Effects of paper-based problem scenarios on high school students’ critical-thinking skills in biology

This study aimed to examine students’ critical thinking skills through paper-based problem-scenarios instructional approach, guided by Ennis’s five critical thinking skills categories: elementary clarification, credibility of sources, inference, advanced clarification, and tactics and strategies. A mixed-methods approach was employed, adopting a quasi-experimental design for the quantitative component and content analysis for qualitative insights. Two intact Grade 10 classes, comprising a total of 84 students, were randomly selected. In addition, six students participated in interviews to provide qualitative data. Data were collected using an open-ended biology critical thinking essay test and semi-structured interview questions. The quantitative data were analyzed using independent sample t-test and ANOVA, while the qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The results showed that BCTS posttest scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (t (79) = 9.45, p < .001; F (1, 79) = 89.30, p < .001). Moreover, post-interview results showed that 35% of the responses were identified as correct, clear, and specific, compared to 18% in the pre-interview. Overall, the findings indicate that paper-based problem scenarios can effectively improve students’ critical thinking skills. These results offer valuable implications for biology teachers and curriculum developers seeking to strengthen critical thinking instruction in secondary schools.