The Effect of the Lock – key Strategy on Developing Wisdom - Based Thinking Skills among First –Year Intermediate School Students at the School for Gifted Students

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the effect of the lock-key strategy on developing wisdom-based thinking skills among first-year intermediate school students at the Gifted Girls' High School. The research sample consisted of (100) first-year intermediate school students, divided into two groups: an experimental group of (50) students and a control group of (50) students. A quasi-experimental design was used with two independent and equivalent groups, one experimental group studying according to the lock-key strategy and the other control group studying according to the traditional method. The students studied at the Gifted Girls' High School for a full academic year. To verify the research satisfaction, a wisdom-based thinking skills scale (53 items) was applied. The researcher adopted this scale from the (Brown & Greene 2006) scale, which includes (self-knowledge, life skills, judgment, and readiness to learn). Thus, the research scale consists of (3) items, and the hypothetical mean is (159). Equivalence was ensured for the variables (chronological age, prior knowledge/i.e., prior achievement of the sixth-grade average), and the wisdom-based thinking skills scale, as these factors influence the results of the experiment. The two groups were equivalent in all variables. The tests were administered after their validity and reliability were verified on the research sample. A plan consisting of (36) plans was prepared for the two groups, with (18) daily plans for each group. The results, using appropriate statistical methods, showed a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group. Therefore, the researchers recommended the necessity of training male and female teachers on the use of modern strategies and models through organizing workshops and training courses, and using the (lock-key) strategy in scientific and humanities curricula, as these strategies have a significant impact on raising the level of achievement among female students.