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The Conceptualization of Critical Thinking: Toward a Culturally Inclusive Framework for Technology-Enhanced Instruction in Higher Education

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Abstract

The proliferation of fake news and pseudoscience requires a proactive educational approach to the cultivation of critical thinking (CT); yet, university lecturers and students alike appear to have insufficient guidance. Moreover, studies on CT overlook globalization trends such as student mobility, where international students are a significant portion of the student body. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the way CT is conceptualized and experienced by instructors, local students, and international students from China in a science and engineering university, and accordingly design a culturally inclusive theoretical framework for CT cultivation in the digital era. The study applied an integrated dual-analytic approach, where data was collected via a survey and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that many instructors and students lack a comprehensive understanding of CT skills. The findings also show that the international students were more familiar with CT in theory and practice than the local students, with “analysis” as one of the prominent skills experienced in academic courses. The study presents a technology-enhanced instructional framework that integrates individual learning with collaborative and culturally inclusive assignments.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Ludwig & Augusta Menasche Memorial Scholarship for the generous support. The authors would also like to thank the university instructors and students for their collaboration in the study.

Funding

Financial support was received from the Ludwig & Augusta Menasche Memorial Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 320003, Haifa, Israel

    Miri Barak & Carmella Shahab

  2. The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Miri Barak

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  1. Miri Barak
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  2. Carmella Shahab
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Correspondence to Miri Barak.

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The authors confirm that the study was conducted according to the university’s ethical guidelines, approved by the institutional review board (IRB) and the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Education. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Appendix Survey

Appendix Survey

Table 3 The following table includes a list of learning assignments that students perform in class or for homework. The first column indicates whether each assignment may encourage and be related to CT. The second column indicates whether you have experienced or incorporated the learning assignment in your classes and provides examples
Full size table

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Barak, M., Shahab, C. The Conceptualization of Critical Thinking: Toward a Culturally Inclusive Framework for Technology-Enhanced Instruction in Higher Education. J Sci Educ Technol 32, 872–883 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-022-09999-4

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