Critical Thinking &amp; Lifelong Learning: An ADKAR Model-Based Framework for Managing a Change in Thinking &amp; English Language Learning Styles at the Secondary Stage
Author: Abdallah, Mahmoud M. S.
Date: 2016-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Lifelong Learning,Models,Learning Strategies,Cognitive Style,Educational Change,Educational Strategies,Educational Needs,Teacher Competencies,Questionnaires,Experienced Teachers,Evidence Based Practice,Qualitative Research,Teaching Methods,Educational Philosophy,Educational Objectives,Educational Indicators,Educational Assessment,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Secondary School Curriculum,Foreign Countries

The general secondary stage in Egypt is a vital educational phase since it plays an essential role in developing students' thinking and learning styles to prepare them for life in general and higher education in particular. Accordingly, it has become urgent and persistent to develop secondary-stage students' critical thinking styles while acquainting them with self-learning skills that would facilitate lifelong learning to guarantee meaningful learning and active participation in public life. This will eventually qualify them to do their future careers, especially when it is connected with mastery of the English language, which has become a pre-requisite for many jobs in Egypt. Therefore, English language teaching (ELT) at the secondary stage should be given priority since language teachers can act as agents of change. The aim of ELT to secondary-school students is to equip them with the necessary language, thinking and study skills to communicate effectively and to understand spoken and written English competently. The current exam-oriented language learning/teaching mode dominant at the secondary stage does not allow for developing critical thinking and lifelong learning - new skills reinforced by &quot;Hello for Secondary Schools&quot;, the currently used English Teaching Series. Therefore, the present study aims at proposing a framework based on ADKAR Change Management Model to improve secondary-stage students' learning and thinking styles by fostering their critical thinking and lifelong learning skills while learning English as a foreign language. This involves: (1) investigating the real thinking and lifelong language learning needs of secondary-stage students from expert teachers' perspectives (i.e. through conducting some structured interviews online with 20 secondary-stage expert teachers); (2) identifying the language-teaching competencies needed by secondary-school language teachers (i.e. through administering a questionnaire to 60 expert teachers); and (3) employing and triangulating the obtained data to fit them in within the pivots of ADKAR Model to reach a final framework based on empirical evidence. To reach these objectives, a qualitative survey research methodology was employed by triangulating both questionnaire and interview results to fit in within the proposed model. The study mainly suggests that in order for the secondary-stage language teachers to be effective agents of change, they have to lead a drastic change in teaching/learning methods and styles and managing students' learning inside the classroom by consistently implementing the phases proposed by ADKAR Model. The following are appended: (1) Structured Interviews for Identifying English Language Learning Needs at Egyptian Secondary Schools (Thinking &amp; Lifelong Learning); (2) Secondary-Stage English Language Teachers' Needed Competencies Questionnaire in the Light of ADKAR Change Management Model; (3) Order of Teaching Competencies Based on Descending Means; and (4) Order of Competencies under Each Pivot Based on Participants' Views.