Collaborative Learning Approach and Critical Thinking Skills of College of Teacher Education Students at Sulu State College

Nurton Adjilani; Masnona Asiri

doi:10.62596/b2zc7a29

Authors

Nurton N. Adjilani School of Graduate Studies, Sulu State Colllege, Jolo, Sulu, 4700, Philippines Author
Masnona S. Asiri School of Graduate Studies, Sulu State Colllege, Jolo, Sulu, 4700, Philippines Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62596/b2zc7a29

Keywords:

leadership styles, school heads, democratic leadership, transformational leadership, autocratic leadership, laissez-faire leadership, teachers’ perceptions, Lugus District, Sulu

Abstract

This study examined the leadership styles of school heads in public elementary schools in Lugus District, Division of Sulu, as perceived by teachers. Specifically, it focused on autocratic, democratic, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership styles, and determined differences and relationships in teachers’ perceptions when grouped according to selected demographic variables. A descriptive–exploratory research design was employed using a quantitative approach. One hundred (100) teachers were selected through purposive sampling during the School Year 2025–2026. Data were collected using a modified standardized questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation. Findings revealed that democratic and transformational leadership styles were highly practiced, while autocratic leadership was least observed and laissez-faire leadership was moderately practiced. No significant differences were found when grouped according to age, civil status, and length of service. However, a significant difference was observed in autocratic leadership based on gender and in transformational leadership based on educational attainment. Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between democratic and transformational leadership, and a significant negative relationship between autocratic and democratic leadership. The results suggest that leadership practices in the district are largely participative and developmental, emphasizing collaboration, empowerment, and professional growth among teachers.

References

Brookfield, S. D. (2012). Teaching for critical thinking: Tools and techniques to help students question their assumptions. Jossey-Bass.

Calmorin, L. P. (1995). Methods of research and thesis writing. Rex Book Store.

Choy, S. C., & Cheah, P. K. (2009). Teacher perceptions of critical thinking among students and its influence on higher education. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20(2), 198–206.

Cohen, E. G., & Lotan, R. A. (2014). Designing groupwork: Strategies for heterogeneous classrooms. Teachers College Press.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED). (2012). CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, series of 2012: Policy-standard to enhance quality assurance (QA) in Philippine higher education through an outcomes-based and typology-based QA.

Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction. The California Academic Press.

Facione, P. A. (2020). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts. Insight Assessment.

Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1), 22–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21061/jte.v7i1.a.2

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1999). Learning together and alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning (5th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3–4), 85–118.

Laal, M., & Ghodsi, S. M. (2012). Benefits of collaborative learning. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 31, 486–490. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.12.091

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2019). The miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools (8th ed.). Foundation for Critical Thinking. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5771/9781538133842

Philippine Qualifications Framework. (2012). Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF).

Republic Act No. 7722. (1994). Higher Education Act of 1994.

Slavin, R. E. (2017). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.). Pearson.

Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. Jossey-Bass.

UNESCO. (2017). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning objectives. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54675/CGBA9153

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (M. Cole et al., Eds.). Harvard University Press.

Commission on Higher Education. (2012). CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, series of 2012: Policies and guidelines on the outcomes-based education (OBE) for Philippine higher education.

Philippine Qualifications Framework. (2012). National framework for higher education outcomes and qualifications.

Republic Act No. 7722. (1994). An act establishing the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and for other purposes. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.

Republic Act No. 10173. (2012). Data Privacy Act of 2012. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.

United Nations. (2015). Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Brown, J. S. (2020). Learning communities and the development of collective intelligence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(3), 456–470.

De Klerk, C. (2024). Enhancing critical thinking through collaborative assessment designs. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(4), 499–532. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2024.2361647

Eskiyurt, R. (2024). Exploring the impact of collaborative learning on critical thinking and clinical decision-making. Heliyon, 10(17), e37198. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37198

Geng, Y., Wang, X., & Zhang, L. (2025). Collaborative learning and cognitive engagement in higher education. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1525192.

Gillies, R. M. (2016). Group discussion and its influence on students’ critical thinking. Learning and Instruction, 41, 1–9.

Gokhale, A. A. (2018). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 29(2), 2–13.

Iribani, Y. (2025). The use of code-switching toward English teaching: Student attitudes in Sulu State College. Aloysian Interdisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, Education, and Allied Fields, 1(6), 89–95.

Prince, M. (2019). Active learning strategies and their impact on critical thinking. Journal of Engineering Education, 108(4), 618–635.

Ramdani, D., Susilo, H., Suhadi, & Sueb, M. (2022). The effectiveness of collaborative learning on critical thinking, creative thinking, and metacognitive skill ability. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(3), 1607–1628. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.3.1607

Ridwan, M. R. (2022). Cooperative learning and higher-order thinking skills: A global perspective. Participatory Educational Research, 9(4), 396–421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.97.9.4

Tomasello, M. (2018). Constructive vs. collaborative learning: A cognitive comparison. Journal of Cognitive Development, 19(4), 456–472.

Thornhill-Miller, B., Dupont, S., & Lawrence, J. (2023). The 4Cs of 21st-century learning. Journal of Educational Research, 116(2), 123–135.

Yang, X. (2023). A historical review of collaborative learning and its cognitive outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 35(1), 1–20.

Theses / Dissertations

Ahmed, A. (2018). Collaborative learning and reflective judgment in undergraduate education (Master’s thesis, Cairo University). Cairo University Repository.

Brown, L. (2020). Collaborative problem solving and metacognition in undergraduate psychology programs (Master’s thesis, University of Toronto). University of Toronto Library.

Carter, J. (2025). Collaborative learning strategies and their effect on critical thinking among pre-service teachers (Doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne). University of Melbourne Repository.

Evans, R. (2019). Peer collaboration and the development of argumentative reasoning in higher education (Doctoral dissertation, University of Glasgow). University of Glasgow Research Archive.

Garcia, M. (2016). The impact of group interaction on cognitive and affective learning outcomes (Doctoral dissertation, University of California). University of California Digital Repository.

Hassan, S. (2020). The effect of cooperative learning models on the critical thinking of education students (Doctoral dissertation, King Saud University). King Saud University Digital Library.

Hernandez, P. (2022). The role of collaborative learning in developing critical thinking in Latin American higher education (Doctoral dissertation, Universidad de los Andes).

Kim, Y. (2023). Group inquiry and critical thinking performance among Korean university students (Doctoral dissertation, Seoul National University).

Lopez, J. (2022). An analysis of peer-assisted learning and its impact on cognitive skills in undergraduate education (Doctoral dissertation, University of California).

Miller, T. (2015). Collaborative learning and the enhancement of logical reasoning in tertiary education (Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas).

Nguyen, L. (2024). The relationship between cooperative learning and critical reasoning skills in Asian teacher education programs (Master’s thesis, National Taiwan Normal University).

Patel, R. (2021). A comparative study on collaborative learning and individualized instruction in developing critical thinking (Master’s thesis, University of London).

Rodriguez, S. (2023). Collaborative learning and cognitive development in teacher training institutions in Spain (Doctoral dissertation, University of Barcelona).

Tan, K. (2018). Student perceptions of collaborative learning and its impact on critical thinking (Master’s thesis, Nanyang Technological University).

Wang, H. (2017). The effects of collaborative discussion on critical thinking dispositions in EFL students (Doctoral dissertation, Beijing Normal University).