Assessing Analytical Thinking in the Algerian First Year Secondary School Textbook At the Crossroads: An Evaluation
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Date
2017-11
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University Mouloud Mammeri of Tizi-Ouzou
Abstract
The present work is an attempt to examine the implementation and the assessment of
analytical thinking skill in the Algerian secondary school. Throughout the study, this issue
is examined with reference to the first year secondary school textbook At the Crossroads
(Rich, B. 2014)and the teachers’ views about the assessment parts of the aforementioned
textbook. This research is based on the theory of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (2001) in
order to categorize the action verbs of the assessment parts in “Check your Progress”.
The research data are brought out from two main sources: a corpus of the tasks and
activities provided in the assessment parts of the first year secondary school textbook At
the Crossroads and a questionnaire which was submitted to secondary school teachers of
English at Makouda and Timizart in (Tiziouzou). The latter helped us to evaluate the
textbook content from teachers’ perspective. The gathered data were analyzed by using a
computer program called Social Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and the qualitative
data were presented referring to content analysis (CA). Using all these tools, results were
reached related to the questions asked in the General Introduction: the assessment parts of
the textbook At the Crossroads provide activities targeting analytical thinking and deal
with lower and higher order thinking skills. However, the evaluation also demonstrates
that analytical thinking is not adequately covered within the textbook. That is, the findings
make it clear that the textbook is shallow and superficial with respect to its assessment of
analytical thinking. As a result, secondary school teachers of English hold negative
oppinions towards the assessment parts “Check your Progress”.
Description
86p.:ill;30cm.(+cd)
Keywords
Analytical thinking, Assessment, At the Crossroads, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Lower Order Thinking Skills.
Citation
langage et communication