THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLASSROOM DISCUSSION PRACTICES AND DEVELOPMENT OF HOTS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Classroom discussion practices are considered a key pedagogical strategy to develop & promote students’ higher-order thinking skills. Development of higher-order thinking skills has become a central concern in the higher education especially at university level, as these skills enable students to analyze, evaluate, and create knowledge effectively. The purpose of study was to examine relationship between classroom discussion practices and development of higher-order thinking skills among university students. The study was quantitative in nature and based on a correlational research design. A stratified random sampling was used to select the sample of the study. A self-developed questionnaire based on theoretical framework was used to collect data from 400 university students. Pearson correlation analysis (r = .589, p < 0.01) showed moderate positive relationship between these two variables. The findings indicated that peer interaction during classroom discussion practices have significant effect (R² = .398, F (3,396) = 87.18, p< .001) on development of HOT. Result show that effective classroom discussion practices significantly contribute to the development of higher- order thinking skills among university students. It is recommended that instructors incorporate structured and interactive discussion techniques in their teaching practices.