Pre-Service Teachers in Designing Inquiry-Based Lesson Plans in Science

Abstract

In a socially constructivist classroom, critical thinking is an important skill that teachers need to have to help them deliver lessons effectively. The use of 7E instructional design model is a well-known framework that pre-service teachers use to deliver their lessons. This study examined how pre-service teachers use critical thinking skills in 7E Instructional design lesson plans in science, which is rooted in social constructivism that emphasizes collaborative and learner-centered learning. This study utilized descriptive quantitative method, specifically frequency and weighted means following the 5-point Likert scale, then supplemented with descriptive qualitative data to verify and support the critical thinking skills in designing inquiry-based lesson plans of 162 second-year Bachelor of Elementary Education pre-service teachers. The instrument used in the study was a 35-item research-made questionnaire anchored on the 7E instructional design model that underwent validity and reliability testing, and was divided into seven sub-categories. The findings suggest that pre-service teachers generally use critical thinking skills in designing inquiry-based lesson plans. Pre-service teachers employ critical thinking by designing activities that help learners apply their new knowledge to solve problems, create new outputs, and connect to real-world situations. This study recommends that pre-service teachers' lesson plans must be examined to confirm their use of critical thinking skills, practical opportunities must be provided to them for improvement, and institutional policies must be formulated to guide them in designing lesson plans.