The effect of critical thinking on reading skills: A constructivist perspective

The aim of this study is to determine whether teaching reading skills by asking higher level thinking questions which are consistent with constructivism and critical thinking has an influence on the reading grades of the students or not.In this study, reading skills of 9th grade students in Çankırı Nevzat Ayaz Anatolian Teacher High School have been evaluated. The two classes having superficial reading skills and the two classes having reading skills gained by studying critical thinking and personalized information techniques have been contrasted. At the end of this study, the grades of the two groups have been compared.At the end of the research, it has been revealed that:1.While the experimental groups can deal with the text from different perspectives, make comments on it, and accept or refuse the arguments presented in the text, the control groups have a tendency to believe every piece of information in the text.2.Whereas the experimental groups wonder about the author, and the information related to him / her, the control groups ignore these facts.3.While the control groups strive to find direct answers from the text, experimental groups use the previous data in the text to make analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.4.Productivity and creativity of experimental groups have increased.5.Experimental groups have not been shy of expressing their thoughts on a topic.The suggestions made by the researcher based on the problems have been added at the end of the research.