Teaching Strategies for Gifted and Ordinary Students: Their Influence on Critical Thinking and Complex Problem-Solving Skills

Abstract

This study examined the influence of teaching strategies on the development of critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills among students in gifted and ordinary secondary schools. The study employed a mixed-methods approach using an explanatory sequential research design and was conducted in selected gifted and ordinary secondary schools in Kibaha District, Tanzania, to facilitate comparison of students’ experiences and educational practices. The target population comprised 980 individuals, including 24 heads of schools, 64 subject teachers, and 892 students, from which 90 respondents were selected. The sample consisted of 80 students, eight subject teachers, and two heads of schools, with data collected through questionnaires and interviews. The findings revealed substantial differences in students’ perceptions of teaching strategies between gifted and ordinary schools. Students in the gifted school reported greater exposure to varied teaching methods, classroom activities requiring critical thinking and difficult problem solving, and strategies that supported higher-order thinking. Teachers in both schools reported using differentiated and learner-centred approaches, although teachers in the gifted school expressed slightly stronger and more consistent agreement. Interviews with school heads further indicated that professional support, academic meetings, lesson observation, and instructional supervision encouraged the implementation of differentiated teaching. However, large class sizes and limited teaching resources constrained consistent implementation in the ordinary school. The findings demonstrate that differentiated instruction, inquiry-based learning, discussion, research activities, projects, and problem-solving tasks provide important opportunities for developing students’ analytical reasoning and ability to address unfamiliar problems. The study concludes that effective development of higher-order cognitive skills requires equitable access to quality learning opportunities combined with instructional differentiation according to students’ readiness and abilities. Strengthening teacher professional development, instructional supervision, learning resources, and learner-centred pedagogies is therefore recommended for both gifted and ordinary secondary schools.