Beyond consonance and dissonance : a model of pedagogical engagement with critical thinking

Abstract

This thesis contains multiple-case studies of how critical thinking was conceptualised and operationalised by five academics from different disciplines in a university in Hong Kong. In response to the current literature that is characterised by prevalent dependence on academics’ self-reports to investigate perceptions and pedagogical practice for promoting critical thinking, the data in this research were obtained through non-participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and document collection. Using a framework underpinned by Argyris and Schön’s (1974) theory of action as well as Lave and Wenger’s (1991) notion of situated activity, the espoused beliefs and actual practice of case participants were analysed inductively through the constant comparison method.

The findings contribute to a model of pedagogical engagement with critical thinking that elucidates the relationship between academics’ conceptions and practice. Pedagogy that encourages thinking development can be understood as engagement with critical thinking in three forms, namely, critical thinking as integral, critical thinking as incidental, and critical thinking as instrumental. These forms of engagement are associated with three factors, which are dimensions of academics’ implicit theories: expectations of students, the perceived relevance of critical thinking, and knowledge of critical thinking.

The model of pedagogical engagement advances the argument that instruction for critical thinking development is individual academics’ personal constructions that are constantly negotiated between their latent beliefs and awareness of context. The thesis concludes with implications for policy planners, practitioners, and researchers, offering suggestions towards promoting critical thinking both as a key learning outcome in universities and the hallmark of higher education.