The use of expository writing as a method of teaching critical thinking skills and geometry: A comparative study in the secondary classroom

The increased emphasis on the teaching of critical thinking skills that has been introduced into the curricula of the public schools has created a need for new and different approaches in methodology. The present study introduces into the mathematics curriculum a new way to approach the teaching of geometry on the secondary level. Two geometry classes, one general level and one advanced level, had incorporated into the curriculum an expository writing component designed to enhance the critical thinking skills of the students. After using the new methodology for a nine-week quarter, the experimental groups showed no significant increases in skills when compared with two sets of control groups. However, it was discovered that the writing component did have an effect on a small percentage of students in that they preferred to use a paragraph form of proof as opposite to the traditional two-column proof. Also, it was noted that the experimental groups may have developed a stronger problem solving ability for word problems when compared to the control groups.;The use of an expository writing component as part of the methodology used in teaching high school geometry, as demonstrated by the present study, has been shown to be of benefit to individual students, although not of benefit to the group as a whole. The fact that the hypotheses failed to be rejected indicates that the use of writing in the mathematics classroom must be streamlined to the needs of the students and teachers so that the highest degree of benefit can be derived by the greatest number of students.