Abstract:
Critical thinking is regarded as an important attribute for school learning and lifelong career. Indeed, the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) strategic plan 2013-16 stresses to nurture students to become a critical thinker through innovative curriculum design and campus activities. However, Chinese learners are labeled as passive learners who lack critical thinking skills and weak in critical thinking dispositions. Moreover, little research about critical thinking has been conducted on pre-service teachers in our institute. This project aims to inquire the critical thinking dispositions (CTD) of students in our institute. In precise, we shall assess the CTD of our students by administering the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI). Then, we shall use critical thinking cases as teaching materials in selected courses. These cases are expected to help nurturing the CTD of students. Finally, we shall interview students (n=10% of total students) to understand their CTD perceptions in their learning experiences and invite them to fill CCTDI again. This study has long term impacts in three aspects. First, this project will validate the CCTDI for Chinese higher education students. We expect to contribute to the assessment and development of student CTD in the future. Specifically, student learning outcomes of CTD will be shown through the pre-teaching assessment and post-teaching assessment of CCDTI. Second, the teaching materials on critical thinking cases will be disseminate to four courses (“Curriculum and Assessment”, “A narrative of stories in life”, “School-based curriculum development” and “Developing leadership through service learning”). Students attending these courses will experience the learning and development of CTD through critical thinking cases. Third, this project will help to develop critical thinking cases as teaching materials that help to nurture student CTD. These teaching materials will be helpful to empower our students to become critical thinkers in the future. To conclude, this study will help to understand and nurture student CTD in our institute.
Code:
T0138
Principal Project Supervisors:
Keywords provided by authors:
Subjects:
Start Date:
01 May 2014
End Date:
30 Apr 2015
Status:
Completed
Result:
The project set out to be developmental based, aiming to understand and nurture the critical thinking dispositions (CTD) of students in HKIED. Two specific focuses are the assessment of student CTD and development of critical thinking materials.Initial findings showed that the critical thinking teaching materials were well-received by students. They showed interested in materials and provided good comments in course evaluation. The data collected from CCTDI questionnaires showed that students had more concern about critical thinking and more willing to discuss in lectures and tutorials.
Impact:
The project targeted to have impact on three aspects. First, the intended performance outcomes of students would show in the increase of index in the pre-teaching assessment and post-teaching assessment of CCDTI. Moreover, qualitative interviews would enable researchers to understand comprehensively the student learning outcomes in a limited sample size. This impact is shown in the quantitative and qualitative data of the project.
Second, this project is expected to produce a pack of teaching materials which will be useful in nurturing the CTD of students. Nine curriculum or teaching issues were developed as teaching materials. These were used for discussion in lectures or tutorials. Students attending courses have benefited from these teaching materials.
Third, the long term significance of this project may be substantiated as teaching materials for various courses in our department. This may help to empower our students to become critical thinkers through innovative curriculum design. Moreover, these pre-service teachers may generate similar teaching materials for their students (primary and secondary students) in their future teaching. Besides, the team has developed a pack of teaching materials and is using it in this new academic year (2015-2016). It is expected to have long term significance for our department and our students.
Deliverables:
Teaching and Learning Resources/ Materials
Nine critical curriculum or teaching issues for nurturing CTD. [2015]. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education.https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/c4b2d76e-380b-479b-9e87-ffb0...
Assessment
Critical thinking disposition questionnaire. [2015]. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education
Financial Year:
2013-14
Type:
TDG