Promoting critical thinking through the modification of questioning verbs in writing assignments: A study

Abstract

The aim of the present study is twofold. First off, an analysis regarding 3rd ESO students' critical thinking application was procured from their performance from a piece of writing. To promote critical thinking, modification of the language of questions in the course book was purposely executed. This was then followed by an implementation of a whole Didactic Unit designed to enhance the role of reflective questions in the creation of more complex writings. This language modification was erected through the use of verbs contained in Bloom's taxonomy higher orders. The changes that led students to write longer texts or express more elaborate ideas are also addressed. The data was collected via observation, pre and post questionnaires, and writing assignments.