Critical Thinking and Higher Education: A Historical, Theoretical and Conceptual Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jep.1565Keywords:
Critical Thinking, Higher Education, Bloom's TaxonomyAbstract
Purpose: The purpose of this Study is to analyze the historical, theoretical and conceptual basis of the critical thinking in relation to higher education.
Methodology: The methodology used is a review of existing literature on critical thinking and higher education.
Findings: The study shows that critical thinking is embedded in Bloom's Taxonomy and institutions of higher education that implement the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy embrace critical thinking in their curriculum.
Unique contributor to theory, policy and practice: The study presents a unique contribution to theory by relating Bloom's Taxonomy to critical thinking.
Downloads
References
Ahrari, S., Samah, B. A., Hassan, M. S. H. B., Wahat, N. W. A., & Zaremohzzabieh, Z. (2016). Deepening critical thinking skills through civic engagement in Malaysian higher education. Thinking Skills & Creativity, 22, 121 - 128
Alfonsi, L., Bandiera, O., Bassi, V., Burgess, R., Rasul, I., Sulaiman, M., & Vitali, A. (2017). Tackling youth unemployment: Evidence from a labor market experiment in Uganda. STICERD-Development Economics Papers.
Allen, R., Elks, P., Outhred, R., & Varly, P. (2016). Uganda's assessment system: A road-map for enhancing assessment in education. Health & Education Advance & Resource Team.
Altinyelken, H. K. (2010). Curriculum change in Uganda: Teacher perspectives on the new thematic curriculum. International Journal of Educational Development, 30(2), 151-161.
Angeli, C., Valanides, N., & Bonk, C. J. (2003). Communication in a web"based conferencing system: the quality of computer"mediated interactions. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34(1), 31-43.
Arsal, Z. (2017). The impact of inquiry-based learning on the critical thinking dispositions of pre-service science teachers. International Journal of Science Education, 39(10), 1326-1338.
Atabaki, A. M. S., Keshtiaray, N., & Yarmohammadian, M. H. (2015). Scrutiny of Critical Thinking Concept. International Education Studies, 8(3), 93-102.
Baird, A. M., & Parayitam, S. (2017). Are employers dissatisfied with college graduates? An empirical examination. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 10(1), 151-168.
Belluigi, D. Z., & Cundill, G. (2017). Establishing enabling conditions to develop critical thinking skills: a case of innovative curriculum design in Environmental Science. Environmental Education Research, 23(7), 950-971.
Bezanilla, M. J., Galindo-DomÃnguez, H., & Poblete, M. (2021). Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking in Higher Education and Existing Difficulties According to Teacher's Views. REMIE-Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research, 11(1).
Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA; Pearson Education.
Bruer, J. T. (1994). Schools for thought: A science of learning in the classroom. MIT press.
Butler, H. A., Pentoney, C., & Bong, M. P. (2017). Predicting real-world outcomes: Critical thinking ability is a better predictor of life decisions than intelligence. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 25, 38-46.
Calma, A., & Davies, M. (2021). Critical thinking in business education: current outlook and future prospects. Studies in Higher Education, 46(11), 2279-2295.
Care, E, Griffin, P, and Wilson, M. (2018). Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills: Research and Applications. Springer International Publishing. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-65368-6.
Carter, A. G., Creedy, D. K., & Sidebotham, M. (2016). Efficacy of teaching methods used to develop critical thinking in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students: A systematic review of the literature. Nurse education today, 40, 209-218.
Cheung, C. K., & Jhaveri, A. D. (2016). Developing students' critical thinking skills through visual literacy in the New Secondary School Curriculum in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(3), 379-389.
Chisholm, L. and Leyendecker, R. (2008). Curriculum reform in post-1990s sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Educational Development, Vol. 28, pp. 195-205.
Civici, A. (2013). State or Market / Which development model we choose. Tirana: UetPress
Publications.
Cloete, M. (2018). The impact of an integrated assessment on the critical thinking skills of first-year university students. Accounting Education, 27(5), 479-494.
Dewey, J. (1910). How We Think, Boston: D.C. Heath. https://archive.org/details/howwethink000838mbp.
Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process, Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath.
Dewey, J. (1938). The philosophy of the arts. John Dewey: The later works, 13, 357-368.
Duffy, L. N., Stone, G. A., Townsend, J., & Cathey, J. (2020). Rethinking curriculum internationalization: virtual exchange as a means to attaining global competencies, developing critical thinking, and experiencing transformative learning. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, 1-15.
Dumitru, D., Bigu, D., Elen, J., Ahern, A., McNally, C., & O'Sullivan, J. J. (2018). A European review on critical thinking educational practices in higher education institutions.
Durkin, K. (2008). The adaptation of East Asian masters students to western norms of critical thinking and argumentation in the UK. Intercultural Education, 19(1), 15-27.
Dwyer, C. P., Hogan, M. J., & Stewart, I. (2014). An integrated critical thinking framework for the 21st century. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 12, 43-52.
Ennis, R. H. (1985). A logical basis for measuring critical thinking skills. Educational leadership, 43(2), 44-48.
Ennis, R. H. (1993). Critical thinking assessment. Theory Into Practice, 32(3), 179.
Ennis, R. H. (2015). Critical thinking: A streamlined conception. In The Palgrave handbook of critical thinking in higher education (pp. 31-47). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Espey, M. (2018). Enhancing critical thinking using team-based learning. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(1), 15-29.
Etkina, E., & PlaninÅ¡iÄ, G. (2015). Defining and developing "critical thinking" through devising and testing multiple explanations of the same phenomenon. The Physics Teacher, 53(7), 432-437.
Facione, P. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction. Retrieved from ERIC database (ED315423).
Finch, D. J., Peacock, M., Levallet, N., & Foster, W. (2016). A dynamic capabilities view of employability: Exploring the drivers of competitive advantage for university graduates. Education+ Training, 58(1).
Fisher, A. (2011). Critical thinking: An introduction. Cambridge University Press.
Gaigher, E., Lederman, N., & Lederman, J. (2014). Knowledge about Inquiry: A study in South African high schools. International Journal of Science Education, 36(18), 3125-3147.
Grieco, L. N. (2016). Meeting the Demands of the 21 st Century Workplace: Effects of Critical Thinking Instruction on the Application of Critical Thought. Northcentral University.
Halpern, J. Y. (1990). An analysis of first-order logics of probability. Artificial Intelligence, 46(3), 311-350.
Harvey, L., & Green, D. (1994). Employer satisfaction. Birmingham: Quality I Higher Education Project.
Hatcher, D. L. (2011). Which test? Whose scores? Comparing standardized critical thinking tests. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2011(149), 29-39.
Hitchcock, D. (2018). "Critical Thinking", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2018/entries/critical-thinking/.
Hitchcock, D. (2020). "Critical Thinking", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2020/entries/critical-thinking/>.
Kim, M. S. (2013). Technology-mediated collaborative learning environments for young culturally and linguistically diverse children: Vygotsky revisited. British Journal of Educational Studies, 61(2), 221-246.
King Jr, B. M. L. (1947). The purpose of education. The maroon tiger, morehouse college student paper.
Kolb, D. A., Boyatzis, R. E., & Mainemelis, C. (2014). Experiential learning theory: Previous research and new directions. In Perspectives on thinking, learning, and cognitive styles (pp. 227-248). Routledge.
Kwan, Y. W., & Wong, A. F. (2015). Effects of the constructivist learning environment on students' critical thinking ability: Cognitive and motivational variables as mediators. International Journal of Educational Research, 70, 68-79.
Lai, E. R. (2011). Critical thinking: A literature review. Pearson's Research Reports, 6(1), 40-41.
Lee, N. Y., Wang, Z., & Lim, B. (2021). The development of critical thinking: what university students have to say. Teaching in Higher Education, 1-14.
Lewis, A., & Smith, D. (1993). Defining higher order thinking. Theory into practice, 32(3), 131-137.
Limbach, B, & Waugh, W. (2014). Implementing a High-Impact, Critical Thinking Process in a Learner-Centered Environment. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice vol. 14(1) 2014.
Loes, C. N., & Pascarella, E. T. (2017). Collaborative learning and critical thinking: Testing the link. The Journal of Higher Education, 88(5), 726-753.
Lombard, K., & Grosser, M. (2008). Critical thinking: are the ideals of OBE failing us or are we failing the ideals of OBE?. South African journal of education, 28(4), 561-580.
Liu, O. L. (2011). Outcomes assessment in higher education: Challenges and future research in the context of voluntary system of accountability. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30(3), 2-9.
Magelah, P & Ntambirweki- Karugonjo, B. (2014). Youth unemployment and job creation in Uganda: Opportunities and challenges. ACODE Infosheet No. 26. Retrieved from www.fao.org/fsnforum/sites/.../infosheet_26.pdf.
Mahdi, O. R., Nassar, I. A., & Almuslamani, H. A. I. (2020). The Role of Using Case Studies Method in Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Higher Education. International Journal of Higher Education, 9(2), 297-308.
Mitana, J. M. V., Muwagga, A. M., & Ssempala, C. (2018). Assessment of higher order thinking skills: Case of Uganda Primary Leaving Examinations.
Moeti, B., Mgawi, R. K., & Moalosi, W. T. S. (2017). Critical Thinking among Post-Graduate Diploma in Education Students in Higher Education: Reality or Fuss? Journal of Education and Learning, 6(2), 13-24.
Nakirijja, D. S., Kasirye, R., & Nabulya, A. (2020). Access to Job Market: Findings from A Venture Development Program for Marginalized Unemployed Youth in Kampala Uganda. Advanced Journal of Social Science, 6(1), 26-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21467/ajss.6.1.26-37.
Ongesa, C. M. (2020). Critical thinking skill gap in the Kenyan educational curriculum: The 21st-Century skills for the Global Citizen. Soka Approaches in Education Vol 9 No SI (2020).
Onen, D. (2019). Cultivating Critical Thinking Amongst University Graduate Students. In J. Keengwe, & R. Byamukama (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Promoting Higher-Order Skills and Global Competencies in Life and Work (pp. 209-224). IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-6331-0.ch013.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2008). Critical Thinking: Strategies for Improving Student Learning, Part II. Journal of Developmental Education, 32(2), 34-35.
Paul, R., Elder, L., & Bartell, T. (1997). California teacher preparation for instruction in critical thinking: Research findings and policy recommendations.
Peet, R. 2003. Unholy Trinity: The IMF, World Bank, and WTO. London and New York, Zed Books.
Persky, A. M., Medina, M. S., & Castleberry, A. N. (2019). Developing critical thinking skills in pharmacy students. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 83(2).
PISA (2018) Global Competence - OECD. https://www.oecd.org/uga/innovation/global-competence/.
Popil, I. (2011). Promotion of critical thinking by using case studies as teaching method. Nurse education today, 31(2), 204-207.
Qing, Z., Jing, G., Yazhuan, L., Ting, W., & Junping, M. (2010). Promoting preservice teachers' critical thinking disposition by inquiry-based chemical experiment. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1429-1436
Quitadamo, I. J., Kurtz, M. J., Cornell, C. N., Griffith, L., Hancock, J., & Egbert, B. (2011). Critical thinking grudge match: Biology vs. chemistry. Examining factors that affect thinking skills in nonmajors science. Journal of College Science Teaching, 40(3), 19-25.
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today's workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465.
Roohr, K., Olivera-Aguilar, M., Ling, G., & Rikoon, S. (2019). A multi-level modeling approach to investigating students' critical thinking at higher education institutions. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(6), 946-960.
Samaras, S. A., Adkins, C. L., & White, C. D. (2021). Developing critical thinking skills: Simulations vs. cases. Journal of Education for Business, 1-7.
Schendel, R., McCowan, T., Rolleston, C., Adu-Yeboah, C., Omingo, M., & Tabulawa, R. (2020). Pedagogies for critical thinking at universities in Kenya, Ghana and Botswana: the importance of a collective "˜teaching culture'. Teaching in Higher Education, 1-22.
Schleyer, T., Moore, H. E., & Weaver, K. (2016). Effective interdisciplinary teams. In Clinical Informatics Study Guide (pp. 343-376). Springer International Publishing.
Sellars, M., Fakirmohammad, R., Bui, L., Fishetti, J., Niyozov, S., Reynolds, R., ... & Ali, N. (2018). Conversations on critical thinking: Can critical thinking find its way forward as the skill set and mindset of the century?. Education Sciences, 8(4), 205.
Shaheen, N. (2016). International students' critical thinking-related problem areas: UK university teachers' perspectives. Journal of Research in International Education, 15(1), 18-31.
Sternberg, R. J. (1986). Critical thinking: Its nature, measurement, and improvement. In F. R. Link (Ed.), Essays on the intellect (pp. 45-65). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Sternberg, R.J. (2007). Critical Thinking, Page 1 Critical Thinking : Its Nature , Measurement , and Improvement.
Terblanche, E. A. J., & De Clercq, B. (2020). Factors to consider for effective critical thinking development in auditing students. South African Journal of Accounting Research, 34(2), 96-114.
Thaiposri, P., & Wannapiroon, P. (2015). Enhancing students' critical thinking skills through teaching and learning by inquiry-based learning activities using social network and cloud computing. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174, 2137-2144.
Thayer-Bacon, B. J. (2000). Transforming critical thinking: Thinking constructively. Teachers College Press.
Thompson, C. (2011). Critical thinking across the curriculum: Process over output. International Journal of Humanities and social science, 1(9), 1-7.
Vavrus, F., Thomas, M., & Bartlett, L. (2011). Ensuring quality by attending to inquiry: Learner-centered pedagogy in sub-Saharan Africa. Addis Ababa, Éthiopie: UNESCO-IICBA.
Vero, E., & Puka, E. (2018). The Effectiveness of Critical Thinking In Higher Education. Online Journal Modelling the New Europe, (26).
Viviers, H., & de Villiers, R. (2020). Teaching methodology in accounting education. South African Accounting Education Stocktake, 27.
Watty, K., McKay, J., & Ngo, L. (2016). Innovators or inhibitors? Accounting faculty resistance to new educational technologies in higher education. Journal of Accounting Education, 36, 1-15.
Whiley, D., Witt, B., Colvin, R. M., Sapiains Arrue, R., & Kotir, J. (2017). Enhancing critical thinking skills in first year environmental management students: a tale of curriculum design, application and reflection. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 41(2), 166-181.
Widana, I. W., Parwata, I., Parmithi, N. N., Jayantika, I. G. A. T., Sukendra, I. K., & Sumandya, I. W. (2018). Higher order thinking skills assessment towards critical thinking on mathematics lesson. International journal of social sciences and humanities, 2(1), 24-32.
Woldt, J. L., & Nenad, M. W. (2021). Reflective writing in dental education to improve critical thinking and learning: A systematic review. Journal of Dental Education.
Yang, X., Li, Y., Tan, C. H., & Teo, H. H. (2007). Students' participation intention in an online discussion forum: Why is computer-mediated interaction attractive?. Information & Management, 44(5), 456-466.
Zamir, S., Yang, Z., Sarwar, U., Maqbool, S., Fazal, K., Zafeer, H. M. I., & Arif, A. (2021). Teaching Methodologies Used for Learning Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Pakistani Teachers' Perceptions.
Zhang, T. (2017). Why do Chinese postgraduates struggle with critical thinking? Some clues from the higher education curriculum in China. Journal of further and higher education, 41(6), 857-871.
Zhong, W., & Cheng, M. (2021). Developing Critical Thinking: Experiences of Chinese International Students in a Post-1992 University in England. Chinese Education & Society, 54(3-4), 95-106.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Esther Katende
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
