Investigating the impact of inquiry and talk strategies on critical thinking in Hong Kong Secondary Schools

In the contemporary global milieu, our world is in constant flux, necessitating novel and innovative solutions to complex issues. In response to economic globalization, the objective of the study reported in this article was to assess the impact of the argument-driven inquiry instructional framework and academically productive talk approach on the critical thinking skills of secondary school students.

Utilizing a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design, the study examined 156 eighth-grade students from two schools in Hong Kong over an eight-week period. Within each school, a control group was instructed using traditional pedagogical techniques, whereas two distinct experimental groups were exposed to the argumentation model, with one integrating the talk approach to encourage a dialogic classroom environment. Data collection involved validated pre- and post-test results from critical thinking tests, as well as whole-class teaching discourses.

The findings revealed a significant difference between the two experimental groups in the paired t-test results of the critical thinking test. Further analysis of the classroom discourses showed the argumentation model with talk approach to be more effective in promoting active learning and the development of metacognitive skills than the argumentation model alone. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on the effectiveness of argumentative inquiry and productive classroom talk, particularly that addressing the development of critical thinking skills in secondary school-age students.