An assessment of thinking skills instruction in Massachusetts schools

This research study assessed a sample of school districts in Massachusetts who have curricula which encompasses a thinking skills approach to instruction. An exhaustive review of literature clearly points to agreement among researchers and educators that this method of delivering instruction produces a literate and independent population. It is also an effective method for dealing with an ever increasing pool of information, and rapidly changing world events that cause textbooks to be outdated before they are even printed. By means of a survey questionnaire and an observation instrument designed for on-site visits the quantity and quality of available programs in Massachusetts schools was evaluated. Also of interest was the method used to implement such programs; that is, were they infused into course content material or was the program separate and distinct from the already established curriculum. Given the extensive number of commercially prepared programs now available that are designed to teach thinking skills, the research depicted the number of school officials who are using the prepared programs versus those who have opted to design their own program. The most recognizable and accepted thinking behaviors were charted in the form of a frequency distribution and polygons so that appropriate skills could be replicated in school systems contemplating the implementation of a thinking skills curriculum. The study examined, therefore, the number of school districts who teach thinking skills, how they are taught, and which behaviors displayed by both teachers and students are common to this type of instruction