Understanding Of Critical Thinking Research Articles

Nursing students' understanding of critical thinking and appraisal and academic writing: A descriptive, qualitative study

In Sweden, regulations from the National Agency for Higher Education advocate an education that equips students with independence as well as critical, problem-based thinking, i.e. academic literacy skills. However, some research findings indicate that students may leave higher education without mastering these skills effectively. As part of quality-assuring a nursing programme at a university college in south-east Sweden we explored the nursing student's view of crucial academic literacy skills, such as critical thinking and appraisal and academic writing, by conducting a descriptive, qualitative study. Informants were recruited through an advertisement posted on the university's e-learning tool. Eight focused interviews were conducted during autumn 2010. The transcribed interviews were analysed – inspired by content analysis – and two categories became apparent: constantly questioning and formality before substance. The latter revealed a gap between the student's perception of academic writing and that of the educators, thus implying that nursing students might not be equipped with the tools they need to develop within academia. We suggest that students could benefit in their academic endeavours from theoretical educational models that integrate several academic skills simultaneously and which could be incorporated into the development of syllabuses and curriculums.

Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking in Higher Education

The literature on critical thinking in higher education is constructed around the fundamental assumption that, while regarded as essential, is neither clearly nor commonly understood. There is elsewhere evidence that academics and students have differing perceptions of what happens in university classrooms, particularly in regard to higher order thinking. This paper reports on a small-scale investigation in a Faculty of Education at an Australian University into academic and student definitions and understandings of critical thinking. Our particular interest lay in the consistencies and disconnections assumed to exist between academic staff and students. The presumption might therefore be that staff and students perceive critical thinking in different ways and that this may limit its achievement as a critical graduate attribute. The key finding from this study, contrary to extant findings, is that academics and students did share substantively similar definitions and understandings of critical thinking.

The Critical Thinking Movement in Kazakhstan: A Progress Report

Having gained independence in 1991, Kazakhstan is making major adjustments in its educational system to meet the demands of its changing workplace. To that end, the Ministry of Education has mandated that critical thinking be incorporated into all levels. Given the importance of this goal, the authors surveyed teachers' understanding and use of critical thinking in their classrooms. This article reports the survey results, which provide a brief overview of the status of the teaching and learning of critical thinking in Kazakhstan today. The results point to a growing understanding of critical thinking among Kazakhstani teachers in this region. That said, 10 per cent of respondents plagiarized their surveys, suggesting that many feared looking incompetent, despite assurances of anonymity. The authors recommend the survey be conducted in other regions in Kazakhstan and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to assess the status of critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

Traditionally, it has been held that critical thinking requires a set of cognitive skills and dispositions. The present work supports the opinion of some theorists who have proposed that these might not be the only two ingredients necessary for improving critical thinking. More specifically, new factors could be necessary if critical thinking is to be achieved, such as gaining an epistemological understanding of critical thinking; reaching a given level of epistemological development, or the beliefs that are held about thinking. These new components are analysed conceptually and instructionally. Special attention is also devoted to dispositions.

Instructional effects on critical thinking: Performance on ill-defined issues

Undergraduate students in dyads ( N = 72) were randomly and equally assigned to four groups, namely three teaching groups (General, Infusion, and Immersion) and the control group. Students were initially administered the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). After instruction, each dyad's critical-thinking performance on an ill-defined problem was tested. A one-way ANCOVA, with the mean CCTST score of each dyad as covariate, indicated that the covariate and the teaching method were significant. Post hoc comparisons showed that the Infusion and the Immersion groups outperformed only the control group. Other quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that students assigned to the different teaching groups exhibited diverse understandings of critical thinking.

Management development as learning within the Middle East public sector

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to suggest one approach to achieve a better connection between industry and academia. Some definitions of staff development, to better understand the complex process of learning in terms of a functionalist, performance improvement and self‐development perspective are outlined. Some operational dilemmas that face both the manager and educationalist are considered in terms of a need to deliver quality, productivity and cost effective goods and services.Design/methodology/approachThe topic examines the need to bridge the process of management and academic staff development such that both managers and academics can experience a common understanding of critical thinking. As both become more involved in complex activities that cannot be addressed by purely technical solutions a critical perspective is described that questions and examines the underlying assumptions, commonsense, taken for granted aspects of the working environment. This critical perspective provides a common arena and shared connection between industry and academia for mutual benefit, shared understanding and exploitable opportunities.FindingsThe notion of single and double loop learning is proposed with the latter being considered as a successful way to address some of the common incompatible norms, structures and procedures encountered by both industry and academia. Learning is examined in terms of knowledge, research, theory and application. A critical perspective involving reflection, emancipation, the use of dialogue and the sharing of tensions and dilemmas is described that challenges the rational and prescriptive nature of what stands for much of industry and academic work.Practical implicationsPractitioners involved in the staff development process will have an interest in such an approach.Originality/valueThe critical learning theory described in this paper can be used to draw closer the management and education arenas in such a way that can ensure industry and academia are better informed and challenged.

The Change in Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions of Critical Thinking after 15 Years of Educational Reform in Jordan

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how mathematics secondary schools' teachers in \hbox{Jordan} perceive critical thinking and compares teachers' perceptions before and after educational reform. Data were collected from 12 schools twice: in 1988 and in 2004 by interviewing 47 Mathematics teachers. The interview included questions related to teachers' understanding of critical thinking, its role and importance in learning Mathematics, and instructional strategies that could help improve students' critical thinking skills. Results found no improvement in secondary Mathematics teachers' perceptions of critical thinking despite 15 years of educational reform. The majority of Mathematics teachers seemed not to have a clear and adequate understanding of critical thinking. Though most of the teachers claimed they have to teach critical thinking, more than half of them could not suggest any learning situation that could help in fostering critical thinking in Mathematics classes. Also most of the teachers claimed that critical thinking would help students in learning Mathematics; yet less than half were able to give a convincing justification for that. A small percentage of the secondary Mathematics teachers believed they can help all students to foster their critical thinking. It is thus recommended that the concept of critical thinking be transferred from the realm of rhetoric to the field of practice. The paper ends with some recommendations related to the Mathematics teachers training programs in view of the results of this study.

Developing Reflective Judgment Through MSW Education

Discussion of the nature of critical thinking and the ways in which it can be enhanced has increased in recent years among social work educators, and yet little is known about the impact of MSW education on the critical thinking of students. This paper examines the nature of critical thinking, presents an adult cognitive developmental model, the Reflective Judgment Model (King & Kitchener, 1994), which holds promise for enlarging social work's understanding of critical thinking and examines approaches to teaching which enhance critical thinking. The Reflective Judgment Model focuses on the development of assumptions about knowledge and the process of knowing as development occurs through adulthood. Specific implications for creating classroom and field learning environments are detailed, including characteristics of effective teachers and of effective assignments.

An Approach to Defining and Operationalizing Critical Thinking

The faculty in a midwestern university confronted the imperative to define and measure critical thinking in the nursing undergraduate curriculum. Theoretical and operational definitions were developed by faculty through literature review, extensive discussion, student participation, and evaluation. These activities also led to the generation of a list of indicators to assess the presence of critical thinking. Through the process faculty have developed a deeper understanding of critical thinking and fostered students' critical thinking abilities.

An approach to defining and operationalizing critical thinking.

The faculty in a midwestern university confronted the imperative to define and measure critical thinking in the nursing undergraduate curriculum. Theoretical and operational definitions were developed by faculty through literature review, extensive discussion, student participation, and evaluation. These activities also led to the generation of a list of indicators to assess the presence of critical thinking. Through the process faculty have developed a deeper understanding of critical thinking and fostered students' critical thinking abilities.

Strengthening the Foundation for Information Literacy in an Academic Library

The relationship between the library and the literacy movement is acknowledged, and a further delineation of responsibility at the academic reference service level is examined. Reference librarians' perspective enables them to serve as information advisors, fostering students' development of storage and retrieval, this role becomes increasingly important. The need for students to emerge as independent learners is crucial at this stage in their lives. Information literacy abilities are discussed as a by-product of general reference functions. Reference librarians are urged to encourage the growth of these abilities by stimulating students' understanding of critical thinking.