Arab Educational Information Network

The study aimed to identify the degree to which critical thinking skills were included in physics textbooks for the secondary stage in Iraq. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive analytical method was used. The study tool was a content analysis card prepared by the researchers by referring to educational literature and previous studies, to analyze physics books for the secondary stage in Iraq. In its final form, it consisted of (30) paragraphs distributed into seven areas related to critical thinking, namely: originality (3) paragraphs, evaluation (4) paragraphs, flexibility (5) paragraphs, conclusion (4) paragraphs, interpretation (6) paragraphs, and expansion. (5) paragraphs, and imagination (3) paragraphs, and the study sample consisted of physics books in their edition (2022-2023). The results showed that a list of critical thinking skills that must be included in the content of physics textbooks for the secondary stage in Iraq was adopted, after the researcher was informed of previous relevant research and studies, educational literature, and broad outlines of physics curricula. It was judged by experts, professors of curricula and teaching methods, and specialists in the educational field. These skills amounted to (7) main skills, and the results showed that the interpretation skill came in first place, as it received (471) repetitions, with a percentage of (16.7%), followed in second place by the flexibility skill, which obtained (463) repetitions, with a percentage of (16.4%), followed by the evaluation skill, with a frequency of (414) and a percentage of (14.7%). As for the originality skill, it came in last place with a frequency of (332) and a percentage of (11.8%). The results of the study showed that the frequencies and percentages of the degree to which critical thinking skills were included in the content of the physics textbook for the fifth scientific grade in Iraq, and that the total number of frequencies of the values of dealing with others reached (1347) repetitions. The results also show that the skill of interpretation came in first place, as it obtained (227 times, with a percentage of (16.9%), followed in second place by the evaluation skill, which received (196) repetitions, with a percentage of (14.6%), followed by the skill of flexibility, with a frequency of (192), with a percentage of (14.3%). As for the expansion skill, it came in first place. The latter had a frequency of (176) and a percentage of (13.1%). It also showed that the frequencies and percentages of the degree to which critical thinking skills were included in the content of the physics textbook for the sixth scientific grade in Iraq showed that the total of frequencies of the values of dealing with others reached (1472) repetitions, as it was shown. The results showed that the flexibility skill came in first place, receiving (271) repetitions, with a percentage of (18.4%), followed in second place by the interpretation skill, which received (244) repetitions, with a percentage of (16.6%), followed by the evaluation skill, with a frequency of (218). With a percentage of (14.8%), the originality skill came in last place with a frequency of (149) and a percentage of (10.1%). In light of the results, the study concluded with a number of recommendations, including: the necessity of enriching the fifth-grade science curriculum with critical thinking skills, especially skills that are in short supply such as the skill of imagination, and the necessity of enriching the sixth-grade science curriculum with critical thinking skills, especially skills that are in short supply such as the skill of expansion. (Published abstract)