A Needs Assessment for Enhancing Primary School Science and Technology Students’ Analytical Thinking Skills as Reviewed by Teachers

Abstract

The study used a needs assessment to identify and prioritize areas for developing analytical thinking skills (ATS) in primary school students, based on the perspectives of their primary school science and technology (computing science) teachers (SCITECH Instructors). A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 311 teachers. The instrument used was a validated questionnaire with an excellent internal consistency (Desired state α = 0.96; Actual state α = 0.88). Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis, along with a dependent t-test, and the modified Priority Needs Index (PNImodified) to assess and rank the discrepancy between actual and desired skill levels. A significant difference was observed overall between Desired and Actual skill observations: the analytical thinking skill was at the Developing level among current students, whereas a proficient-to-mastery command was desired. A distinct order of needs was found, with the highest being the need to identify problem components (PNImodified = 1.09), followed by identifying issues related to problems, using reasoning/logic, and collecting/analyzing data. These results provide an empirical basis for informing the development of student-centered primary school curricula, specifically targeted teacher-training programs, and strategic resource allocation to build urgently needed ATS competencies from the earliest stages of education.