Evaluative research on the critical thinking of primary school students

Abstract

The critical thinking of primary students might be related to digital media. Based on this premise, the main objectives of this study are to analyse the level of critical thinking shown by Primary School students (Murcia, Spain), as well as to find out about the media elements they handle. A diagnostic investigation is proposed for this purpose with two writing activities that integrate socially relevant problems. The analysis based on the humanistic-interpretative paradigm of the 1272 productions yields results that show low critical levels in students aged 9 to 12. This data contrasts with the large number of media components they refer to in their productions, which generates relevant implications about the challenges education systems must take on in order to respond to today’s needs.