A Case Study on Academic Debate Class for the Increase of Critical Thinking Skills of Foreign Undergraduates

Abstract

This study presented the case of the academic debate class for the increase of critical thinking skills of foreign undergraduates in university. As a major goal of university education, critical thinking is an essential skill for foreign undergraduates to have if they are going to successfully complete their studies. Critical thinking is largely composed of critical thinking function and critical thinking disposition. Thus, this study aims to seek out the measures that will help us improve both critical thinking function and disposition among our students through the process of debate.<br/> In this thesis, the academic debate class is conducted not by focusing on the debate itself as a means for students to improve their Korean speaking skills but by providing various activities to the learners so that they can critically approach the subject at each stage of the debate; preparing, performing, and finishing. After conducting the debate class, which included about a total of six subjects during a semester, a test on ‘critical thinking disposition’ was conducted to verify any changes in the learners’ critical thinking skills. According to the results of the test, the learners who had no previous experience in subjects focusing on academic debate or critical thinking showed high scores in all of the seven key elements in intellectual eagerness/curiosity, prudence, self-confidence, systemicity, intellectual fairness, healthy skepticism, and objectivity. Thus, the results of this study showed the effects of academic debate class on inducing the critical thinking disposition of foreign undergraduates. In light of this, it is necessary to promote the increase of critical thinking of foreign undergraduates through a wide range of debate classes in the future.