The Challenges of Planning, Enacting, and Assessing Critical Thinking

Developing students’ CT (Critical Thinking) is fundamental for students to develop skills for future study and employment. To prepare students for evaluating the changing world, there needs to be planning, enactment and assessment of CT in all fields of study at universities. How are lecturers supporting the development of students’ CT? Our findings report on a qualitative case study in a first-year university chemistry course that explored how lecturers planned their teaching and what and how students were taught and assessed in relation to developing CT. In this case, CT was not embedded into planning, enacting and assessing the curriculum, and therefore, there was little intentionality for developing CT. The implications for planning for CT, including changes to assessment are emphasised.

(Session Unit: SIG-Educational Change, Descriptors: Curriculum Design and Evaluation, Critical Thinking, Higher Education)