Incorporating Digital Tools in a Social Studies Course: An Action Research to Support High School Students’ Critical Thinking and Collaboration Skills

Digital tools have the potential and ability to develop and support critical thinking skills in high school students, as they provide interactive and engaging platforms for learning. The purpose of this action research was to implement digital tools for student collaboration in two high school Social Studies classrooms, to evaluate the tools’ potential impact on students' critical thinking skills, and to assess the participant’s perceptions of the impact and use of digital tools for collaboration in the classroom. This study focused on two overarching questions: (1) How, and to what extent, does the use of digital tools for student collaboration impact high school students’ critical thinking skills? and (2) What are high school students’ perceptions about using digital tools for collaboration in Social Studies? During this study, students used Padlet and Figjam - virtual online collaborative platforms - to support synchronous and asynchronous collaboration activities: research, questioning, problem solving, and presenting. Thirty-eight students from two Social Studies classrooms participated in this mixed methods research study. Data were collected through a pre and post critical thinking survey, a pre and post critical thinking test, perceptions of digital tool use survey, student focus groups, and exit slips. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive analysis of open-ended survey questions, focus group transcripts and exit slips to identify applicable themes. Results showed that participants had a decrease in their critical thinking skills after using digital tools, yet they perceived improvements in these skills. Students reported that the tools enhanced skills like analysis, problem-solving, research, and communication, especially during collaborative tasks. While students appreciated the tools' role in increasing engagement, creativity, accessibility, and motivation, they also reported challenges such as distractions, information overload, unclear communication, and anxiety about feedback. Overall, the tools made learning more interesting, but the tools didn’t always fully address the complexities of collaboration. Students had mixed views, praising accessibility and flexibility but expressing frustrations with online distractions. Students suggested combining digital and in-person collaboration.