Establishing enabling conditions to develop critical thinking skills: a case of innovative curriculum design in Environmental Science

Belluigi, Dina Zoë; Cundill, Georgina

doi:10.1080/13504622.2015.1072802

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…It involved several academic partners, but also building practitioners (Altomonte et al, 2016). In the study from Belluigi and Cundill, interdisciplinarity was achieved by the diversity of studentsí background in the class from natural science, social science and commerce (Belluigi & Cundill, 2017).…”

Section: Education and Learning Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to Bring About Change – A Literature Review About Education and Learning Activities for Sustainable Development

Algurén

2021

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education

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Sustainable development and transformational change have become more critical than ever in the era of climate change. The aim of this literature review was to increase knowledge on education and learning activities (ELAs), along with the learning outcomes they address, in the context of higher education for sustainable development (SD) with UNESCO’s eight core competencies for SD as a starting point. The search was conducted in two educational databases, Education Research Complete and the Education Resource Information Center. 153 articles were identified, of which 16 remained after reviewing for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Education and learning activities in ESD were grounded in discussions, reflections and interdisciplinarity by using participatory teaching methods, such as problem-based or experiential learning. Commonly enhanced learning outcomes were knowledge, attitude and collaboration competencies, as well as critical and system thinking. Self-awareness and behavior change, however, were less frequently achieved and the studies addressing behavior frequently recognized inertia to behavior change, despite transferred attitudes and increased knowledge. Although UNESCO outlined behavioral learning objectives as particularly important for ESD, the present review revealed that these had hardly been reached by the used ELA. The paper discusses the complexity of behavior change and proposes an ethics-led and whole-institution approach to tackle some challenges for behavioral action and social activity. There is a need for new educational and learning activities, which have greater transformational potential, by acknowledging the complexity of behavior change.

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Section: Education and Learning Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to Bring About Change – A Literature Review About Education and Learning Activities for Sustainable Development

Algurén

2021

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education

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“…Hu et al (2011) argue in their study that learn to think programme positively impact the thinking abilities of students and level of achievement. In a study conducted by Belluigi and Cundill (2017) in South Africa, reported that students" involvement in spiraling activities which is base for development of diversity in the classroom, students draw different solutions of a problem according to their personality, background knowledge and discipline. Such types of activities develop competencies in students that are required for fostering the critical thinking in students.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Cognitive Acceleration Programme on Critical Thinking of Science Students at Secondary Level

Sarwar¹,

Samiullah²,

Rahman³

2021

IJITL

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Abstract This study was conducted to determine the effect of Cognitive Acceleration Programme on the critical thinking skills of 9th graders. The posttest only non-equivalent control group design was used. Two sections of class 9th were selected conveniently for experimentation. There were 80 participants (girls) in the experiment. There were 30 intervention lessons in the experimental classrooms. The posttest was designed based on Cornell Critical thinking test. Test was validated by experts from the Faculty of Education, Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. The data were analyzed by the SPSS. The independent sample t-statistics were applied for control and experimental groups separately. The t-value for the comparison of performance of experimental and control group in sub-skills of critical thinking i.e., inference, deduction, assumption, interpretation, and argumentation showed significant difference. The results showed that critical thinking skills can be developed significantly through cognitive acceleration programme. So, the thinking science activities were recommended to science educators to incorporate into the classroom to accelerate critical thinking of students. Keywords: Cognitive Acceleration, Critical Thinking, Inference, Deduction, Assumption, Interpretation, Argumentation

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“…This may be due to the fact that the education received at the university does not have enough quality to develop critical thinking skills of the PSTs because they do not have enough experience to develop their critical thinking skills during monological process in education that is usually based on expository teaching (Kilinc, Demiral & Kartal, 2017). The importance of methods that provide opportunity for dialogic communication in the development of critical thinking skills have determined that argumentation (Demiral, 2014;Demiral & Çepni, 2018), inquiry-based activities (Belluigi & Cundill, 2017;Ernst & Monroe, 2004) that they have conducted within the context of environmental education develop critical thinking skills. In another study supporting the research findings, Ten Dam and Volman (2004) pointed out the relationship between epistemological belief system and critical thinking.…”

Section: Teacher Training Program and Critical Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of these suggestions is the use of teaching methods in which the student is at the center instead of traditional teaching methods (Belluigi & Cundill, 2017;Ernst & Monroe, 2004). Belluigi and Cundill (2017) noted the importance of participating in the process factor to develop critical thinking skills, and reached the conclusion that in the course of a science education in which teachers conducted activities based on environmental education, students actively participated in the process and their critical thinking skills developed with the scientific argumentation in this process. Ernst and Monroe (2004) found out that there is a relationship between critical thinking skills and gender, ethnicity, grade point average, and education based on environmental education in another study that examines critical thinking skills within the scope of an environmental education program.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If a general evaluation is made about the literature examined for critical thinking skills, it is seen that the critical thinking skills of the PSTs who will be teachers in the following years, are low; and inadequacies in the content knowledge (Demiral, 2014;Demiral & Çepni, 2018) and the training of PSTs with expository teaching approach (Belluigi & Cundill, 2017;Ernst & Monroe, 2004) seem to be effective on this. Finally, when the national studies conducted in Turkey sample are examined, it is seen that many studies have been carried out superficially.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examination of Critical Thinking Skills of Preservice Science Teachers: A Perspective of Social Constructivist Theory

Demiral¹

2018

JEL

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The purpose of this study is to examine the critical thinking skills of preservice science teachers in terms of various variables (gender, grade level, academic grade point average, participation in activities) and their opinions. In the research, sequential explanatory design, which is one of the mixed method research designs, was used. The study was carried out with 200 preservice teachers studying at Science Education Department of a state university chosen at Cappadocia region of Turkey. Interviews were conducted with low-level (f=7) and high-level (f=7) preservice teachers selected by means of purposive sampling method from these pre-service teachers participating in the study. Regarding the quantitative and qualitative data obtained; it has been determined that the critical thinking skills of the preservice teachers did not show any significant difference according to gender, grade level and academic grade point average, but there was a significant difference in terms of the activities performed. Preservice teachers expressed that their family structures, social environments in which they interact, and characteristic features were said to be effective in the development of critical thinking skills. Regarding the findings, it has been concluded that trainings that will evoke higher level skills such as critical thinking skills in universities can be effective, but the social and cultural background of the preservice teachers are also effective on these skills. It is recommended to prepare contents that enhance higher level skills such as critical thinking skills as well as education for pedagogy or content knowledge given at universities.

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Establishing enabling conditions to develop critical thinking skills: a case of innovative curriculum design in Environmental Science

Cited by 13 publications

References 63 publications

How to Bring About Change – A Literature Review About Education and Learning Activities for Sustainable Development

How to Bring About Change – A Literature Review About Education and Learning Activities for Sustainable Development

The Effect of Cognitive Acceleration Programme on Critical Thinking of Science Students at Secondary Level

Examination of Critical Thinking Skills of Preservice Science Teachers: A Perspective of Social Constructivist Theory

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