MANAGING FAKE NEWS AND DEVELOPING MEDIA LITERACY IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOMS APPROACHES TO FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN THE DIGITAL ERA
Keywords:
Fake news, Media literacy, Critical thinking, DETECT Model, Social studiesAbstract
This academic article presents approaches to developing critical thinking skills in the digital era through managing fake news and fostering media literacy in social studies classrooms. The objectives are to (1) analyze the situation and impacts of fake news in Thai society, (2) develop a conceptual framework for fake news verification, and (3) propose learning management approaches that integrate media literacy in social studies. The study reveals that 71% of Thai youth believe fake news shared via LINE, and 65% have difficulties developing critical thinking skills. Thai cultural factors facilitating fake news spread include the "easily believing, slow to anger, quick to forgive" characteristic, deference to elders, and the "Thai sharing culture" of forwarding information to "help" others without verification.
This article introduces the "DETECT Model," a novel framework synthesized from seven international concepts, comprising six components: Define (categorizing information), Evaluate (assessing sources), Trace (fact-checking), Examine (analyzing bias), Cross-check (verifying across sources), and Think critically (critical synthesis). Five learning activity formats are presented: inquiry-based learning, primary source utilization, simulation games, SIFT technique, and social issue discussions.
Case studies from the We Think Digital Thailand project, which trained over 164,000 youth and 5,800 teachers, show 87.3% satisfaction. The NBTC's "Good Teachers Create Good People" project found that 78% of teachers could implement learning activities, with students' media literacy scores increasing by 35%. Policy recommendations emphasize incorporating media literacy into the core curriculum, continuous teacher development, fostering a culture of critical questioning, and multi-sector collaboration to build sustainable intellectual immunity against fake news in Thai society.
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