Using service-learning approach for promoting higher order thinking skills among Pakistani pre-service teachers

Abstract

Modern educational pedagogies emphasize that teaching and learning frameworks should be designed to promote essential skills among students and develop their higher order thinking skills and the real-world application of those skills. In this milieu, service-learning is an emerging approach in education that best meets this need. Although much work exists on service-learning in developing students' social, moral, and citizenship potential, there is a lack of research that highlights the role of service-learning and its potential to promote high order thinking skills among pre-service teachers. This study attempts to extensively examine the role of service-learning in promoting high-order thinking skills among pre-service teachers. For this purpose, an integrated approach of Queensland University's higher order thinking guidelines was compared and contrasted as a framework with service-learning approach. The analysis and literature review showed that said the guidelines can be adopted using service-learning approach to promote higher order thinking skills of pre-service teachers. Therefore, the framework is proposed to be integrated into a service-learning course in higher education. The guidelines provide a five steps process for developing higher order thinking skills among teacher education students. The study results provide teacher educators with more practical ways to implement a more active and purposeful teaching and learning environment that encourages higher order thinking among pre-service teachers.