Teaching critical thinking skills in Rwandan secondary schools: challenge and practical solutions

Many university graduates struggle with critical thinking due to weak secondary school preparation, affecting their independent reasoning and decision-making. This study examined the level of critical thinking skills among Kiswahili secondary school students, factors affecting their development, and challenges in teaching these skills. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative data from a literature-based test taken by 91 senior six students with qualitative data from document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with five Kiswahili teachers. The test assessed both foundational skills (remembering, understanding, and applying) and higher-order thinking skills (analyzing, evaluating, and creating) based on Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Results indicated low proficiency in higher-order skills (as low as 17%) compared to foundational skills (up to 67.1%). This gap was linked to poor instructional practices, including inadequate lesson planning, rote-based assessments, insufficient teacher training, and limited Kiswahili literary materials. The study recommends strengthening teacher training to support learner-centered lesson plans and better use of available ressources to enhance students’ analytical, evaluative, and creative abilities. As the study was conducted to one district, findings may be generalized. Further research in other districts is recommended to validate these findings.