Using the pentagram method to enhance critical thinking skills in ninth-grade physics students in Jordan
Keywords:
Pentagram Strategy, Critical Thinking Skills, Physics, Ninth-Grade, JordanAbstract
The purpose of this study was to find out the effectiveness of the Pentagram technique to improve the ability of critical thinking among students in the ninth year of studying basic physics. To achieve this goal, we used a semi-experimental design and developed an experimental curriculum. The research sample included 46 ninth-grade students from the Mafraq Kasbah school, who were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 23) or the control group (n = 23). Instructors taught an experimental group using the Pentagram methodology, while the control group received conventional instruction. Research revealed significant differences in critical thinking scores between the two groups. The experimental group has shown a remarkable improvement in critical thinking capabilities, with an average score before the test of 8.17 (SD = 4.01) and after the test of 18.43 (SD = 2.71). The control group had a pre-test score of 8.48 (SD = 4.57) and a post-test score of 13.52 (SD = 3.20). According to the independent test, the Pentagram method significantly improves critical thinking ability in physics learning. This clearly supports the effectiveness of the Pentagram technique in aiding learners’ critical thinking.
Downloads
References
Abdelrahman, R. M. (2020). Metacognitive awareness and academic motivation and their impact on the academic achievement of Ajman University students. Heliyon, 6(9), e04192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04192
Abu Orabi, T., Almasarweh, M. S., Qteishat, M. K., Qudah, H. A., & AlQudah, M. Z. (2024). Mapping leadership and organizational commitment trends: A bibliometric review. Administrative Sciences, 14(8), 171.
Abumosa, M., & Mashal, S. (2018). Jordan. In E-Learning in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region (p. 163–192).
Adel, R. N. (2021). The effect of the Pentagram strategy on achievement among fifth-year middle school students in chemistry. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT), 12(11), 443–450. https://doi.org/10.17762/turcomat.v12i11.5899
Al Karabsheh, F. I., Abuorabi, Y. K., Abdul Kareem Abu Shaqra, K. T., & AlQudah, M. Z. (2024). Quantifying the evolution of IT audit and control practices: A bibliometric approach. EDPACS, 1–20.
Al-Asadi, M. H. R., & RahiHadiAl-Fatlawi, K. (2023). The effect of the Pentagram strategy in the deep psychological comprehension of the fifth-grade literary students in the Arabic language textbook. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(5s), 758–766. https://www.jrtdd.com/index.php/journal/article/view/627
Al-Gabry, A. B., Kamal Eldin, M. M., & Abdel Dayem, S. A. (2023). The role of the Pentagram strategy in enhancing the interactive content of the branding design course. International Design Journal, 13(3), 393–400. https://doi.org/10.21608/idj.2023.296280
Allchin, D. (2014). From science studies to scientific literacy: A view from the classroom. Science & Education, 23, 1911-1932. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-013-9672-8
Banda, H. J., & Nzabahimana, J. (2023). The impact of physics education technology (PhET) interactive simulation-based learning on motivation and academic achievement among Malawian physics students. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 32(1), 127-141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-022-10010-3
Bean, J. C., & Melzer, D. (2021). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. John Wiley & Sons.
Beavers, E., Orange, A., & Kirkwood, D. (2017). Fostering critical and reflective thinking in an authentic learning situation. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 38(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2016.1274693
Cheng, M. H. M., & Wan, Z. H. (2017). Exploring the effects of classroom learning environment on critical thinking skills and disposition: A study of Hong Kong 12th graders in Liberal Studies. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 24, 152–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2017.03.001
Demirkan, H., & Dolk, D. (2013). Analytical, computational, and conceptual modeling in service science and systems. Information Systems and E-Business Management, 11, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-012-0189-5
Dolk, D., & Granat, J. (2012). Modeling for decision support in network-based services. In Modeling for decision support in network-based services (pp. 1–13). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27612-5_1
Drosos, M., Nebbioso, A., & Piccolo, A. (2018). Humeomics: A key to unravel the humusic pentagram. Applied Soil Ecology, 123, 513–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.07.027
Dwyer, C. P., Hogan, M. J., & Stewart, I. (2014). An integrated critical thinking framework for the 21st century. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 12, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2013.12.004
Fung, D. C., & Liang, T. W. (2019). Fostering critical thinking through collaborative group work. Springer.
Gawlicz, K., & Millei, Z. (2022). Critiquing the use of children’s voices as a means of forging the community in a Polish democratic school. Ethnography and Education, 17(1), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2021.1990100
Ghahremani, M., Karami, S., & Balcaen, P. (2017). Pentagram of habits: Considering science teachers’ conceptions of “habits of mind” associated with critical thinking in several of Iran’s special gifted schools. Gifted and Talented International, 32(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.2017.1397901
Glaze, A. L. (2018). Teaching and learning science in the 21st century: Challenging critical assumptions in post-secondary science. Education Sciences, 8(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8010012
Gualtieri, S., & Finn, A. S. (2022). The sweet spot: When children’s developing abilities, brains, and knowledge make them better learners than adults. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(5), 1322–1338. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211045971
Hamzah, H., Hamzah, M. I., & Zulkifli, H. (2022). Systematic literature review on the elements of metacognition-based Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) teaching and learning modules. Sustainability, 14(2), 813. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020813
He, Z., Wu, X., Wang, Q., & Huang, C. (2021). Developing eighth-grade students’ computational thinking with critical reflection. Sustainability, 13(20), 11192. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011192
Huda, M., & Hashim, A. (2022). Towards professional and ethical balance: Insights into application strategy on media literacy education. Kybernetes, 51(3), 1280–1300. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-07-2017-0252
Jin, Q., Yuan, M., Li, S., Wang, H., & Ren, J. (2022). The application of a pentagram model to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching with gamification for high school students in chemistry. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 31(1), 100–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-021-09807-8
Leicht, A., & Heiss, J. (2018). Issues and trends in education for sustainable development (Vol. 5). UNESCO Publishing
Michelini, M. C., Maiale, S. J., Wyss, B., & Rodríguez, A. A. (2026). Understanding Suboptimal Temperature Stress Tolerance Mechanisms in Grasses via Integrated Analysis of Leaf Elongation Dynamics and Photosynthetic Traits. Grasses, 5(1), 14.
Momani, M. A. K. A., Alharahasheh, K. A., & Alqudah, M. (2023). Digital learning in Sciences education: A literature review. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2277007.
Russell, J. L., Kamenkovich, I., Bitz, C., Ferrari, R., Gille, S. T., Goodman, P. J., ... & Wanninkhof, R. (2018). Metrics for the evaluation of the Southern Ocean in coupled climate models and Earth System Models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123(5), 3120–3143.
Saber, H., & Salah Anwar, M. (2020). A program based on the Pentagram theory to develop the two reasons: geographic, historical, for the fourth-grade students, Division of Social Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Alexandria. Journal of Scientific Research in Education, 21(5), 268–342.
Şahin, Ç., İpek, H., & Çepni, S. (2010). Computer-supported conceptual change text: Fluid pressure. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 922–927.
Saido, G. M., Siraj, S., Nordin, A. B. B., & Al-Amedy, O. S. (2018). Higher-order thinking skills among secondary school students in science learning. MOJES: Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 3(3), 13–20.
Scheffer, B. K., & Rubenfeld, M. G. (2000). A consensus statement on critical thinking in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 39(8), 352–359.
Siegfried, J., & Colander, D. (2022). What does critical thinking mean in teaching economics?: The big and the little of it. The Journal of Economic Education, 53(1), 71–84.
Turiman, P., Omar, J., Daud, A. M., & Osman, K. (2012). Fostering the 21st-century skills through scientific literacy and science process skills. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 59, 110–116.
Ugwuozor, F. O., Otu, M. S., & Mbaji, I. N. (2021). Critical thinking intervention for stress reduction among undergraduates in Nigerian Universities. Medicine, 100(11), e25030.
Ülger, B. B., & Çepni, S. (2020). Evaluating the effect of differentiated inquiry-based science lesson modules on gifted students' scientific process skills. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 10(4), 1289–1324.
Vieira, R. M., & Tenreiro-Vieira, C. (2016). Fostering scientific literacy and critical thinking in elementary science education. International Journal of science and mathematics education, 14(4), 659–680.
Wang, X., Liu, J., & Li, X. (2021). Enhancing critical thinking skills through innovative teaching strategies: A case study of pentagram model application. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 24(4), 105–120. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26975056
Zaki, R. M., & Zangan, S. D. A. (2023). The Effect of the Pentagram Strategy on the Achievement of Chemistry among the Second Grade Intermediate Female Students. Journal of Namibian Studies, 33.
Zhu, Y., Au, W., & Yates, G. (2016). University students' self-control and self-regulated learning in a blended course. The Internet and higher education, 30, 54–62.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Turkish Science Education

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This license enables reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. CC BY-NC-ND includes the following elements: Credit must be given to the creator; only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted; no derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.

