LAUSR

In this information-rich 21st century society characterized by rapid expansion of knowledge, one of the important goals in science education is to cultivate students’ critical thinking and inquiry competency (Jenkins, 2011; National Research Council [NRC], 2012; Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2017). Critical thinking is the essential capacity to evaluate problem-solving procedures, justify arguments, and make educated decisions (Yang & Chung, 2009). The NRC (2012) has suggested that critical thinking is necessary for engaging in inquiry-based science activities, whether in proposing research questions, conducting empirical studies or developing explanation and solutions. Lee et al. (2013) found that students who engaged in cooperative learning and communicative interaction with team members could improve their critical thinking skills. Furthermore, Henderson et al. (2015) emphasized the importance of critical thinking, and provided guidance in how to develop these skills from both the instructor’s and learner’s perspectives. Thus, promoting students’ critical thinking becomes a primary focus for science educators. The National Research Council (NRC, 1996) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, 1993) both have emphasized the importance of scientific inquiry as the ideal approach for students to enhance their science content and practice understanding in authentic context. Inquiry-oriented teaching and learning is widely agreed-upon as an effective approach for improving students’ learning outcomes (Chen et al., 2016; Chen et al., 2019; Chi et al., 2018; Lederman et al., 2013; Yang et al., 2016). To ensure that students in all grade levels and within all science related domains think and act in ways associated with scientific inquiry, promoting scientific inquiry competency is recommended by the NRC (1996). In addition, to improve students’ engagement with science inquiry related practices and thinking skills, the National Science Education Standards (NSES) recommends that science teachers design scientific inquiry curriculum for students to familiarize them with how scientists explore the natural world Ying-Yan Lu Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan Huann-shyang Lin National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan Thomas J. Smith Northern Illinois University, United States Zuway-R Hong, Wen-Yi Hsu Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan Abstract. The research aim was to examine the effects of a Critique-Driven Inquiry (CDI) intervention on primary and secondary school students’ critical thinking and scientific inquiry competency. Twentyfive 4th grade Taiwanese students from a typical primary school were selected to participate in experimental group 1 (EG1), while 28 7th grade students from a typical secondary school were randomly selected to participate in experimental group 2 (EG2). For each group, a 2-semester CDI intervention was implemented. In addition, another 28 4th graders and 30 7th graders from the same two schools were selected to participate in, respectively, control group 1 (CG1) or control group 2 (CG2). Analyses of covariance, repeated measures analysis of variance, and content theme analyses were conducted to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Research results indicated that EG1 and EG2 students significantly outperformed their comparison counterparts in critical thinking and scientific inquiry competency both during and following the CDI intervention. The empirical evidence provides insight into the mechanisms of promoting primary and secondary school students’ critical thinking and scientific inquiry competency.