EFFECT OF E- LEARNING IN DEVELOPING HIGHER ORDER THINKING OF SCIENCE STUDENTS AT SECONDARY LEVEL

Abstract

This research examined the impact of technology on science students in Punjab, Pakistan's secondary schools, focusing on its role in fostering the growth of higher-order thinking abilities (HOTS). Based on Bloom's Taxonomy and Dale's Cone of Experience, the study contrasted the performance of students in conventional versus technology-enhanced classrooms in the areas of analysis, synthesis, and assessment. Two hundred ninth graders from four different public schools were surveyed using a quantitative causal-comparative methodology. Of them, 100 were tech users and 100 were not. To assess pupils' cognitive abilities, researcher used a researcher- created THOT that had been verified by specialists in the field and was in line with the national curriculum. In terms of HOTS, results showed that technology users scored much higher than non-users, particularly in the areas of synthesis and assessment. Girls also outperformed boys, indicating a gender gap. Subject-by-subject research revealed that technology users made much greater progress in chemistry and physics. In line with worldwide data on the significance of e- learning in promoting 21st-century abilities, these results confirm that digital tools, when well incorporated, may improve creative and critical thinking. The research indicates that for Pakistani students to be prepared for jobs in today's knowledge economy, schools must implement more tech-rich learning environments.