The study seeks to identify the prevailing methods of thinking among the mentally talented students in the light of their achievement rates and gender. The sample of the research was chosen intentionally. It consists of second secondary grade studen
ts from "Top Students Secondary School". The study used the analytic, descriptive method, as well as the Sternberg & Wagner's list of methods of thinking, which was translated by Mr. Abu Hashem.
The study showed that the most common methods of thinking for mentally talented students were legislative thinking, and liberal hierarchical thinking. The least common, on the other hand, were conservative thinking, global thinking and executive thinking. The study showed that the relationship between students' scores on certain thinking methods and their achievement rates was very weak. These methods are: legislative, executive, global, local, liberal, conservative, monarchic and anarchic. It was also found out that there was a weak relationship between students' scores on some other thinking methods and their achievement rates. These methods are: judicial methods and minority method. There is a moderate relationship regarding the hierarchical and external thinking. As the study showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the mentally talented male students and students excelling mentally in the following methods of thinking: global, conservative, hierarchical, monarchic, internal and external. This was in favor of males regarding internal thinking, and in favor of females regarding global, conservative, monarchic, hierarchical and external thinking.
The present study aimed at evaluating the styles of the mathematics teachers which
help to develop thinking skills of the sixth grade students at the basic education in Lattakia,
and it also aimed at examining the significance of differences among
the means average of
teachers who practice the encourage methods to thinking skills of students according to
variables of (gender, Experience and the scientific qualification). To achieve this goal, the
descriptive approach was used. And an assessment scale of the teacher's style of
developing thinking was prepared for evolution. After proving its validity and stability
according to the known statistical methods, the scale was applied to a sample of 30
teachers (males and females).
The results were as follows:
- The degree of mathematics teachers concerning their practices of developing
thinking methods of the of the sixth graders at the basic education in Lattakia was (54.2%)
which was represented first by providing the interactive social environment (58.4%), and
second it was represented to (53.6%) for the method of listening to students and respecting
their views whatever they were simple, and third it was represented to (51%) concerning
the teacher' using modern to modern teaching strategies.
- There are no statistical significant differences between the teachers' responses on
the teacher practice scale of developing thinking methods due to the variable of gender,
scientific certificate, and the years of experience.
The two researchers suggested developing of the mathematics guide book of the
sixth grade, and developing programs of preparing and training teachers to improve the
levels of thinking by students such as analysis, synthesis, criticism and weight-bearing
skills, in addition to holding training sessions to in-service teachers in order to activate the
teaching practices methods that encourage developing thinking, and they also suggested
applying similar studies depending on the observation card at different teaching stages by
other subjects teachers.
