Evidence Of Critical Thinking Research Articles

Lessons from reflective journaling in undergraduate eportfolios

Although eportfolio practice has become almost ubiquitous across higher education, only a small body of empirical research exists in relation to the practice in Ireland (Donaldson 2018, Farrell 2018). As Chen and Black (2010) pointed out, eportfolio is a multifaceted concept and the eportfolio can be used to fulfil many functions. Some limited research has demonstrated its use as a tool for reflection, including exploring broader aspects such as developing self-reflection and self-regulated learning, and exploring identity (Alexiou & Paraskeva 2010, Bennett et al 2016, Slepcevic-Zach & Stock 2018, Farrell & Seery 2019).
 This article explores and critically reflects on the use of the eportfolio as a space for student reflection within individual modules, demonstrating its utility as a T&L tool for both students and educators. It draws on the author’s experience of using eportfolios for assessment purposes, incorporating a reflective component, over a four-year period. Particular emphasis is placed on the experiences and outcomes of two groups of approximately 35 students each who undertook undergraduate modules between February and May 2020.
 The discussion develops three aspects of the eportfolio experience. First, asking how eportfolio can be most effectively used to encourage reflective learning within a module, the article discusses both highs and lows of student engagement, evidence of critical thinking and necessary tweaks in order to enable meaningful learning to occur. It also shows how the reflective journals can provide a feedback mechanism to assist educators in enhancing their modules.
 Second, the role of eportfolio-based reflections for weaker students is examined. In some cases, these reflections help to show the ways in which less-academically-able students have benefitted from their experiences in the module, such as building skills or enhancing their knowledge base. Typically, the learning achieved by weaker students is not reflected in their overall grade, as grading scales tend to reward students of greater academic ability. Careful reading of student reflections can demonstrate their progression in a way that may not be captured by the final product (exam or project). The author asks how best to capture and assess this evidence of progression over the course of a module.
 Third, the unanticipated outcomes of student reflective journaling during the Covid-19 crisis are tentatively explored. This section specifically draws on the experiences of students who began their modules in face-to-face mode and completed them online. During lockdown, their journals served an additional purpose, offering a ‘safe space’ for students to work through their experiences of the pandemic and its impacts on their lives. The article asks how these positive engagements can best be replicated in the future.
 The conclusion draws together the larger implications of the three elements explored in the main body of the article, suggesting ways in which these experiences can be integrated into future module design.

Seeking equilibrium between a social justice and a charity stance towards global learning among Northern Ireland pupils

Developing pupils' knowledge and understanding of world poverty and how to reduce it requires building teachers' capacity. With this objective in mind, the UK Global Learning Programme (GLP 2013–18) sought to determine the extent to which a social justice mentality was evident among pupils in Northern Ireland schools in tandem with, or instead of, the prevailing charity mentality. Using a qualitative approach, the research examined their conceptions of, and attitudes towards, social justice and equity, and how they had helped make the world fairer. They understood the causes of inequality and saw the contrast between great wealth and absolute poverty. Their growing motivation to help related mainly to charitable actions, but there was evidence of critical thinking about longer-term implications and a social justice stance.

The meaning-making affordances of composing print and digital graphic narratives

ABSTRACTA classroom-based study with eight- and nine-year-old students included the participants having many opportunities to engage with multimodal print and digital texts, and various technological tools. The data presented in this article focus on one of the specific purposes of the research: to investigate students’ opinions of the affordances of designing print and digital graphic narratives. The content analysis of the students’ reflections about working with a software programme to compose a multimodal ensemble in the medium of comics revealed evidence of critical thinking as they analysed and critiqued the possibilities and constraints for meaning-making. The conclusion features a consideration of the importance of students and teachers developing metalevel knowledge about and a critical stance toward the meaning-making affordances of all texts and compositional tools and devices.

Enhancing Critical Thinking in Graduate Nursing Online Asynchronous Discussions.

Graduate nursing students in online courses often have limited success in developing the critical thinking (CT) skills essential for advanced roles. This study describes the use of complementary strategies in a graduate-level nursing course to enhance CT in online discussions. Using Paul and Elder's framework for understanding the components of CT, the authors designed an asynchronous online course using multiple strategies to promote CT. We used mixed methods to collect descriptive and numerical data and content and repeated measures analyses to identify changes in CT skills and student perceptions across the semester. CT scores increased significantly and aligned with students' perceived improvements in CT. Evidence of CT in online discussions increased significantly across the semester with the use of multiple instructional strategies and substantial student and faculty efforts. The findings are a useful benchmark for future studies comparing combinations of strategies to identify those most effective and least arduous. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(9):514-521.].

Evidence of Critical Thinking in High School Humanities Classrooms

Critical thinking skills (CTS) are a group of higher order thinking abilities related with complex processes of learning like contextualization or problem solving. This exploratory research study identified whether critical thinking skills were present in high school humanities classrooms. The study was carried out in a private school in Bogotá, Colombia through qualitative methods and content analysis. The study sought to identify CTS in students’ actual learning processes. Data collection techniques included classroom observations, document analysis and focus groups to identify skills in teachers and eighth grade students from a humanities-focused high school curriculum. Results demonstrated the presence of argumentation in written and oral classroom material. Analysis was also evidenced through questioning, inferencing and other exercises. Motivation was also an observable element, reflected in explicit expressions and gestures, and in the use of extra material in the classes.

Clinical case reports and the viva voce: a valuable assessment tool, but not without anxiety.

Clinical case reports and the viva voce: a valuable assessment tool, but not without anxiety.

Pensamiento crítico en enfermería: de la racionalidad técnica a la práctica reflexiva

Objetivos: identificar la evolución de la enfermería española desde la racionalidad técnica a la práctica reflexiva. Mostrar evidencia respecto al pensamiento crítico y la práctica reflexiva identificando sus paralelismos con la enfermería sociocrítica. Clarificar la influencia histórica de los paradigmas imperantes en España durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX. Materiales y métodos: se realizó una revisión temática descriptiva. Se utilizaron fuentes primarias: Compte, Hume, Bacon, Habermas, Foucault y Horkheimer, y fuentes secundarias relacionadas con la profesión como: Index, SciELO. Resultado: la evolución de la racionalidad técnica a la práctica reflexiva se produjo con los cambios de pensamiento dominantes en cada época. La práctica reflexiva y el pensamiento crítico se muestran necesarios para entender la enfermería sociocrítica. La situación histórica española determinó los cambios en la enfermería de este país. Conclusiones: la evolución del pensamiento enfermero en España siguió la evolución de los paradigmas de pensamiento dominantes. La práctica reflexiva y el pensamiento crítico descrito por Habermas permiten la emancipación y, por extensión, la autonomía del paciente por la vía de la participación activa en la solución de sus problemas de salud. Este proceso se origina con la toma de conciencia del papel que deben desempeñar el profesional y el ciudadano/paciente en la planificación de los cuidados de salud. Tanto el perfil de la mujer fraguado por el franquismo, como la llegada de la democracia a España, fueron determinantes para la evolución estudiada, el primero actuando como asfixiante y la segunda como motor.

Assessing cultural awareness and linguistic competency of EFL learners in a CMC-based active learning context

Abstract Most studies examining Computer Mediated Communication to enhance EFL learning have been limited to evaluating test scores, questionnaires, and interviewing students. This study used a holistic assessment model with qualitative analysis of student reflective essays and descriptive analysis of pre- and post-test oral performance by students in a university English conversation course in Taiwan. The instructional design included Internet videoconferences with a native speaker in the United States and an emphasis on critical thinking about cultural differences and similarities. Although the class was too small for statistical analysis, the students' oral scores improved an average of 44.5% from the beginning to end of the semester. The analysis of the essays showed that students engaged in reflective thinking about 70% of the items they observed in their essays, which is evidence of critical thinking. Qualitative analysis revealed four major recurring themes in the students' essays, 1) this was a different kind of class from any they have taken before and the instructional design was helpful, 2) the importance of history and underlying meaning of iconic cultural elements, such as holidays and festivals, 3) their development of a growing multicultural worldview, and 4) their growing confidence as a result of the course.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Further Evidence of Critical Thinking and Final Examination Performance in Advanced Financial Accounting

This study examines whether in-course test components requiring stronger critical thinking skills can help explain final examination performance in an advanced undergraduate financial accounting course, conducted in 2003 and 2004 over three continuous semesters at an Australian university. It proposes and validates two levels of dimensions affecting final examination performance: in-course test components and students’ previous university academic performance. Analysis of a database of 1,816 students using standardised multiple regression over three continuous semesters suggests that while overall Grade Point Advantage (GPA) is the single best predictor of final examination performance, in-course test components that require more critical thinking are better predictors than others, except for the in-course ethics essay test. Length of stay also had some predictive ability. This study suggests that academics should pay attention to monitoring and providing feedback to students on their in-course performanc...

Further Evidence of Critical Thinking and Final Examination Performance in Advanced Financial Accounting

This study examines whether in-course test components requiring stronger critical thinking skills can help explain final examination performance in an advanced undergraduate financial accounting course, conducted in 2003 and 2004 over three continuous semesters at an Australian university. It proposes and validates two levels of dimensions affecting final examination performance: in-course test components and students’ previous university academic performance. Analysis of a database of 1,816 students using standardised multiple regression over three continuous semesters suggests that while overall Grade Point Advantage (GPA) is the single best predictor of final examination performance, in-course test components that require more critical thinking are better predictors than others, except for the in-course ethics essay test. Length of stay also had some predictive ability. This study suggests that academics should pay attention to monitoring and providing feedback to students on their in-course performance in tests that examine critical-thinking skills covering a wide range of topics. Such monitoring and feedback may assist in improving the final examination performance of students in this course.

Support of the Critical Thinking Process in Synchronous Online Collaborative Discussion Through Model-Eliciting Activities

As online education becomes common, it is essential to identify activities that support critical thinking in this environment. This paper describes the use of a model-eliciti ng activity (MEA) solved by groups in a synchronous online discussion. The participants displayed their thinking processes and solutions consistent with successful face-to-f ace (F2F) MEAs. Each group’s discussion showed evidence of critical thinking and incorporated quality logical arguments. This demonstrates that MEAs may be also used in an online environment to successfully support application of critical thinking skills.

Thinking critically about critical thinking: towards a post-critical, dialogic pedagogy for popular visual culture

The influence of critical theory in art education has become commonplace, but its use in addressing students' popular culture in kindergarten to Year 12 classrooms is problematic. The now numerous reports by art teachers of their successfully inculcating critical consciousness towards popular visual culture appears to have more to do with a reforming zeal or advocacy than evidence. Moreover, in echoing the modernist origins of critical theory, their attempts to facilitate critical thinking often take the form of unproblematic and authoritarian pedagogy. Lessons learned from media education in the United Kingdom are employed to recommend that art teachers reject prima facie evidence of critical thinking among their students and learn to appreciate the complexity of student negotiations with popular culture. Taking their cue from media educators, it is proposed that art educators adopt a post-critical pedagogy based on Bhaktin's notions of dialogue.

A Study of Critical Thinking, Teacher–Student Interaction, and Discipline-Specific Writing in an Online Educational Setting for Registered Nurses

Based on work conducted by Laurentian University's School of Nursing and Centre for Continuing Education in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, working in conjunction with community partners, this article looks at the findings of an analysis of nurses' writing activity in a university-level web-based module for evidence of critical thinking using Johns' Model of Structured Reflection (1995). Also considered are student-teacher interactions and discipline-specific writing. The findings suggest that high levels of critical thinking by nurse learners and growth in thinking and writing competence over time can occur in an online setting. Further highlighted are the role of the instructor, assignment design, and support in fostering such development.

Peer interaction and critical thinking: Face-to-face or online discussion?

This project aimed to engage students in a critical thinking activity using both online and face-to-face methods and compare the two modes in terms of evidence of critical thinking skills. Fifty-five university students (45 females, 10 males) were randomly allocated to small groups. Transcripts of the online and face-to-face discussions were compared using a content analysis method. A questionnaire was used to investigate students' preferred mode of discussion. Overall, more evidence of critical thinking was found in the online condition and more students stated that they preferred this mode of discussion; however, results were mixed and it is argued that both modes of discussion should be integrated into such an activity.

Critical Thinking in the Online Nursing Education Setting: Raising the Bar

This article explores the effectiveness of writing to help nurse-learners develop critical thinking in an asynchronous, online learning environment. The formal written assignments of students in an online nursing health assessment program were analyzed for evidence of critical thinking according to Johns’ Model of Structured Reflection (Johns, 1995) based on Carper’s Ways of Knowing in Nursing (Carper, 1978), as well as for growth in discipline-specific writing. Informal contributions by participants and the instructor were studied for evidence of interaction. Results indicated that the online learning environment provided an effective forum that facilitated critical thinking and reflection through writing.

Reflective Practice: A Model for Facilitating Critical Thinking Skills Within an Integrative Case Study Classroom Experience

Background and Purpose. Reflection is the hallmark of professional practice. Professionals reflect in action, assess outcomes, and seek continuous improvement. This article presents a model by which all aspects of reflective practice can be facilitated within an integrative case study classroom experience. Description and Evaluation. Physical therapy students from Stony Brook University participated in a week-long integrative case study course following their first semester of professional studies. This course served to enhance critical thinking skills as students integrated and applied course material in preparation for clinical practice. Paper patients, video patients, and interactions with residents from a local nursing home provided the experiential bases for reflective activities. Students worked through the patient/client management model in developing apian of care and providing interventions for a number of residents. Each experiential component was followed by a reflective activity. Students worked independently and in small faculty-mentored groups, and participated in large group discussions. Faculty mentors encouraged questioning and the exploration of assumptions and alternative perspectives. Problem lists, evaluations, care plans, student-generated metaphors, group presentations, and summative reflective essays confirmed the types and levels of reflection that occurred throughout the week and provided evidence of critical thinking, integration, and professional development. Outcomes. This model demonstrated how the reflective process can he incorporated into an integrative classroom experience to prepare students to meet the demands of practice as they begin to take on the role of a reflective practitioner and lifelong learner. It demonstrated the ease of facilitating integration, critical thinking skills, and professional behaviors in a classroom setting. Discussion and Conclusions. Professional practice requires physical therapists (PTs) to function efficiently and effectively within a dynamic environment. Literature suggests that reflective practice is valuable in the development of a practitioner who can engage in ongoing learning and professional development, and continually reassess and modify care. This model offers a mechanism in which theory meets practice in the classroom setting in preparation for clinical practice. Key Words: Reflective practice, Critical thinking, Integration, Professional behaviors. INTRODUCTION Physical therapists (PTs) are integral members of a broader category of health care providers that includes all members of the health care team. PTs are continually faced with a complex patient population in a rapidly evolving health care system. New information is being generated daily and patients, as consumers, are becoming increasingly more educated about their own health care needs. Information production, global economics, and an increased emphasis on quality assurance, productivity, and efficiency require greater skill in integration and critical thinking. Furthermore, PTs no longer have the luxury of time in the clinical setting. Productivity, efficiency, and accountability have become increasingly manifest as patients are being discharged from hospitals sooner and PTs are receiving reimbursement for fewer treatment sessions.1 This has moved PTs into positions of greater responsibility, requiring more complex decision-making and clinical-reasoning skills.1 A tremendous burden is being placed on clinicians as they work to maintain productivity while simultaneously striving for quality care. As a result, students are expected to arrive in the clinic well prepared to work collaboratively and perhaps even add to the productivity of the department-not to become an added burden on clinicians. The responsibility to prepare these students for this level of function resides with the education programs, whose task it is to develop active learners and critical thinkers who are able to function professionally and deliver effective, quality care to an increasingly diverse patient/client population. …

The assessment of cross-cultural experience: measuring awareness through critical text analysis

A holistic model of assessing cross-cultural experience is developed employing both authentic assessment and quantitative methods. Authentic assessment methods address the multi-faceted nature of cross-cultural experience. In this case, portfolios are used, involving the students in the assessment process. Within the context of portfolio assessment, a quantitative instrument is presented, measuring the degree of cross-cultural awareness by locating evidence of critical thinking in student-generated text. The intention of the quantitative instrument is to provide an index for the achievement of our educational objective, cross-cultural awareness. This assessment is carried out by multiple raters. Findings indicate that interrater reliability is maintained, and results from a study with independent raters suggest that the method can be easily acquired and conducted reliably.

Evaluating reflective writing for appropriateness, fairness, and consistency.

Nurse educators are divided about how to best evaluate nursing students' reflective writings for evidence of critical thinking. This article reports on a study of consistency among faculty in grading writing in reflective journals. The results indicate a lack of consensus with regard to evaluation and differences among faculty with regard to how they view the purpose of such exercises.

The development of an alternative method in the assessment of critical thinking as an outcome of nursing education.

Critical thinking is currently a highly valued educational outcome throughout the educational spectrum, but particularly so in relation to higher and professional education. Nursing education worldwide is also embracing the construct critical thinking as a desirable educational outcome, to the extent that some commentators refer to the importance of critical thinking in nursing as a given. The body of evidence relating to the impact that nursing education has upon the development of critical thinking is currently inconclusive. Many commentators claim that this may be because the instruments used in many studies are not sufficiently domain-specific. The primary purpose of this descriptive-illuminative study was to explore and develop an alternative domain-specific method for identifying critical thinking in student nurses' reasoning processes. A longitudinal multimethod design incorporating across-method triangulation has been utilized for this purpose. Data collection from a group of student nurses involved the combination of the Watson and Glaser (1991) critical thinking appraisal test and a researcher developed think aloud technique incorporating a videotaped client simulation, a cognitive task and stimulated recall strategy. Findings indicate no significant differences in pre and postprogramme Watson-Glaser mean scores. With regard to the think aloud evidence the sample consistently displayed evidence of reasoning that reflected an absolutist epistemology portraying limited evidence of critical thinking. In instances where more complex reasoning was demonstrated there was evidence to suggest that metacognitive strategies may contribute to this phenomenon. The findings make a further contribution to the assessment of critical thinking and raise interesting challenges to future curriculum development in nursing education, assessment of learning and nursing practice.

Student, Critic and Literary Text: A discussion of ‘critical thinking' in a student essay

Students in higher education are generally advised to demonstrate 'critical thinking' in their essays. However, research evidence shows that students frequently fail to understand what is meant by such advice. This has generated projects which aim at teaching students how to produce essays which give evidence of critical thinking. Such projects tend, however, to emphasise underlying structures and to neglect the fact that a critical essay needs to reflect an engagement with selected items from the literature of the field. This paper seeks to remedy that neglect. It concentrates in some detail on an undergraduate's transformations of an example of literary criticism in her essay on The Woman in White. Within such a context critical thinking corresponds to a Bakhtinian conception of the 'dialogic' in which texts respond to other texts. The paper concludes with a challenge to its own text and so keeps critical thinking in play.