Undergraduates' experiences of critical thinking

ISSN： 1469-8366

Source： Higher Education Research & Development, Vol.23, Iss.3, 2004-01, pp. : 277-294

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Critical thinking is said to be a defining characteristic of a university graduate. In literature on critical thinking, conceptions range from a focus on generic skills to a notion of person as critical being. However, there is little research on university students' experiences of critical thinking. Experiences of undergraduate students, enrolled in a management course in which the main theme was critical analysis and communication, were explored through a modified phenomenographic approach and a problem-solving task using a 'think aloud' technique. Results include four experiences of critical thinking ranging from a prescribed process to an evaluation that looked beyond what is evident, and a number of dimensional attributes. Students' experiences of criticality and the language they used to describe the experiences were limited, pointing particularly to a need for changes in the academic structures that exist outside the immediate classroom environment.