Exploring the Development of Critical Thinking in Home Economics
Tabbada, Epifania Vidamo
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/69170
Description
Title
Exploring the Development of Critical Thinking in Home Economics
Author(s)
Tabbada, Epifania Vidamo
Issue Date
1987
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Griggs, Mildred B.
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Home Economics
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether achievement in home economics foods and nutrition classes could be increased by assigning critical thinking tasks and to determine whether critical thinking could be developed in grade seven home economics classes by implementing selected critical thinking strategies. Further, this study investigated the reactions and experiences of teachers while using selected strategies in their attempt to develop critical thinking. Critical thinking, as defined in this study, referred to the reflective reasonable thinking focused on what to believe and do.
Forty-three students served as an experimental group and thirty students as a control group. Each group was pretested and posttested with a foods and nutrition achievement test and the Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level X. For five weeks, the experimental group was exposed to ten treatment activities which elicited critical thinking tasks using varied strategies. The teachers' viewpoints and reactions to teaching critical thinking were gathered through interviews and responses to a questionnaire.
Findings of the study indicated that achievement in foods and nutrition may be increased through the assignment of critical thinking tasks as shown in this study by incorporating teaching strategies such as problem solving, open-ended discussion and small-group discussion. There was a moderately high correlation between achievement and critical thinking. The nonsignificant difference in the mean scores of the experimental and control groups inferred that the treatment lessons were not effective while the qualitative data suggested that critical thinking cannot be accurately measured by critical thinking tests. The teachers exhibited favorable reactions and enriched viewpoints about critical thinking after the study.
This study provided evidence that critical thinking may be incorporated in teaching home economics content, which, in turn, may lead to increased student achievement in the subject matter. While teachers can be convinced to develop critical thinking in home economics, they first should learn about critical thinking skills and how they are developed. Seminars and workshops for teachers about critical thinking will be needed to facilitate the integration of critical thinking skills into home economics curriculum.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
