Nature Of Critical Thinking Research Articles

Critical Thinking in Curriculum Practice: The Case of Higher Institutions of Learning in Uganda

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the nature of critical thinking in curriculum practice in higher institutions of learning in Uganda. The study is based on Makerere University Business School, as a case study of institutions of higher learning in Uganda.
 Methodology: The methodology used is textual analysis of curriculum documents, non participatory overt classroom observation and focused interviews of the lecturers who teach the observed classes, to determine whether in practice, critical thinking is actually taught to learners.
 Findings: It is the finding of this research that the curriculum practice in Uganda generally uses methods that do not strongly support the development of critical thinking skills in learners. The over-dependence on the lecture method causes the learners to fall short of the key Taxonomic words that build critical thinking skills in learners.
 Unique contributor to theory, policy and practice: This study is a unique contribution to theory and practice as it shows the implementation of critical thinking in the classroom in Uganda in relation to Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Investigating Critical Thinking Among Engineering Students in Romania

Abstract This paper delves into the factors and ramifications of critical thinking among engineering students in Romania. Critical thinking, defined as the ability to analyze and evaluate information logically and creatively, is a key focus. The study seeks to address several research questions, including the nature of critical thinking as an innate gift or learned skill, variations in critical thinking by gender, year of studies, education, and life satisfaction, and the relationship between critical thinking and human logic. Furthermore, the study explores the influence of formal education in Romania on the development of critical thinking.

The Place of Critical Thinking in Physics Instruction

The teaching of critical thinking is paramount in physics instruction, it is achieved through acquisition of critical thinking skills by learners. Consequently, teachers of physics ought to employ instructional strategies that foster the acquisition of the skills. This article explores an array of these strategies in detail, it also presents the history and nature of critical thinking, the role of critical thinking in science instruction and the challenges teachers of physics face in teaching critical thinking skills

What does critical thinking mean? Examination of pre-service teachers’ cognitive structures and definitions for critical thinking

This study aims to determine pre-service teachers’ cognitive structures and conceptual definitions for the concept of critical thinking, thereby revealing their perceptions about it. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research approaches, was employed in the study. The study group consists of 161 pre-service teachers from different departmental programs of a state university in Turkey (primary school teaching, mathematics education, science education, Turkish education, social sciences education and psychological counseling and guidance education) enrolled in the ‘Critical and Analytical Thinking’ elective course in the fall and spring semesters of the 2021–2022 academic year. A form consisting of open-ended questions prepared by the researchers was used as a data collection tool. The first part of the form consists of a word association test used to reveal pre-service teachers’ cognitive structures about critical thinking and the relations between the concepts in this structure while the second part involves an open-ended question in response to which they can write their original definitions for critical thinking. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained from the form. The analysis showed that the pre-service teachers had rich cognitive structures for the definition and content of critical thinking, that they preferred to describe the concept of critical thinking as skill-based in their definitions and did not include critical thinking dispositions in their definitions as much as skills, although they emphasized many critical thinking dispositions in the word association test, that their definitions were consistent with the definitions in the literature, and that their perceptions of critical thinking were relevant to the nature of critical thinking.

How do self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ critical thinking performance?

ABSTRACT Critical thinking is a multifaceted construct involving a set of skills and affective dispositions together with self-regulation. The aim of this study was to explore how self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ performance in critical thinking assessment. The data were collected in 18 higher education institutions in Finland. A total of 2402 undergraduate students at the initial and final stages of their bachelor degree programmes participated in the study. An open-ended performance task, namely the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) International, was assigned to assess students’ critical thinking, and a self-report questionnaire was used to measure self-regulation and effort in test-taking. Information on test-taking time was also utilised in the analysis. The interrelations between the variables were analysed with correlations and structural equation models. The results indicate that self-regulation in test-taking has only indirect effects on critical thinking performance task scores, with effort and time as mediating variables. More precisely, planning contributed to critical thinking performance indirectly through test-taking time and effort, while monitoring had no significant relation to critical thinking performance. The findings did not differ between the initial-stage and final-stage students. The model explained a total of 36% of the variation in the critical thinking performance task scores for the initial-stage students and 27% for the final-stage students. The findings indicate that performance-based assessments should be carefully designed and implemented to better capture the multifaceted nature of critical thinking.

Conceptualising critical thinking and its research in teacher education: A systematic review

ABSTRACT Pre-service teachers play a crucial role in fostering critical thinking among students to enhance their effectiveness in the 21st century. This systematic review examines 43 empirical studies to gain deeper insights into the concept of critical thinking in teacher education. We identified two primary definitions of critical thinking: the logical sense and value sense, both rooted in a discipline-oriented framework. The findings indicate that the logical sense, particularly the philosophical approach, predominantly informs research conducted on pre-service teachers. However, when it comes to critical thinking disposition, research results often fall short in demonstrating significant development, underscoring the contextual nature of critical thinking. Critical thinking is a sociological research method used to logically evaluate a problem by creating awareness of problematic knowledge and social situations. After analysing the influence of the relationship between critical thinking and research on critical thinking development in pre-service teachers, our findings suggest that there are limitations to cultivating critical thinking; further verification is needed regarding pre-service teachers’ ability to transfer critical thinking among various contexts or situations. This review emphasises the significance of embracing the multifaceted and context-bound aspects of critical thinking and good judgment for thinking quality in pre-service teacher education research.

Practitioner Review and Personalised Feedback

Preparing students for the expectations of the modern business world is a daunting task. For students, it involves developing critical thinking and analytical skills to reach valid conclusions for specific problems. Such skills are recognised graduate attributes, essential for complex professional business judgements and advice provided to clients (Camp & Schadner, 2010). For educators, the multifaceted nature of critical thinking and associated analytical skills are often poorly demonstrated and conveyed to students (Moore, 2013).
 Critical thinking is the product of self-direction, self-discipline, self-monitoring and self-correction through objectively assessing relevant information, openly considering alternative views and seeking feedback (Paul & Elder, 2008). By using the combination of technology enhanced feedback, relevant assignment scenarios that explore messy business world issues influential professionals face, experience of working with and feedback from practitioners, the assignment in a 2nd year undergraduate financial reporting unit was transformed into an authentic, collaborative, and self-regulated learning experience. 
 In consultation with a professional accounting firm, the assignment scenario and open ended questions were written about financial reporting implications associated with sustainability and industry change challenges many companies encounter. Working in self-selected groups, students considered the assignment’s questions and prepared a draft written response that was shared with the firm’s practitioner review team for feedback. A past students voice video, available on the unit’s LMS, guided current students on how to adopt and implement this feedback. Subsequently a final written response was submitted for grading. 
 Student were introduced to the practitioner review team via a video that explained importance of teamwork, seeking formative feedback, reflecting on it and how this information is used in the workplace. Utilizing the Student Relationship Engagement System (SRES) and the assignment’s marking rubric criteria as a framework, the practitioner review team provided individual formative feedback, suggestions for improvement and overall direction comments to each student through a personalised email. The SRES data metrics were also used to track and manage student engagement. Used in these ways, SRES was a highly effective learning platform that resulted in deeper student learning and relationships with educators.
 The presentation will discuss the significant impact on student learning and experience measured by overall assignment performance, change in performance between draft and final responses, and qualitative feedback from practitioner, peer and student perspectives.

Exploring internal structure of a performance-based critical thinking assessment for new students in higher education

Critical thinking is a combination of complex cognitive skills. It is important for the successful acquisition of disciplinary skills in higher education and thus, it is a valuable competency for a new student. The complex nature of critical thinking leads to challenges for its assessment even in performance assessments such as CLA + International (Collegiate Learning Assessment). The aim with this study is to examine internal associations of a critical thinking assessment for new students in higher education. The sample consisted of 1469 first-year students in 18 higher education institutions in Finland. An open-ended performance task and multiple-choice tasks were used to assess six measures of critical thinking, namely analysis and problem solving, writing effectiveness, writing mechanics, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical reading and critiquing an argument. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to analyse the data. A latent component indicated by the measures derived from the performance task was identified. The measures derived from the multiple-choice tasks did not form a factorial structure. Multiple-choice questions are problematic in critical thinking assessment as they focus on individual skills instead of holistic use of skills. Implications for assessment development and higher education are discussed.

CRITICAL THINKING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WORLD VUCA: ITS ROLE AND DEFINITION

The article attempts to clarify the nature of critical thinking and identify its relationship with other styles of thinking. It has been found that this phenomenon appears as multidimensional and complex in its essence. Critical thinking is primarily reflexive and independent, which is self-regulating, and includes the elements of nonlinear and creative. In a sense, one can argue about its synthetic or integrative nature. Among its main cognitive skills, most experts name interpretation, analysis, assessment, conclusion, explanations, and self-regulation.

Engagement all the way down

ABSTRACT This paper asks about the practices and forms of critique afforded at the intersection between Science-and-Technology Studies and the critical study of security politics, by drawing on the work of Isabelle Stengers. Can engagements with practice generate effective forms of critique? How does the attention to materialities and the fine-grained analysis of technical practices, that typically accompany STS-inspired research, feed into ways of practicing critique? How can the analytical attention to ‘little security nothings’ be translated into critical agendas? In addressing these questions, Belgian philosopher Isabelle Stengers serves as an inspiration, not just for her philosophical writing on the situated nature of critical thinking, but also for her own experimental politics and engagement. A key message of the paper is that critical practice is “engagement all the way down.” The article thinks through the ways in which the work of Stengers and her companions can be put into practice in qualitative critical security research. It builds on Foucault’s rejection of the separation between theoretical, universalist knowledge on the one hand, and practical knowledge on the other. It emphasises the processual, uncertain and practical aspects of critical thinking. It identifies the notions of following, leveraging, joined risks and paying attention as key, concrete pathways of engaged critique.

Critical Thinking as a Leadership Attribute.

Leaders are tasked with making decisions that have substantial impact on an organization's well-being. Decision making requires critical thinking and requisite action taking. The nature of critical thinking and how professional development educators can strengthen this attribute are presented. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(1):9-11.

Reasons and Normativity in Critical Thinking

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The reasons conception is the most prominent account of the nature of critical thinking. It consists in responding appropriately to reasons. Responding to reasons can be following a rule, it can be making an exception to a rule, it can be responding to a situation that is unique. It depends on the context each time what is the appropriate response. Critical thinking is the educational cognate of rationality and is a <em>sine qua non</em> for a reasonable life in a modern democratic society. Reasons are generally normative. If this is true then it is to be expected that critical thinking is normative and also rationality. Critical thinking consists in being appropriately moved by reasons. The normative element of reasons moves us to beliefs or actions. It depends on our character how reasons move us. This indicates that our character must be well formed to enable us to be appropriately moved.</span>

Teacher's role in modelling of critical tinking in adults

The paper analyses the role of teachers and of education in encouraging the development and practice of critical thinking in teaching of adults. The focus of theoretical discussion are constructivist and cognitive approaches to defining critical thinking, but also the results of various current studies that point to important implications for the teaching practice and the learning process of adults. The paper strongly supports a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to studying and application of critical thinking development. We question the traditional framework for encouraging critical thinking that dominates the system of formal education, and offer an overview of relevant, often conflicted, conclusions provided by the range of research. We emphasise the fact that the complex and composite nature of critical thinking requires the same attributes in the approach to its studying and development. By acknowledging the heterogeneity of both adults and teachers, as well as the particularities of the context of teaching and learning, we consider the possibility of encouraging critical thinking through a choice of adequate teaching strategies, which opens further questions and points towards possible directions for future reseatrch. Based on the authors' experiences in teaching critical thinking within a higher education context, as well as a theoretical review of earlier studies, the paper offers a synthesis of principles about, and relatively new insights into, necessary bases for a successful lesson that aims to develop critical thinking, such as: teacher's highly saturated and explicit metacognitive narrative, active approach to the transformation of learners' internal constructs, as well as the (self )reflexive and dialogical quality of communication during lessons.

An Content Analysis of the Definition of Critical Thinking

Based on 64 definitions of critical thinking in the recent study, it can be concluded that scholars take judgment, argument, questioning, information processing, problem solving, meta-cognition, skill and disposition as the nature of critical thinking. Scholar’s disciplinary background directly affect their opinions of critical thinking, interdisciplinary research should be paid more attention to promote the development of critical thinking.

A Questionnaire of the Nature of Critical Thinking From the College Teachers in China

This study employed a semi-structure questionnaire to explore the understanding of the nature of critical thinking on from the college teachers. Most Chinese scholars believed that they have known the nature of critical thinking, but they couldn’t agree with others. The key words such as “reason”, “reflection”, “openness”, “questioning”, “argument”, “equality”, “truth-seeking”, “prudent”, “inference”, “diversity”, “logic”, “analysis”, “evaluation”, “dialectical”, “precise” will help the college teacher understand the nature of critical thinking. The difference between male and female, among the different academic title of college teachers in the nature of critical thinking will enlighten Chinese scholars a lot. Scholar’s disciplinary background, gender and academic directly affect their opinions of critical thinking, interdisciplinary research should be paid more attention to promote the development of critical thinking.

Critical Thinking in its Contexts and in Itself

The nature of critical thinking remains controversial. Some recent accounts have lost sight of its roots in the history of philosophy. This article discusses critical thinking in its historical and social contexts, and in particular, for its educational and political significance. The writings of Plato and Aristotle are still vital in considering what makes certain kinds of thinking and certain kinds of knowledge distinctive. But neither Plato nor Aristotle theorised critical thinking in its specificity, that is, by differentiating it from other kinds of thinking and by outlining its features. It was only with German Idealism, as part of the European Enlightenment, that philosophy achieved a level of self-reflection and engagement that broadened, deepened and made radical the logos of Socrates and Plato. In the encounter between Modern German and Ancient Greek philosophy we can see that there are different kinds of reason, the most politically and existentially significant of which runs through critical thinking, which we can only ever experience as critical dialogue. The logos of dialectical reason is uncompromising in its pursuit of truth and ‘the good life’, and as such, demands courage from those who pursue it.

Reflections on the Nature of Critical Thinking, Its History, Politics, and Barriers and on Its Status across the College/UniversityCurriculum Part II

Reflections on the Nature of Critical Thinking, Its History, Politics, and Barriers and on Its Status across the College/UniversityCurriculum Part II

Reflections on the Nature of Critical Thinking, Its History, Politics, and Barriers and on Its Status across the College/UniversityCurriculum Part I

Reflections on the Nature of Critical Thinking, Its History, Politics, and Barriers and on Its Status across the College/UniversityCurriculum Part I

Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Courses

Since 9/11, colleges and universities throughout the nation have developed and implemented new courses and degree programs in homeland security and emergency management. A valued learning outcome of these programs, like most university studies in general, is to develop critical thinking skills in students. However, this can be a challenge because the nature of critical thinking and approaches to teaching and assessing it in higher education are debatable. This paper provides a brief overview of the literature on critical thinking, and looks at the importance of developing these skills in students of homeland security programs so that they are able to adapt successfully in a rapidly changing environment. Finally, this paper discusses two teaching strategies, guided class discussions and case studies, to develop critical thinking that have been used by the teacher in undergraduate and gradate level courses in homeland security.

Evaluation of a reflective learning intervention to improve critical thinking in novice nurses

This paper reports a study to determine if a reflective contextual learning intervention would improve novice nurses' critical thinking skills during the first 6 months of their practice. Nursing research evaluating the development of critical thinking in novice nursing practice is limited. The continual struggle by nurse educators to improve critical thinking demonstrates the need for innovative educational interventions that assist in the development of critical thinking as novice nurses enter into practice. This small case study was conducted in the United States of America in 2004 with six student/preceptor dyads. The contextual learning intervention was the case through which the novice nurses' critical thinking were analysed using Stake's phases of data analysis. Specific questions (i.e. novice nurses' use of reflection, context, dialogue, time) guided the analysis. Repeating patterns were coded and isolated and later collapsed/enhanced as the analysis moved forward. Three main themes describe the novice nurses' development of critical thinking: (1) influence of anxiety and power on critical thinking; putting pieces together; (2) questioning as critical thinking: sequential thinking to contextual thinking; and (3) emergence of the intentional critical thinker. Used as a reflective practicum, contextual learning can be a model of clinical learning in nursing education that develops the contextual, reflective nature of critical thinking.