CRITICAL THINKING AND ROTE MEMORIZATION 2
Effects of Critical Thinking and Rote Memorization on Elementary School Students: A
Perspective of Students Undertaking Science Classes
Introduction
Developing creative thinking is an important aspect of effective learning. Thus, scholars
claim that learners can experience effective cognitive learning process in classrooms (Fata-
Hartley, 2011). Elementary school students are majorly regarded as rote learners. Importantly,
the background in which these schools operate tends to prevent creativity and active learning
among science students. Remarkably, teaching in elementary schools is majorly a teacher-
guided, exercise-based, and text-oriented approach. The subjects taught are dictated and
organized by set curricular objectives. At the end of each semester, the attainment of these goals
and objectives is evaluated through the standard examinations which students take.
The hierarchical organization of the education system and the administration of
examination which determines the achievement level of students determine high-level achievers
in the science classes (Hilgard, Irvine, & Whipple, 1953). Additionally, other measures for
diagnosing the students’ performance include intelligence quotient and ability construct tests.
The instructional variables such as the curriculum, the teaching style, and the assessment
techniques that are used by the school are the environmental presage variables (Iqbal & Ahmad,
2015). These variables influence the learning process of the scholars, their awareness of the
learning environment, their comprehension capacity, and the styles that they apply when
studying scientific disciplines (Rashid & Qaisar, 2016). The repercussions of both the presage
and process variables affect the quality of learning in the attainment of knowledge and the
performance of students in science subjects. Model-based predictions state that elementary pupils
utilize learning approaches such as memorization in scientific disciplines. However, such
