FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING THROUGH HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN EXPERIMENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY

This article explores the role of hypothesis-driven experimentation in fostering critical thinking among secondary school biology students. In a rapidly evolving scientific and technological landscape, the ability to think critically, evaluate evidence, and approach problems systematically is more crucial than ever. However, many traditional teaching methods in biology rely heavily on memorization and passive learning, which do little to cultivate higher-order thinking skills. This research-based study examines how embedding the scientific method – particularly hypothesis formulation and evidence-based experimentation – into biology lessons can transform classroom dynamics and enhance student engagement. The paper presents a comprehensive pedagogical framework, describes its implementation across three core biology units, and analyzes its impact on students’ reasoning skills, metacognitive awareness, and scientific literacy. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including critical thinking assessments and rubric-based evaluations of student work, the study found measurable improvements in students’ ability to reason analytically and solve problems independently. The findings support a shift toward inquiry-based learning models in science education and suggest that hypothesis-driven teaching can bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and real-world scientific thinking. The article concludes with practical recommendations for educators and reflections on how such approaches can be sustainably integrated into biology curricula despite common challenges such as time constraints and standardized testing pressures. Keywords: critical thinking, hypothesis-driven learning, inquiry-based education, secondary school biology, scientific reasoning, experimental design, pedagogy.