Facilitating Critical Thinking Skills, Research Paper Example

Introduction

This report presents a detailed account of the implementation of the action research strategy to address the educational needs of a chosen sample of young learners. The competency that needed development was the ability to apply critical thinking skills in the literature class. The practical strategy designed by the researcher in order to enhance the learning process was constructed with due regard for all the essential factors – age, psychological and behavioral characteristics of the students, the level of literacy they already had, the existing theories on the efficiency of individual and collective work in class and methodological recommendations for the development of critical thinking.

Action Research Design and Planning

Principles of Action Research to Take into Account

The educational sphere is the area where action research may yield the best possible results and increase efficiency of work significantly. According to Ferrance (2000), whatever form the action research takes, it always presupposes a disciplined inquiry carried out by a researcher with the intent of informing and modifying the already existing practice in future (p. 1). What the term action research involves implicitly is that researchers (or teachers in case they perform the role of researchers as insiders of the process) pass a cycle consisting in posing questions, collecting data, then reflecting on the obtained results and deciding on a further course of action (Ferrance, 2000, p. 1). What distinguishes this approach from other types of research is that it is a mode of problem solving that is not restricted to finding out what a problem is. It is rather about establishing how the situation can be improved and educational process made more efficient (Ferrance, 2000, p.2).

In terms of types of action research, the issue that is addressed in the present study is best fitted by the individual teacher research, which Ferrance describes as concentrating on an specific and individual problem in the classroom (2000, p. 3). The choice of this type of research is conditioned by the fact that the research concerns the development of one particular skill – critical thinking, and the size of the sample is restricted to one class. One cycle of action research will include five stages of action research and then repeat with necessary modifications made after the practical implementation of the first round. The stages of a cycle are identification of the problem, gathering data, interpreting the collected information, acting on evidence, evaluating results with further repetition of the cycle (Ferrance, 2000, p. 9). With the existing issue identified, the planning stage gains paramount importance.

As it was mentioned before, the issue that had to be addressed was a lack of critical thinking skills that interfered with achieving maximum efficiency in literature classes. For the initial phase, the research conducted by Belliveau (2012) appeared to be instrumental. Some of the practices employed by Belliveau to teach young students to interpret complicated and conceptually complex works of literature, such as Shakespeare’s plays, sought to develop skills that are similar to the ones that are the focus of this study. Therefore, when designing the first cycle of activities it seemed of use to refer to the successful practice. However, it was necessary to bear in mind the differences in the age of the students constituting the sample, the sought objectives and the targeted skills, despite the abovementioned similarity.

Specifying Relevant Objectives

The ultimate objectives that were to be achieved in the process of the children’s education were developing rationality, helping the students learn to evaluate all reasonable inferences and regard issues from various angles, as well as analyze facts actively and avoid radical views and subjectivity. The students were also to learn to analyze things at several levels simultaneously in order to see situations and concepts in their complexity (Kurland, 2000).

However, the sample included children aged 10 to 12 years, which suggested that the set of objectives outlined by Kurland (2000) needed modification in order to simplify it to fit the educational level of the sample. Developing rationality would take the form of separating fact from opinion on a very basic level. For example, if previously the children had been able to express their view of a situation or a concept in terms of their liking or disliking it, the first objective was to teach them to explain what reasons they have to adopt this kind of attitude or another.

As for the evaluation of all reasonable inferences and learning to employ several planes of analysis, a sufficient level of the critical thinking skills for the chosen sample would presuppose that they are able to give basic interpretations of events, concepts, situations, and choices and dismiss unreasonable explanations. In addition, they were to learn to see the point in the opinions of their peers, even if they did not agree. Developing rationality skills should be of assistance for the students if they try see if any offered interpretation is subjective or based on facts. The set of activities described below was designed to achieve this level of the development of the critical thinking skills.

Selecting Learning Material

The learning material was chosen for the action research is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. According to Butler (2003), the series is widely used for educational purposes in a variety of contexts. The materials that are used for educational purposes and can be easily found on the Internet include the books themselves, the audiotapes containing the texts read aloud by actors, and feature movies available in video and DVD formats (Butler, 2003, p. 68). According to the author, even computer games that were based on the series are of educational value (Butler, 2003, p. 68).

The book corresponds to the requirements for the age level of the sample in terms of the complexity of its ideas and vocabulary, provokes genuine interest in readers and provides a vast area for interpretation and approaching critically. Apart from this, as Frankel described it, “the [Harry Potter] books also offer moral and social values for children, guiding them to make the right choices, deal with bullies, and find friends, channeling shyness and disabilities to find empowerment” (2013). Therefore, additional effects could be achieved that consisted in providing the children with moral nurturing and values education, increasing their self-esteem and inspiring them to push the boundaries.

However, it was important to remember that the book had provoked controversy due to those elements of its content that are regarded by some religious communities as blasphemy and outrage (Butler, 2003, p. 72). In order to avoid conflicts and ensure that the implementation of the practice would not be disrupted, it appeared necessary to obtain parental consent to use the book and materials associated with it for educational purposes in the written form.

The Harry Potter series is indeed a valuable reading source. As the characters of the story grow up, their personalities and the conflicts they have to face become increasingly complicated, creating possibilities for making a wide variety of inferences and offering varying, possibly opposite interpretations. Such a complexity is instrumental in the task of demonstrating the children why the critical approach presupposes the existence of many opinions, each of which may be well-informed and grounded. Moreover, the dynamic development of the plot throughout a series of books gives the researcher the opportunity to modify activities throughout cycles of action research without having to switch to another story.

Developing the Procedure and Activities

The basic scheme for the first cycle of the action research was composed of activities and tasks that involved both individual and collective work. Since problem-based learning was likely to provoke active participation of students due to bringing out learning objectives against the background of real-world experiences, as it was described by Hmelo-Silver (2004, p. 236), it appeared logical to design tasks to fit this mode of educational activities.

The principles around which the tasks of the first cycle were constructed are consistent with the technique of the Creative Problem Solving, which means that they involved a sequence of “organized steps, each of which requires both convergent and divergent thinking” (Meador, 1997, p. 73). Meador explained that in this framework, “problem solvers think creatively as they diverge and generate numerous possibilities and then think critically and convergently by deciding which possibilities to continue pursuing” (1997, p. 73). This approach is consistent with the objectives set in the present study.

The list of stages of the creative problem solving process identified by Meador starts with fact-finding (1997, p. 73). The students in the sample, as it is indicated in the background information, were capable of pinpointing relevant factual information. It appeared rational to start developing a more advanced competence based on the skill that the students already possessed, creating a link between the two components of the sought literacy and making the transition stage easier for them.

The second stage is problem finding. As Meador put it, “although the problem appears obvious in many situations, people waste a great deal of time solving issues that are mere consequences of the real problem” (1997, p. 74). This is how the collected factual information is analyzed in terms of its importance and relevance. The next step is idea finding. At this level, the students suggest their solutions to the problem, possibly using brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques. In the end, they filter the ideas they have had, dismissing the irrelevant ones and synthesizing the solutions that appear near-optimum (Meador, 1997, p. 74). This stage is also consistent with the learning objectives of the action research in question.

The final stage indicated by Meador is solution finding. The short-listed solutions generated during the previous stage should be assessed and prioritized in order to reach a decision that is selected for implementation. Students should present a list of criteria according to which the final evaluation of the possible solutions is carried out (Meador, 1997, p. 75). This is also helpful in the task of organizing students’ sharing their ideas.

At the same time, a collection of activities involving both collective and individual work was described by Belliveau (2012) in order to address several issues: making young learners acquainted and adjusted to the style and complexity of Shakespeare’s ideas, develop their vocabulary, stimulate active participation and provoke discussion and sharing opinions. Belliveau’s approach and task modes were regarded as possible to use with due modifications to fit the age of the learners and meet the specific critical thinking learning objectives. Belliveau’s activities often served as data collection instruments, which enhanced the process of the implementation of the action research greatly. Belliveau’s practices included word wall, journaling, character masks, reflection leaves, and newspaper (2012). All of the practices appeared useful in the first cycle of the action research.

The word wall is the one practice that is the least connected with the development of critical thinking skills, as it involves mostly vocabulary work. However, the final decision was to keep this practice in the list of the applied activities for several reasons. Firstly, there inevitably had to be new words that the students did not know. Apart from the most obvious task of extending their vocabulary, the word wall performed the function of an additional method of improving their understanding of the ideas expressed in the book. It is common knowledge that the choice of vocabulary is a stylistic device authors use to characterize their personages or describe some events. Therefore, the word wall was included into the initial cycle plan in order to enhance vocabulary work and see it its application would facilitate critical reading and the development of critical thinking skills in any way.

The activities that directly addressed critical thinking skills were supposed to be based on the ability to work with factual information, first. This agreed with Meador’s (1997) idea of the fact-finding stage. At this point, the students are offered several individual and collective exercises that activate their attention and help them pinpoint the most important concepts, ideas, relations and events.

During the next stage, the students should analyze the factual information they have obtained during the first phase. Here, a variety of activities is possible that involve evaluating, explaining, or interpreting the collected facts. Character masks, another practice suggested by Belliveau (2012), appeared to be quite useful at this level, but with certain modifications. The students were offered tasks allowing them to put themselves in situations similar to the ones described in the book or analyze actions and motives of a chosen character in order to make the activity as problem solving as possible.

There is an explicit connection between reading and writing in the process of teaching young learners critical thinking and meaning construction (Cooper & Kiger, 2009, p. 340). As Cooper and Kiger described it, “students need to use their writing as a springboard to reading, just as they use their reading as a springboard to writing” (2009, p. 340). This assumption suggested that there had to be a variety of written tasks apart from panel discussions and debates that could take place during the “character masks” stage. These written reports could take the form of journaling and reflective leaves (Belliveau, 2012). These tasks also address several issues at the same time:

• they give the students an opportunity to work independently on a task and apply the skills they have mastered (or have started to master);
• they ensure feedback from students that shows if they are satisfied with what they do, if they feel they have achieved something, if they feel comfortable with the tasks offered for them, what they expect from further sessions, etc.
• they serve as data collection instruments, enabling the researcher to refer to them in the process of conducting the research.

Newspapers are a collective type of assignment fulfilling the same functions that the previous two kinds of written reports. However, there are additional advantages – an opportunity for the students to use their creativity and reference to the media context surrounding the students outside the academic framework. All the tasks had to be consistent with the principles of problem solving. A variety of data collection instruments not restricted to one or two of them, would ensure reliability of the obtained results. The implementation process is described in more detail in the corresponding results section.

Results

Implementation Process

After the planning stage that presupposed preparatory work to elaborate the principles and patterns according to which the action research was to take place, the study shifted to an active stage, the first cycle of implementation. Specific tasks and practices were developed in order to meet the learning and research objectives.

At the beginning of the cycle, it was extremely important to establish the integrative mode of the teacher’s classroom behavior. According to Sampath, Panneerselvam and Sampath (2007), an integrative teacher “allows pupils to talk, ask questions, accepts their ideas and stimulates their participation in class activities” (p. 52). Such an approach, as opposed to the dominative behavior pattern, is likely to promote friendly and collaboration-oriented classroom climate. The dominative climate is unlikely to encourage any creativity in class, which the researcher regarded as one of the central principles stimulating children’s motivation for learning.

The initial stage of implementation presupposed increasing student motivation to participate in the research and achieve success in the development of critical thinking skills. Regarding student motivation within the educational framework as “the degree to which students invest attention and effort in various pursuits, which may or may not be the ones desired by their teachers” (Brophy, 2010, p. 3), the researcher’s starting point, which the success of the whole experiment depended on, was ensuring that the pursuits of the teacher, the researcher and the students coincided. To this end, the teacher conducted an introductory talk with the students explaining the principle of action research and how it had to help them develop the critical thinking skills that they lacked. The teacher also explained why exactly these skills should be addressed and asked them how they could use this competency otherwise than in the literature classroom. The ideas expressed by the students were not abundant, but they were all written down on the blackboard and stayed there up to the end of the cycle. The teacher also asked the students to write on small pieces of paper briefly what they expected to obtain in the course of the experiment. This step was undertaken to give the students an idea of what they are expected to achieve and demonstrate them that their opinions and expectations are also important for the process and are surely taken into account.

The fact-gathering phase. The students were asked to read several chapters of the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Then they were offered visual representations of the scenes and characters that were described in the assigned reading portion and were easily recognizable. Among the pictures the students received were also those which did not concern the events or personages mentioned in the selection of chapters the students had read. The first task was to sort the pictures as relevant and irrelevant. After this was done, the students were asked to arrange them in the order they came in the text and then describe the events, objects and people they saw in the pictures. The word wall was employed throughout the whole process to facilitate the vocabulary work.

The next task was meant for individual work. Each student was given a card with a brief summary of a scene from the text with gaps that they had to fill with facts and details. Further, the teacher read a similar account of an event, but some of the facts were distorted. As soon as one of the students noticed a mistake, he/she pointed it out aloud. Apart from showing which of the types of work – collective or individual – was done by the students with more enthusiasm, it also demonstrated the relevant patterns of the children’s behavior. That it, it was possible to see if formal and informal leaders in class retain their leading positions in the academic performance, if the children have difficulty in communicating with each other during collective tasks, if the children with the introvert type of personality got involved in the process or not.

The fact-evaluating and problem-solving stages. After the factual base for a discussion was created, the teacher had a small discussion with the children creating a transition from mere fact to its interpretation. The teacher appealed to the children’s personal experience, maintaining their involvement and interest in the topic. For example, she asked a series of questions gradually shifting the focus of the discussion from facts to their meaning and implications: a) If you saw a cat reading a map in the street, what would you think? b) Would you think something different if it was a usual cat without a map? c) Would you forget about it easily and keep walking? d) Would you expect to see anything unusual later on that day?  The questions were designed in such a way that the answers were predictable, which enabled the teacher develop a discussion, even if the students’ initial answers consisted of a word or two, and help them build a logical pattern that is extremely important for interpretation.

During this stage, the students were offered a variety of activities that activated their evaluation skills and the abilities to infer. The “character masks” practice was implemented through the combination of a role-play technique with subsequent “interviewing” the characters about their actions, choices, possible motives. Separate groups of students were assigned the tasks of performing the episode or scene from the reading portion that they liked most of all. After this, other students asked them questions that they answered from the viewpoint of their characters. For example, one group of students chose the scene involving the Sorting Hat in Hogwarts. After the performance, “Harry Potter” had to answer questions like “Why did you want to go where you went?” or “What would you do if you went to another House?”

Such an application of the “character masks” practice is consistent with the trends in education that arise due to what is referred to as “gamification” of culture, which means that modern children are surrounded by the digital media providing them with an extremely high level of interactivity (Power, 2012, para. 6). Educational activities should be as game-based as possible to hold the interest of children and keep them motivated. Koster defined game as “a system in which players engage in an abstract challenge, defined by rules, interactivity, and feedback, that results in a quantifiable outcome often eliciting an emotional reaction” (as cited in Kapp (2012, p. 7). All the elements, including feedback that is maintained in the process, were included, providing the children with the necessary level of interactivity.

Another task took the students through the problem-finding and solution-finding stages outlined by Meador for the problem-solving process (1997). The task presupposed teamwork and was based on the situations from the book where Harry or other characters had difficulty in coping with some issues. First, groups of students were asked to find those situations where they thought Harry or other characters had difficulties and eventually made the wrong choice. They had to provide explanations why they thought the situation occurred (exercising the skill of establishing the cause-effect relations) and why the characters felt like choosing the course of action they employed, and why they felt this choice was incorrect. This activity is crucial for the development of critical thinking skills, as concentration on cause and effect explanations teaches students to identify main ideas and expands students’ thinking by:

• providing justification for events, actions, and situations;
• escaping mistakes and omissions in reasoning;
• projecting consequences of some actions in the short and in the long run;
• considering a range of possible outcomes from situations and events;
• predicting and foreshadowing reactions to events, actions, and situations (Hatton & Ladd, 2002, p. 68).

In case if the students’ reaction was enthusiastic and participation sufficient, a more complex level of addressing the issue was offered. More specifically, the students were asked to help the characters to find a way out and explain why they thought this solution could help. Several groups had to come up with plans of action but responded in the reality to one situation. This created a variety of opinions that the students had to discuss. At this point, the activity developed not only critical thinking, but also creative thinking. The difference between the two is described by Kong (2007) in the following way: whereas creative thinking presupposes offering alternative possibilities and building analogies and metaphors, critical thinking deals with the assessment of information in terms of the accuracy of observations and reliability of sources. The latter also presupposes using evidence to make inferences, provide causal explanation, and make predictions, and also deals with conditional and categorical reasoning (Kong, 2007, p. 316).

Ruling out the tasks that address creative thinking rather than critical thinking appears to be an unreasonable step, as both types of thinking are essential for complex thinking tasks that take the form of decision-making and problem solving (Kong, 2007, p. 316). Therefore, integration of the two modes of work is likely to yield positive results both for the development of critical thinking skills as well as the achievement of the ultimate goal of enhancing students’ work in literature classes.

The writing activities that were used during the experiment were Belliveau’s journaling and reflection leaflets (2012). The students were asked to write down or draw any impressions, questions, conclusions, and findings that they felt important after each learning session. Since the activity was maintained on a regular basis, the journals provided timely feedback, showed if the students were satisfied with the activities they were offered, and demonstrated the students’ progress in those parts where the students described their impressions of the book and the findings and ideas that they thought surprising or interesting. Reflection leaves were literally considerably small pieces of paper where the students had to summarize extremely briefly what they believed the most important achievements of a learning session and express their opinions about individual and team work, as well as various kinds of tasks they had to complete.

A newspaper was issued weekly and served as a conclusion for a week’s learning session. The children had different responsibilities – editor-in-chief, assistant editor, reporter, photographer, etc. The responsibilities changed from issue to issue. The newspaper was entitled The Hogwarts Times and contained the results of class work on cause-effect relations, character motives, explanations and predictions as to future developments of some situations. Some types of newspaper work presupposed collective work, whereas others gave the children an opportunity to express their individual vision. The editor-in-chief position involved demonstration of leadership skills, whereas working as subordinates showed if the children are capable of showing team spirit and collaborate to achieve common success.

Recognizing the importance of motivation, the researcher consciously avoided the strategies that promoted instant gratification. Such an approach was maintained in compliance with Kapp’s assertion that such techniques as badges, points, or rewards are “the least exciting and least useful elements of games”, though they are often labeled gamification components (2012, p. 12). According to Kapp, “the real power of game-based thinking is in the other elements of games: engagement, storytelling, visualization of characters, and problem solving” (2012, p. 12). The first cycle of learning was designed in conformity with the principles of gamification outlined by Kapp.

One cycle was designed for a month of intense work, after which the data obtained by the researcher from the children and the teacher who was asked to present weekly reports on the children’s achievements, was also complemented by the results of standard academic tests demonstrating changes (if there were any) in the level of the development of the critical thinking skills in terms of literature. Apart from the already described methods of journaling and reflection leaves, the researcher also used the students’ individual worksheets, the results of their work such as newspaper issues, videos and tape scripts of all the classes that gave the researcher the opportunity to judge the level of enthusiasm, participation, involvement, as well as the degree of success in achieving the learning objectives. After the completion of a cycle all the children and the teacher were asked to rate the tasks they were offered and indicate which of them they liked more than the others. Also, the children were asked to share their opinion as to their achievements and expectations. Do they feel that they have learnt anything? Did the classes meet their expectations? The data analysis procedure is described in the corresponding section.

Data Analysis Plan

Reflection on the results and efficiency of the first cycle of action research requires a careful analysis of the emerging data coming from several sources. The results were assessed on several planes against a number of criteria. The researcher used the children’s feedback and evidence from video recordings of class activities to assess the degree of student involvement and enthusiasm. The teacher’s reports presented a perspective on the progress that the students made and difficulties that they still had in terms of the development of critical thinking skills. The fact that the roles of the researcher and the teacher were performed by different people increases objectivity of the results assessment and helped each of the two concentrate on their tasks. For the researcher it was careful observation with special attention paid to those reactions that participants did not describe in their reports. For the teacher it was moderating and guiding the learning process without playing the dominating part. Combining the two roles is possible but would interfere with the objectivity and accuracy of the obtained results.

The results assessed against these two criteria were used to build the patterns of dependency between individual and group work, the level of satisfaction and the performance level. The relation between the three factors is essentially the focus of this qualitative research. Feedback from the participants and the researcher’s own observations were used to plan a new cycle of research.

Evaluation of Results

The research has shown the following pattern. Initially, the children did not expect the experiment to make any difference in terms of their competencies. When they were asked to list the things they would be able to do with a better level of the development of the critical thinking skills, they could hardly offer more than two ideas that were typically restricted to ideas connected with receiving higher marks in literature classes. Only two answers were connected with the possibility of applying the skill in practice:

1. “Books will be not so boring, maybe”.
2. “Maybe I will understand what politicians are saying on the news”.

The experiment proved beneficial in this respect, as the list of possible applications that was written on the side blackboard on the first day of the cycle started expanding during the second week. The children started adding options to the list, which showed their understanding of the goals of the work and the intrinsic motivation to learn increased.

The children’s feedback also showed an interesting trend. First, it turned out that at the stage of fact collection in order to form a basis for interpretation the majority of children preferred to work individually. Group work was not appreciated here even by those students who claimed they enjoyed it greatly at further stages. Another finding was that the children liked the task consisting in describing pictures but thought it could work better if modern technologies were used. One of the typical remarks that the researcher found in the students’ journals is the following: “I like the idea. But not with the pictures, it’s like watching Grandma’s photos. There’s a movie, I like the movie, we could use it”.

As for the problem-finding and problem-solving tasks, the children showed significantly more enthusiasm about group work at this level. The character masks task and newspaper work proved very efficient in this respect. Therefore, Kapp’s (2012) ideas of how gamification should be carried out received practical confirmation in the first cycle. The children indicated that the performing task they found extremely easy and fascinating. Teamwork was efficient, even for those students who had been struggling through group tasks before. One of the weak-achieving boys who had been extremely hard to involve into any discussion, performed the role of Harry Potter showing surprisingly good interpretation results during the interview with his classmates. Moreover, he actively interacted with the classmates who participated in the same production. Previously, when asked similar questions, the student had failed to provide any interpretation or showed insignificant achievements, as it was indicated by the teacher. When the boy was asked by the researcher why he thought he had been answering the interview questions so well, the boy replied, “It’s not me. I don’t know what to say, but Harry’s different, he’s not me. He has to say something”. The still existing difficulty lies in helping the boy understand that he can express his judgments without putting on the mask of a character. For the initial stage, this was a significant achievement.

The newspaper task was recognized by the students as a very inspiring experience. Among the benefits, the children indicated the opportunity to do individual tasks still remaining part of a team, as well as a chance to see the result of this work. Therefore, the findings of the research confirm Hurwitz and Day’s idea that a combination of group activities with individual work is likely to yield positive results (2007). They also agree with the authors’ viewpoint that the individual work that presupposes self-expression is always prioritized over group work, as artistic expression and an opportunity to react to the peers’ ideas individually is crucial for children.

The teacher’s reports and the results of standard literature tests after the completion of the first cycle indicated positive trends in the development of the children’s critical and creative thinking skills. An additional effect included expansion of vocabulary used by the students in their writing papers. There was also a surge of interest in literature in general and the Harry Potter series in particular.

Discussion

Possible Limitations

The action research was designed to address the educational needs of a sample consisting of 15 children. The tasks were designed to match their level of education and personality development and help them fulfill their potential. One of the possible limitations of the study is that it is hardly applicable in its present form to other educational fields or students of another age. The general principles can be retained but the tasks will have to be changed to meet the learning objectives that will inevitably differ.

Another limitation may lie in the validity of the obtained results, which is also conditioned by the size of the sample and the fact that the observation process was carried out by one researcher without the possibility of comparing the results and evaluation of findings with the results of a research of the same design for another sample. The monitoring and documenting processes can also be enhanced by way of involving two researchers to ensure the accuracy of the obtained results. The results obtained during the following cycles of the action research may differ from those of the first cycle.

Attainment of Goals and Objectives

Though the development of critical thinking skills is a gradual process that cannot bring extraordinary results at once, it is possible to evaluate how effective the implementation of the action research was with regard to the objectives specified at the beginning of the report. As for the development of rationality, this need was addressed through problem-solving tasks where the children were asked to evaluate solutions to problematic situations from the text and suggest better options with due explanations. Such tasks also provided the children with multiple planes of analysis that helped them exercise reasoning, inference and assessment skills as essential elements of critical thinking. The positive results that were achieved through the implementation of the research cycle showed that the learning objectives were fulfilled. As for the task of establishing which mode of work – individual or collective – was more efficient, this research objective was also met, as the results confirmed the ideas expressed in the works considered in the literature review that it is a combination of the two that is likely to be the most effective.

Evaluation of Further Intervention

What became evident after the implementation of the first cycle and careful examination of all evidence and results achieved is that the fact-gathering and problem-finding stages will need modification. The feedback showed that these elements of the research were the weakest, providing relatively little learning experience in comparison with the tasks of other stages. Another modification that should be made is involvement of the modern media, as they are an important part of the children’s lives. The children are exposed to the influence of a wide variety of visual and audio information. They should feel more relaxed and comfortable if they are surrounded by familiar things and pursue similar patterns.

Benefits of Findings

The findings of the present research can be used in the academic background. First of all, they should be used for the same academic setting as a continuation of the action research in the second, third, etc. cycle. The children’s achievements and the enthusiasm they showed even without the conventional methods of motivation (good marks or other rewards), as well as the fact that they started to realize the possible benefits of the development of the skills in question testify to the success of the chosen design. They came to understand that they could find a wide range of applications for critical thinking that would be unconnected with literature or school. The children found motivation in learning itself, which seems a significant achievement. Also, the research design, with due modifications, can be used as a model for planning educational activities emphasizing a combination of individual and collective work. It is based mainly on the principles of gamification, and this aspect of the research plan can find many possible applications as well.

Modern children are focused largely on their own personalities and may have communication issues due to their absorption in the world of the media and obtaining a great deal of information from there. Nonetheless, the findings of the research have shown that the educational sphere remains a domain where the children can express their artistic skills and leadership qualities. This expression can also facilitate the learning process.

Conclusion

Action research presupposes that researchers pass a cycle that includes the stages of posing questions, collecting data, then reflecting on the results and deciding on a further course of action. The learning material chosen for the research is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The principles that the tasks are based on are consistent with the technique of the Creative Problem Solving. The students were taken through several stages: fact-finding, problem-finding, solution finding. The integrative mode of teaching created the necessary relaxed and learner-friendly atmosphere in class. Acknowledging the importance of motivation, the researcher consciously avoided the strategies that promoted instant gratification, aiming in this way to increase the intrinsic motivation for learning in students.

The results of the study were used to build the patterns of dependency between individual and group work, the level of student satisfaction and the performance standards. Feedback from the participants and the researcher’s own observations were used to plan a new cycle of research. The stage that showed the weakest sides of the study was fact gathering, where group work turned out to be inefficient. Moreover, the children felt uncomfortable without an abundance of digital media resources.

However, at the level of problem finding and problem solving, the children showed considerably more enthusiasm about group work. They also demonstrated impressive academic achievements in those tasks that combined individual and group work and involved an opportunity to express themselves. Objectivity of the positive evaluation of these tendencies is confirmed by feedback from the children, the teacher, the researcher’s observations, and the results of standardized academic tests taken after the completion of the cycle.

The results of the study can be used for new cycles of the same research. Apart from this, the research design can be applied as a model for planning other action research modes that stress the issue of individual and collective work in similar educational frameworks. It can also be examined in terms of the application of the gamification principles.

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