The Impact of the Critical Friend Strategy on Social Studies Achievement Among Sixth Grade Primary School Students

Abstract

The research problem is represented by the following main question: “What is the effect of the critical friend strategy on the achievement of social studies among sixth-grade elementary students?” To answer this question, the research aimed to find out the effect of the critical friend strategy on the achievement of social studies among sixth-grade elementary students. To achieve the research goal, the researcher put forward the following hypothesis: (There is no statistically significant hypothesis at the significance level of (0.05) between the average scores of the experimental group students who study social studies according to the critical friend strategy and the average scores of the control group students who study the same subject according to the usual method in the post-achievement test). The researcher also chose the experimental research method, as it was the most suitable for the research objective. He selected a quasi-experimental design with two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The researcher chose the Mitham Al-Tammar Primary School and randomly selected section (B) to represent the experimental group (32 students), while section (A) represented the control group (32 students). The researcher statistically ensured the equivalence of the students in both groups. The researcher defined the subject matter, which consisted of the social studies curriculum for the second semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. He formulated 70 behavioral objectives, prepared 30 lesson plans, and developed an achievement test consisting of 25 objective multiple-choice items. The researcher confirmed the test's validity and reliability. The results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group. The researcher concluded that teaching social studies using the "critical friend" strategy improves students' academic achievement more effectively than the traditional method. The researcher also recommended the necessity of providing training courses for teachers. The in-service social studies course focuses on how to use active learning strategies and skills in teaching, given their importance in clearly conveying information, skills, facts, and concepts to students and developing their scientific thinking.