ABSTRACT
This study examined the influence of the study of literature on secondary school students critical thinking ability in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. In order to achieve the intended objectives of the study, four research questions were raised. The study also sought to determine whether there are any difference in students’ level of critical thinking based on sex.
The descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. The population of the study comprises of one thousand, six hundred and thirty two students (1,632) in the twenty-eight (28) public secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.The sample of the study consisted of 100 students, simple random sampling technique was used to select twenty-five (25) students each from four (4) senior secondary schools, which were all government owned schools within the area of study. The data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation.
The findings showed that the critical thinking skills of students is high, both male and female students’ level of critical thinking is high. All three age groups have high level of critical thinking, and a high percentage of students have read the recommended drama texts while prose had the lowest percentage. The following recommendations amongst others were made; given that the lowest percentage of students have read the recommended prose texts, educators should focus on integrating prose more effectively into the curriculum. This could involve selecting more engaging and relevant prose texts, as well as incorporating diverse literary genres that resonate with students' interests.
