Activity-Based Learning as a Tool for Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Elementary Education

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate elementary school students' critical thinking skills and impact of the activity-based learning approach on critical thinking skills. This study employed pre-test and post-test and quasi-experimental designs. Activity-based learning approach was used as a sixteen-week program. All eighth-grade pupils in the Khanewal district during the session 2023–2024 were the population of the study. The experimental group was treated through activity-based learning approach, while the control group continued learning through conventional approach. A total of fifty-one (51) students from two classrooms were used as a sample. Two accomplishment exams were used as data gathering tools to gauge each student's level of performance. A test created by Shaheen (2022) was used to gauge the critical thinking skills of the students. The data was analyzed using the percentage, mean, and standard deviations and T-test. The study concluded that improving students' critical thinking skills might be enhanced through the use of an activity-based teaching approach.