Sabhan A. A. The Effectiveness of an Instructional Program Based on Reciprocal Teaching in Developing Flexible Thinking Skills and Historical Sense among Fourth-Year Literary Branch Students in Kirkuk Governorate

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an instructional program based on reciprocal teaching in developing historical sense and flexible thinking among fourth-grade literary branch students. The researcher employed the experimental method. The study sample consisted of (60) fourth-grade literary students, randomly assigned to two equivalent groups: an experimental group that was taught using the reciprocal teaching-based instructional program, and a control group that was taught using the traditional method. To collect data, the researcher developed two tests: one to measure historical sense and the other to measure flexible thinking. The validity and reliability of both instruments were verified. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the two groups in the post-test, in favor of the experimental group, indicating the effectiveness of the program in developing both historical sense and flexible thinking. The study recommended adopting reciprocal teaching as an effective strategy in teaching history, training teachers on its use, and incorporating it into high school curricula.