Pedagogical Beliefs about Critical Thinking among Indonesian Mathematics Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

This study aims to (1) measure pre-service teachers’ pedagogical belief in the value of teaching Critical Thinking (CT), their preparedness to teach CT, and their preference toward constructivist teaching approaches to develop students’ CT skills; and (2) explore the potential links between these pedagogical beliefs and aspects of teacher education experience. Participants were 223 mathematics pre-service teachers from 3 teacher education institutions in East Java, Indonesia. Beliefs about the value of teaching CT and perceived readiness to teach CT were measured using Likert-type scales, while preference towards constructivist instruction was assessed using vignettes depicting teaching dilemmas. Participants believed that some CT skills (thinking independently and logical communication) were important, but CT dispositions were not. About 60% believed they are prepared to teach CT and generally preferred constructivist over traditional instruction. Most aspects of the pre-service education were not associated with pedagogical beliefs about CT disposition, perceived preparedness, or preference for constructivist instruction, while some were only weakly associated with belief about teaching CT skills. These highlight the need for mathematics teacher educators to give more emphasis on the importance of CT, especially its dispositional dimensions, and the role of constructivist instruction in developing CT.