Abstract: The present study aims to compare the impact of guided inquiry and traditional teaching methods on critical thinking skills of second-grade high school students in physics and sociology courses. Given the purpose, a total of 190 second grade high school students were chosen through random, multi-step and cluster sampling methods in the form of 8 classes and placed into 8 experimental and control groups in physics and sociology courses. A pre-test post-test design was administered to the control group. In order to collect information about participants, two tools were employed. The demographic information was collected by a researcher–made questionnaire and the thinking skills information was determined by Watson - Glaser test. Two- factor covariance method was utilized for data analysis. Results showed that the impact of guided inquiry teaching method on the critical thinking skills of students in inference and conclusion subscales, and the effect of subject in conclusion and interpretation subscales was significant. [Kiumars Azizmalayeri, Ebrahim MirshahJafari, Mostafa Sharif, Mohammad Asgari, Maboud Omidi. The development of critical thinking skills in physics and sociology curricula. Life Sci J 2012;9(3):1991-1997]. (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 287
