Critical thinking and social interaction in active learning: A conceptual analysis of class discussion from Iranian students’ perspective

Abstract

Following the failures in traditional methods of teaching, theorists have recently emphasized students' active role in education in which the teacher is no longer a mere transmitter of knowledge. Discussion-based teaching has been regarded as a route to improving students' active role. The current study intended to discover the benefits of using discussion for social interaction and critical thinking disposition from Iranian students' perspective. Participants included 14 first-year educational psychology students who were selected through purposive sampling method. A general psychology course at the University of Tehran was held based on proposed patterns for class discussion. The data were collected through structured interviews, and analyzed through interpretive analysis. Findings showed that the components of critical thinking dispositions and social interaction were mostly exhibited during discussions. It seems that involvement of students in class discussions have benefits over the traditional realms of education. These positive effects are seen at personal and social levels, bringing forth more dynamic aspects of culture.Due to the increasing pace of scientific developments and growth in knowledge, universities are increasingly under pressure to present and transfer information. In this structure, the teachers are viewed as sources of information, whose job becomes to present information, while students are tasked only with reception of information, similar to a small library that is packed with books.The present research analyzed the use of discussion-based teaching style in a college class in Iran. It also attempted to examine this method of active learning in terms of developing critical thinking and social interaction in students. The results of this qualitative study revealed that the involvement of students in class discussions have benefits over the traditional academic education. These positive effects are seen at personal and social levels, bringing forth more dynamic aspects of culture. Real-life application of this method of teaching, the core of which relies on discussion groups, is the ultimate goal of this investigation.

Discussion and Think-Pair-Share Strategies on the Enhancement of EFL Students’ Speaking Skill: Does Critical Thinking Matter?

“…It demonstrates that the students taught with think-pair-share strategy obtain the average score of pretest 2.16 and the average score of posttest 4.02. Previous research only focuses on implementing discussion strategy for the improvement of the Iranian EFL students as well as their critical thinking (Hajhosseini, Zandi, Hosseini Shabanan, & Madani, 2016). The results of the present study extend that critical thinking might mediate a better process of activating discussion strategy in the EFL classrooms.…”

“…In the third step, the pairs share their responses/ideas with other pairs, other teams, or the entire group Yuliasri, (2013:15). Another relevant article about the Think-pair-share and speaking ability was conducted by some researches, such as Ardhy (2018), Hajhosseini (2016). Ardhy (2018) conducted research about the application of think-pair-share strategy in improving students' speaking ability.…”

The Impact of Collaborative Learning on Learners’ Critical Thinking Skills

“…This way is considered relevant because the present study makes an effort to cultivate learners' critical thinking skills in terms of solving social problems vis-a-vis Islamic radicalism in Indonesia which are brought into learning in the classrooms of Islamic education department. The effectiveness of CL based discussion has also been proven by Hajhosseini, Zandi, Shabanan, and Madani (2016). They revealed that CL in such a way supports learners' understanding in depth so that they continuously explore their thinking concepts.…”

Online Critical Thinking Cycle Model to Improve Pre-service Science Teacher’s Critical Thinking Dispositions and Skills

“…The present study's findings supported the results of the previous studies that suggested that to develop critical thinking, lecturers must train it through discussion activities (Živkoviüa, 2016;Kalelioğlu & Gülbahar, 2014), persistent, thorough, and continuous reflection (Alotaibi, 2013;Akyuz & Samsa, 2009), seeking the best knowledge (truth-seeking) (Anshori et al, 2016) and exploration (Haghparast et al, 2013). Information-sharing activities through discussions and questions and answers were highly recommended in developing critical thinking because pre-service teachers could share, combine, and synthesize credible information (Kalelioğlu & Gülbahar, 2014;Hajhosseini, et al, 2016).…”