The Role of Memory, Knowledge, and Understanding in Critical Thinking: A Comparative Study of Private- and Government-School Students in Multisensory Learning Environment
Abstract: This study examined whether a live online multisensory (visual-auditory) lesson strengthens memory, knowledge, and understanding, and whether these three variables jointly predict critical-thinking performance, in a sample of 120 students (Grades 5, 7, 10, and 12) drawn from one private and one government school in Kerala, India. Using a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design, students completed a live online lesson followed by immediate and delayed memory tasks, a pre-/post-lesson knowledge quiz, a SOLO Taxonomy-scored understanding task, and a Paul-Elder rubric-scored critical-thinking task. Students showed a large, statistically significant knowledge gain following the lesson (mean gain = 1.63 points on an 8-item quiz; t (119) = 14.87, p .05). These findings support treating memory, knowledge, and understanding as a connected developmental chain leading to critical thinking, and suggest that live, identically delivered online instruction may narrow - though not necessarily eliminate - the outcome gaps otherwise associated with unequal technology access. Implications for instructional design and education policy in mixed-resource school systems are discussed.
Keywords: multisensory learning; working memory; knowledge acquisition; SOLO taxonomy; critical thinking; digital divide; online instruction; Kerala schools
How to Cite?: Dr. Deepa G, Dr. R Hemanth Babu, "The Role of Memory, Knowledge, and Understanding in Critical Thinking: A Comparative Study of Private- and Government-School Students in Multisensory Learning Environment", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1792-1795, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26925160323, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26925160323