Locality as a Moderator in the Relationship between Innovative Pedagogy and Higher Order Thinking: Evidence from Jammu District, India
Innovative pedagogy, higher-order thinking, creative thinking, critical thinking, locality, rural urban disparity, moderation analysis, India
Background: Global educational reform movements increasingly emphasize innovative pedagogical approaches aimed at cultivating higher-order thinking skills, particularly creative and critical thinking. However, the effectiveness of such pedagogical transformations may vary across socio-geographical contexts characterized by unequal access to institutional, technological, and professional resources.
Purpose: This study examines the relationship between innovative teaching methodology and higher-order thinking (creative and critical thinking facilitation) among school teachers in Jammu District, India. It further investigates whether locality (rural vs. urban) moderates the strength of this relationship and explores gender differences within localities.
Method: A descriptive correlational research design was employed. Data were collected from 100 school teachers (50 rural, 50 urban; 50 male, 50 female) selected through stratified random sampling. Three instruments were administered: a Teaching Methodology Inventory (α = .82), a Creative Thinking Facilitation Scale (α = .86), and a Critical Thinking Facilitation Scale (α = .84). Statistical analysis included Pearson’s Product–Moment Correlation, t-tests for significance of correlation coefficients, effect size interpretation, and Fisher’s Z transformation to compare independent correlations.
Results: Innovative teaching methodology demonstrated strong positive correlations with creative thinking (r = .72, p < .01) and critical thinking (r = .75, p < .01). Urban teachers exhibited substantially stronger correlations (creative thinking r = .84; critical thinking r = .88) than rural teachers (creative thinking r = .38; critical thinking r = .41). Fisher’s Z tests confirmed statistically significant differences between rural and urban correlations (Z = 4.21–4.87, p < .01), establishing locality as a moderating variable. Gender differences within locality were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: Innovative pedagogy significantly predicts higher-order thinking facilitation; however, its effectiveness is structurally mediated by locality-based disparities. Educational reforms must therefore address infrastructural and professional inequities to ensure equitable cognitive development across contexts.
"Locality as a Moderator in the Relationship between Innovative Pedagogy and Higher Order Thinking: Evidence from Jammu District, India", JETNR - JOURNAL OF EMERGING TRENDS AND NOVEL RESEARCH (www.JETNR.org), ISSN:2984-9276, Vol.4, Issue 4, page no.c667-c675, April-2026, Available :https://rjpn.org/JETNR/papers/JETNR2604352.pdf
Volume 4
Issue 4,
April-2026
Pages : c667-c675
Paper Reg. ID: JETNR_234070
Published Paper Id: JETNR2604352
Downloads: 00017
Research Area: Medical Science All
Country: JAMMU, Jammu and Kashmir, India
ISSN: 2984-9276 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.87 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2023
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.87 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
Publisher: RJPN (IJPublication) Janvi Wave
