Effects of Suggestopedia on the Critical Thinking Skills of Selected Malaysian form Two Students

To develop learners' full potential intellectually and emotionally with the ability to think critically, learners need to be exposed to positive and constructive suggestions in a non-threatening environment. This research examined the effects of Suggestopedia on a selected group of Malaysian form two students' critical thinking skills using the COGAFF (cognitive and affective) taxonomy of questioning as a tool to assess the subjects' level of thinking. The research design used in this study was a nonrandomized control group, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design on two groups of homogenous form two Malay students selected based on their form one final year examination academic performance. The research was carried out over a period of two weeks on two classes of students (25 students in the control group and 32 students in the experimental group). The instruments used were pretest questionnaire and posttest questionnaire, pre- and post- reading tests using the seven levels of COGAFF taxonomy of questioning, direct observation and interviews. The data and results collected were analysed using the SPSS for percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance. The findings showed that there was no significant difference in the mean scores in the first posttest between the two groups of subjects administered immediately after teaching. However, there was significant difference in the mean scores in the experimental group as compared to the control group in the second posttest administered after two weeks. The findings also showed that subjects in the experimental group responded more positively to the lessons and reading texts as compared to the control group. This study concluded that the teaching method, Suggestopedia, had a positive and consistent effect on this group of form two students' critical thinking skills immediately after treatment and also after a lapse of time as compared to the control group with the normal classroom teaching method.

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