The Effectiveness of Using Divergent Thinking as an Educational Tool in Developing Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation Skills among Seventh Grade Students in Basic Education in Geography Subject in Bani Walid – Libya

الملخص

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of divergent thinking as an educational tool in developing higher-order thinking skills—specifically analysis, synthesis, and evaluation—among seventh-grade students in basic education in the subject of geography in Bani Walid, Libya. To achieve this objective, the researcher employed a quasi-experimental method using the two-group design: experimental and control. The study sample was purposefully selected from Al-Ikhlas Basic Education School in Bani Walid and consisted of (60) students, who were equally divided into two groups. The experimental group (30 students) received instruction using divergent thinking strategies, while the control group (30 students) was taught through traditional methods.

An achievement test was developed to measure the targeted skills, and its validity and reliability were verified using appropriate statistical procedures. After implementing the experimental treatment and analyzing the results, findings revealed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the two groups in the three skills, in favor of the experimental group. This indicates the effectiveness of divergent thinking in developing analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills. The study recommends integrating divergent thinking strategies into school curricula and training teachers to employ them in classroom situations, especially in subjects that require higher-order cognitive skills such as geography, as this contributes to improving the quality of education within the Libyan context.