Effectiveness of the multidimensional curriculum model in developing higher-order thinking skills in elementary and secondary students

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the multidimensional curriculum model (MdCM) in the development of higher-order thinking skills in a sample of 394 elementary and secondary school students in Israel. The study employed a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-post design, using a study module based on MdCM, comparing intervention group to control group. Thinking skills were measured using a thinking questionnaire comprising three dimensions: Scientific thinking – focusing on inquiry skills; creative thinking – relating to problem finding and problem-solving; and future thinking – concerning personal and time perspectives. Findings indicate improvement in measured thinking skills in the intervention group by 40% compared to 4% in control group. Most improved skills were future thinking and creative thinking. Differences were detected according to the type of school. It is suggested that when used regularly the MdCM incorporating innovative teaching–learning strategies and embedded thinking tools could improve thinking skills among students from different age groups. General implications for curriculum design are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher-order thinking
• curriculum design
• twenty-first century skills
• future thinking
• innovative teaching strategies

Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge and thank the Graduate Program research group (Nardeen Raheel, Hanni Azran, Hagar Shapira, Yael Shalom, Hagit Laskar, Carmit Ohana, and Riva Almog) from Gordon Academic College of Education enabling the development of study units and carrying out this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hava E. Vidergor

Hava Vidergor, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer of curriculum and instruction in the Graduate School, Gordon Academic College of Education, and Arab Academic College of Education, Haifa, Israel. Her interests center on curriculum planning and design, innovative teaching strategies and gifted education. She is an editor (with C. R. Harris) of Applied Practice for Educators of Gifted and Able Learners (Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Sense Publishers, 2015) and the author (with D. A. Sisk) of Enhancing the Gift of Leadership (Ulm, Germany: Center for Innovation in Education, 2013). She has published numerous articles in gifted education journals. Hava has developed a new multidimensional curriculum model (MdCM) for teaching all grades and level of students.