Thinking Skills Practices of Secondary School Teachers in Ilocos Sur

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the thinking skills practices of the secondary school teachers in Ilocos Sur, particularly along developing foundations of reasoning; sensing and defining a problem; collecting evidence on problems; organizing evidence on problems; interpreting evidence on problems; selecting and testing hypotheses; formulating conclusions, and evaluating students. The thinking skills most and least attended to by the teachers, and the relationship between the extent of thinking skills practices of the teacher-respondents were also looked into in this study. The descriptive-correlational research design was used. The respondents comprised of 60 teachers and 600 students in IS high schools in the Division of Ilocos Sur. The main data gathering instrument was adopted from Hernandez, et al. (1994). Data were analyzed through the use of the following statistical tools: frequency count and percentages; weighted mean; and the Simple Linear Correlation Analysis. Findings revealed that most of the teacher-respondents are in their middle age, female, with master 's units, and are experienced teachers. The secondary school teachers in Ilocos Sur are average thinkers. Skills informulating conclusions were the most often attended to while skills in interpreting evidence on problems were the least attended to by the teachers. They are not much proficient to teach these skills especially skill in interpreting evidence on problems thefact that they seldom practised this skill. They are not yet much capable in planning activities that would enhance the development ofsuch thinking skills. They could no yetfully provide activities that would develop students' thinking skills. Teachers extent ofpractice of thinking skills is not related to their personal/professional characteristics such as age. sex, educational attainment, ant years ofteaching experience. By skill, educational attainment is related to teachers'practice ofselecting and testing hypothesis. It was recommended in tne say that the secondary school teachers in Ilocos Sur should advance themselves professionally by finishing their graduate studies; should undergo training for teachers with focus on teaching strategies to help develop critically thinking students.