IMPACT OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ON CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

IN GRADE 6 STUDENTS

A Research Proposal
Presented to the
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
CORDOVA PUBLIC COLLEGE

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree:
Bachelor of Elementary Education

JOHNETH R. OLITRES
CHRISTY MAE CAÑETE
MARIALORELOVE MARISCAL
KENITH SUMALINOG
CHARLENE TAJANLANGIT
EMILYN TIROL
ANTHONY YANGAN

January 2025
 ABSTRACT

Johneth R. Olitres
Christy Mae Cañete
MariaLoreLove Mariscal
Kenith Sumalinog
Charlene Tajanlangit
Emelyn Tirol
Anthony Yangan
[email protected]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of collaborative learning strategies in

enhancing the critical thinking skills among Grade 6 students and its effects in their academic
performance. While existing literature focus on the potential benefits of collaborative learning
for critical thinking development, there's a gap in understanding its effectiveness at Catarman
Elementary School, particularly concerning the limited implementation of collaborative activities
and the teacher training in facilitating group work learning. This research seeks to address this
gap by investigating whether the implementation of specific collaborative learning strategies can
significantly improves the critical thinking skills of Grade 6 students at Catarman Elementary
School. This study use a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data through Likert
Scale surveys, involving 45 participants selected from the section. The Pre-test and Post-test
evaluations were also conducted to assess the students levels before and after the implementation
of collaborative learning strategies. The main objective this study is to determine the effective
collaborative learning strategies for enhancing critical thinking skills among Grade 6 students at
Catarman Elementary School. The primary goal was to explore the impact of collaborative
learning strategies employed by teachers in enhancing the critical thinking skills of Grade 6
students and addressing its challenges. Also, it offers recommendations for improving teaching
pedagogy in this school area.

Keywords: Collaborative Learning, Critical Thinking, Teaching Pedagogy

INTRODUCTION

Collaborative Learning is crucial to a student's critical thinking skills. Analyzing

information, constructing well-reasoned arguments, and solving complex problems are essential
in a rapidly changing world. Teachers in Grade 6 students should use and implement
collaborative learning strategies such as group work and peer interaction, which engage students
in the learning process and are more effective in improving their critical thinking skills.
Furthermore, this research explicitly investigates the effectiveness of collaborative learning
strategies within the Grade 6 education at Catarman Elementary School, also exploring the
challenges of implementing such strategies to enhance critical thinking skills among Grade 6
students and the teaching strategy of the teachers of this specific population.

Surprisingly, many studies show that working together will help students learn and
improve their critical thinking skills. Research in different schools has proven that activities like
group projects and class discussions help students better analyze information, solve problems,
and build strong arguments (Slavin, 1990, as cited in Johnson, 1999). According to (Astin, 1993)
he argues, having students work collaboratively on an academic task "may be more potent than
traditional methods of pedagogy because it motivates students to become more active and more
involved participants in the learning process." Furthermore, the literature connects collaborative
learning activities to important student outcomes. These studies show that students challenge
each other's ideas, learn from different perspectives, and develop stronger reasoning skills when
they collaborate. However, while the Philippines has some research on collaborative Learning,
there is less focus on how it improves explicitly critical thinking in Grade 6 students. Many local
studies look at other benefits of collaborative Learning, such as better social skills or improved
grades in certain subjects. However, this difference highlights a gap in the Philippine research.
We need more studies examining how collaborative Learning helps Grade 6 students develop
critical thinking skills. This is important because understanding this relationship can help
improve teaching methods and support students learning in a relevant way.

This study focuses on collaborative Learning, a teaching approach where students

work together to achieve the same learning goals. Unlike the traditional teaching approach,
which is teacher-centered instruction, collaborative Learning allows active participation,
discussion, and the construction of knowledge through group interaction. The existing research
strongly suggests a positive correlation between collaborative Learning and the development of
critical thinking. Also, students' use of collaborative Learning is positively associated with
academic achievement (Springer, Stanne, and Donovan, 1999), the need for cognition (Castle,
2014), and critical thinking (Loes & Pascarella, 2017). These studies demonstrate that when
students engage in collaborative activities requiring analysis and synthesis of information, their
critical thinking skills improve significantly. However, the literature also focuses on the
importance of careful planning and implementation of collaborative learning activities, providing
proper scaffolding and support for students, and helping build a positive and inclusive classroom
environment to maximize the effectiveness of collaborative Learning in enhancing critical
thinking. This study will investigate how these factors influence the development of critical
thinking skills among Grade 6 students at Catarman Elementary School by implementing
specific collaborative learning strategies.

In Catarman Elementary School, the anecdotal evidence from teachers suggests that
while collaborative Learning is sometimes incorporated into lessons, its application and impact
on critical thinking skills have not been evaluated. Observations indicated that most classroom
instruction relies on traditional lecture-based methods, limiting students' opportunities to develop
higher-order thinking skills. There is a need to improve students' critical thinking skills, as
reflected in teacher feedback and assessments, especially the areas for improvement in analytical
reasoning and problem-solving skills. This study seeks to address this need by investigating the
effectiveness of specific collaborative learning strategies in enhancing critical thinking among
Grade 6 students at Catarman Elementary School.

This study will directly address the gap in the literature by investigating the impact of
specific and carefully designed collaborative learning strategies on the critical thinking skills of
Grade 6 students at Catarman Elementary School. This research will employ a mixed-methods
approach, combining quantitative data through the Likert Scale, providing pre-tests and post-
tests, and using student and teacher interviews and classroom observations. The study's
objectives are to: 1) measure the current level of critical thinking skills among Grade 6 students;
2) use and implement the effectiveness of specific collaborative learning strategies; 3) compare
pre-test and post-test intervention of critical thinking scores; 4) explore the challenges of
collaborative Learning from the perspectives of students and teachers.

The primary aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of
collaborative Learning in enhancing critical thinking skills among Grade 6 students at Catarman
Elementary School. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of effectively
integrating collaborative Learning into the curriculum to promote students' critical thinking
skills. The results will offer practical recommendations for teachers and school administrators to
implement collaborative learning strategies and address potential challenges. Furthermore, the
study will contribute to the existing teaching pedagogy for critical thinking skills development in
the Philippine context, informing policy and practice at both the school and district levels.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research determines the impact of collaborative learning strategies on the critical
thinking skills of Grade 6 students at Catarman Elementary School during the school year 2025-
2026 to propose recommendations for enhancing critical thinking instruction.

Specifically, this answers the following questions:

1. What is the current level of critical thinking skills among Grade 6 students at Catarman
Elementary School before the implementation of collaborative learning strategies?

2. What specific collaborative learning strategies were used and implemented?

3. Is there a significant difference in the critical thinking skills before and after the
implementation of collaborative learning strategies?

4. What are the challenges of using collaborative learning to develop critical thinking skills
among Grade 6 students and teachers at Catarman Elementary School?

5. Based on the findings, what recommendations can be proposed?

NULL HYPOTHESIS

H1. There is a significant difference between students' critical thinking skills before and after

implementing the collaborative learning strategies.

METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes major components of the research methodology. Data collection involves

measuring, describing, analyzing, and interpreting data throughout the research process.

Design:

The researcher used a mixed research method to determine the impact of collaborative learning

on the critical thinking of Grade 6 students during the S.Y. 2024- 2025 as a basis for

recommendations. The Quantitative data uses to measure numerical values, Pre-test and Post-test

evaluations were also conducted to assess the student's levels before and after the

implementation of collaborative learning strategies. The researchers also used a descriptive

survey approach to provide relevant and accurate statements of teachers teaching collaborative

strategies in assessing critical thinking skills. The researcher used a researcher-made

questionnaire as a basis for the survey answers by the students of Catarman Elementary Schools

in Cordova District, Division of Cebu Province.

Respondents/Participants:

The participants of this study will be Grade 6 students from Catarman Elementary School,
selected through cluster sampling involving 45 participants selected from the section. The
students are the main subject of this study for the researchers to understand and analyze their
level of critical thinking skills based on the teacher's collaborative learning strategies.
Furthermore, the researchers used cluster sampling to see the effectiveness of collaborative
learning strategies for enhancing students critical thinking skills.

Environment:

The research took place at Catarman Elementary School in Cordova District, Cebu Province, where
there is a need to strengthen the use of collaborative learning strategies. The study specifically
focused on Grade 6 students, aiming to improve their critical thinking skills through group work
activities. This school was chosen due to its diverse student population and particularly concerning
the limited implementation of collaborative activities, and giving opportunity to enhance the students
critical thinking skills.
Data Gathering

In gathering the data, the researchers used a mixed method approach to conduct the study. The

researchers submitted a letter asking permission to complete the survey to the principal’s office of

Catarman Elementary School, Catarman, Cordova, Cebu.

Second, the researchers conveyed their purpose to the students. Have researcher-made

questionnaires were distributed to students to collect information about their comprehension and

participation of collaborative learning strategies.

Lastly, the researchers organized the collected data and coded it for statistical analysis. The

researchers also assessed the validity of the answered questionnaires.

Instrument

The researchers employed a questionnaire to gather data for this study, and to make sure

it was accurate and reliable, This is validated by experts and tested. The purpose of the

instrument was to assess the effectives of collaborative learning strategies on sixth-grade

students that impact their critical thinking skills. As part of the procedure, is to gauge the

students critical thinking skills before and after they used and implemented the collaborative

learning strategies.

\
Treatment of Data:

_________________________________________________________......

Ethical Consideration:

This study will strictly adhere to ethical research standards:

 Voluntary Participation: All participants which is the students and teachers will

be informed regarding the purpose of the study, and have their right to decline or withdraw from

the study.

 Confidentiality: It is to ensure personal data will not be collected and

no personal identifiers will be recorded for the sake of maintaining

confidentiality.

 Informed Consent: The consent forms will be given to the participants and they

must be aware of the purpose and benefits of the study.

 Data Protection : The data will be in a secure environment and used only for

research purposes.
Hypothesis): critical thinking skills of Grade 6 students in Gabi Elementary

School who participated in collaborative learning activities compared to those

who did not.

H₁ (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a significant difference in the critical

thinking skills of Grade 6 students in Gabi Elementary School who participated in

collaborative learning activities compared to

H₁ (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a significant difference in the critical

thinking skills o

H₁ (Alternative Hypothesis): There is a significant difference in the critical

thinking skills of Grade 6 students in Gabi Elementary School who participated in

collaborative learning activities compared to those who did not.