Implementing an Innovative Method to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Student Teachers

The following text presents an attempt of the Transformative Learning through Aesthetic Experience method application for educating adults for teaching traditional university courses. The object of research is two groups of student teachers from the University of Patras.The result indicates that the development of critical thinking skills in student teachers is evident. The example of the TLAE method application offers the possibility to enhance traditional teaching approaches with new innovative and experiential practices.

Critical thinking practices in teacher education programmes: a systematic review

This is a review paper of 39 research papers regarding the critical thinking practices that are utilised in Teacher Education programmes, including instructional approaches and strategies, ways of assessment, their results, and the factors that affect their success. A critical analysis of the characteristics of interventions according to the results and researchers’ opinions shows that a variety of factors affect their success. Thus, the personal, methodological, and contextual features of the intervention are important for effective critical thinking instruction and the improvement of student teachers’ critical thinking skills and dispositions.

The interplay between reflective thinking, critical thinking, self-monitoring, and academic achievement in higher education

The present study assessed the associations among reflective thinking, critical thinking and self-monitoring that contribute to academic achievement among university students. The sample consisted of 196 Iranian university students. The result indicates that among the four subscales of reflective thinking, reflection and critical reflection predicted critical thinking positively and significantly, and self-monitoring had a positive and significant impact on critical thinking.

How Do Critical Thinking Ability and Critical Thinking Disposition Relate to the Mental Health of University Students?

This study explored whether and how university students' critical thinking ability and critical thinking disposition are associated with individual differences in mental health. The sample size is 314 university students. The result shows the relationship between critical thinking and mental health was mediated by motor impulsivity and non-planning impulsivity. These findings provide a preliminary account of how human critical thinking is associated with mental health.

Investigating Critical Thinking in Prospective Teachers: Metacognitive Skills, Problem Solving Skills and Academic Self-Efficacy

The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which prospective teachers' metacognitive skills, problem solving skills and academic self-efficacy explain their critical thinking tendencies. The sample of this study consists of 229 prospective teachers. This study concluded that prospective teachers' metacognitive skills, problem solving skills and academic self-efficacy perceptions together can explain about half of the variance in their critical thinking tendencies. However, this study revealed that problem solving skills don't make a meaningful contribution to the total variance and cannot explain prospective teachers' critical thinking tendencies to a significant extent.

Learning outcomes and critical thinking - good intentions in conflict

This paper focus on that the notion of critical thinking and its theoretical complexity are used as a case for an epistemological critique of the model of intended learning outcomes. The result is that three problems of learning outcomes, become even more challenging when seen in the light of critical thinking. The first problem concerns interpretations, as the use of learning outcomes is dependent on advanced but implicit interpretative frameworks. The second is the problem of educational goals that cannot be expressed through learning outcomes, and the third is the risk that learning outcomes may establish a ceiling for student ambitions.

Critical thinking

The University of Edinburgh offers some advice and resources to help student develop their critical voice, and this web includes two tier resources of critical thinking, 

1. Tier I - The Basics

• What is critical thinking?

• What, where, when, who, why, how?

• Developing an argument

2. Tier II - Go further

• Developing your critical thinking

• Published guides

Critical Thinking

This website includes five core questions about critical thinking, it offers plenty of academic definitions of critical thinking and related resources.

1. What is Critical Thinking?

2. Are You a Critical Thinker?

3. Why is Critical Thinking Important?

4. How is Critical Thinking Developed?

5. How Should I Assess Critical Thinking?

1. Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (2022). Essential study skills : the complete guide to success at university. SAGE Publications Ltd.

2. Cottrell, S. (2017). Critical Thinking Skills: Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

3. Elder, P. & Paul, R. (2020). Critical Thinking : Learn the Tools the Best Thinkers Use. Blue Ridge Summit : The Foundation for Critical Thinking.

4. Erikson, M. G., & Erikson, M. (2019). Learning outcomes and critical thinking - good intentions in conflict. Studies in Higher Education , 44(12), 2293–2303. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1486813

5. Ghanizadeh, A. (2017). The interplay between reflective thinking, critical thinking, self-monitoring, and academic achievement in higher education. Higher Education, 74(1), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0031-y

6. Haber, J. (2020). Critical Thinking. MIT Press.

7. Information Resources Management Association. (Ed.). (2020). Research Anthology on Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Students. IGI Global. 

8. Kozikoğlu, I. (2019).  Investigating Critical Thinking in Prospective Teachers: Metacognitive Skills, Problem Solving Skills and Academic Self-Efficacy. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 10(2), 111–130. No DOI.  (assess link [google access only]) 

9. Liu, Z., Li, S., Shang, S., & Ren, X. (2021). How Do Critical Thinking Ability and Critical Thinking Disposition Relate to the Mental Health of University Students? Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 704229–704229. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704229

10. Lorencová, H., Jarošová, E., Avgitidou, S., & Dimitriadou, C. (2019). Critical thinking practices in teacher education programmes: a systematic review. Studies in Higher Education, 44(5), 844–859. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1586331

11. Naiditch, F. (2017). Developing critical thinking : from theory to classroom practice. Rowman & Littlefield.

12. Raikou, N., Karalis, T., & Ravanis, K. (2017). Implementing an Innovative Method to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Student Teachers. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 10(2), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.24193/adn.10.2.2

13. TED. (2019, March 1). Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hoE8mtUS1E

14. The University of Edinburgh, Institute For Academic Development. (n.d.). Critical thinking.https://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/study-hub/learning-resources/critical

15. The Univesity of Hong Kong, Holistic Competency & Virtue Education. (n.d.). Critical Thinking. https://www.have.hku.hk/critical-thinking