Improving critical thinking skills through the six thinking hats technique among B2-level students

Аннотация

Nowadays, critical thinking skills are crucial for success in academic and professional settings. This study investigates the effectiveness of the Six Thinking Hats (STH) technique in enhancing critical thinking among B2-level English language learners. A group of B2 students participated in a program utilizing STH for analyzing complex topics. The program involved activities designed for each colored hat (White: information, Yellow: optimism, Black: caution, Red: emotions, Green: creativity, and Blue: process management). Pre- and post-tests assessed critical thinking through analysis, evaluation, and synthesis tasks. The study aims to determine if the STH program leads to significant improvement in B2 students’ critical thinking abilities, particularly whhile discussing and evaluating complex issues in English. The findings will contribute to understanding the potential of STH in promoting critical thinking within language learning methodologies for upper-intermediate learners. Keywords: critical thinking skills, Edward de Bono, Six Thinking Hats, communicative competence, problem-solving, case study, group work, discussions, debates, analysis, evaluation