The development of a critical thinking skills training process to enhance moral using the Four Noble Truths principle through learning based on Constructivist theory for first-year students, Faculty of education, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University

Abstract

This research aims 1) to develop a process for enhancing morality through the development of critical thinking skills, utilizing constructivist theory in learning, and 2) to compare the moral critical thinking skills of first-year undergraduate students between the experimental group and the control group after using a process for enhancing morality. The population was 509 first-year students, the academic year 2023 under the faculty of education, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University. The rights-protected sample consisted of two groups, group 1 was 95 students who were randomized by simple technique for surveying their moral judgment skills, and group 2 consisted of 40 students who were randomized by simple technique. Then, they were matched in pairs into an experimental group and a control group with 20 students per group for comparing their critical thinking skills. The instruments were 1) the moral judgment test, 2) a set of process to practice critical thinking skills to enhance morality, and 3) the morality critical thinking skills test. The data analysis employed descriptive statistics such as, frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential statistics which was t-test.

The findings were as follows:

1. The process for practicing critical thinking skills consisted of four steps: (1) practice identifying problems; (2) practice analyzing the causes of problems; (3) practice setting goals for solving problems; and (4) practice approaching solutions. These steps were launched through 11 learning activities.
2. The moral critical thinking skills of students who passed process to practice critical thinking skills in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group at the .05 level of statistical significance.