Methodological strategy to develop the critical thought in students of high school from the subject of chemistry

Abstract

Introduction: The development of critical thinking is a necessity and a challenge for educational processes and one of the requirements of a quality education; although it is a transversal problem, it is urgent to study its approach from the different subjects of the curriculum. The present work assesses it in high school students from the teaching of Chemistry, it identified insufficiencies of this in students that limits the understanding and application of the concepts and basic relationships of the subject, a problem for whose solution it was defined as an objective to design a methodological strategy based on active methodologies to develop critical thinking from the teaching-learning process of Chemistry. Materials and methods: The research was developed at the San Francisco Educational Unit using theoretical and empirical methods and techniques, to corroborate the feasibility of the result, consultation with specialists was used. Results: The presentation to a group of 9 specialists allowed to recognize the relevance of the proposal developed and possibilities of socialization in other subjects of the investigated educational unit in the area of natural sciences, stimulated motivation and was very well received by teachers. Discussion: Having a critical thinking is of great importance, so it is necessary to promote it from the teaching learning process as a way of activating reasoning in students, which mobilizes the act of understanding and establishing a systemic organization of ideas, as a process that promotes in the student cognitive skills and capacities of analysis, inquiry, reflection, research, conceptualization and verification of data. Critical thinking is thinking with criteria and using defined standards. Therefore, the use of active methodologies from the teaching learning process is an essential resource. Conclusions: The partial exemplification of the strategy through a project referring to one of the objectives of the Chemistry subject allowed to corroborate the potential of the methodological strategy for the development of critical thinking, however, the assessment of its feasibility requires full application. Keywords: Critical thinking, Chemistry teaching-learning process, high school.