Evaluating the Efficacy of a Debate-Centred History Curriculum on Critical Thinking Development in Tunisian Lycées

Traditional history pedagogy in many contexts emphasises rote memorisation, which may limit the development of higher-order cognitive skills. There is growing interest in active learning strategies, such as classroom debate, to foster critical thinking, though their efficacy within specific national curricula, particularly in North African secondary education, requires further empirical investigation. This study aimed to measure the impact of a purposefully designed, debate-centred history curriculum on the critical thinking abilities of lycée students. Its objectives were to assess changes in students' analytical reasoning, evaluation of evidence, and argument construction following the curricular intervention. A quasi-experimental survey design was employed. A pre-test/post-test model utilised a validated critical thinking skills assessment instrument. Participants were lycée students, with an intervention group exposed to the debate-centred curriculum and a control group following the standard national syllabus. Data were analysed using inferential statistics. Students in the intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in critical thinking scores compared to the control group. Specifically, 73% of participants in the experimental cohort showed marked progression in their ability to identify logical fallacies in historical sources, a core component of the assessment. The integration of a structured debate-centred approach into the history curriculum shows substantial promise for enhancing critical thinking competencies in this educational setting, suggesting a viable pedagogical shift from passive knowledge transmission to active cognitive engagement. Curriculum developers should consider incorporating structured debate modules into history teacher training programmes and national curriculum guidelines. Further research should explore the longitudinal retention of these skills and the model's applicability to other humanities subjects. critical thinking, history education, debate pedagogy, curriculum innovation, secondary education, Tunisia This study provides the first quantitative evidence from a quasi-experimental design on the effects of a debate-based history curriculum on critical thinking development within the Tunisian lycée system, offering a replicable model for curricular reform.