Analysis of critical thinking skills across an international, cross ...

Linda Gray, University of Sheffield
Mike Bramhall, Sheffield Hallam University
Kenisha Garnett, Sheffield International College
Chris Corker, Sheffield Hallam University
Funded by the HEA Engineering Subject Centre

Overview of presentation
• Background information on critical thinking
• Aim of the project done (EngSC Mini-Project)
• Research carried out
• Conclusions and the way forward
• Open discussion

Background information on critical
thinking
• Critical thinking: a mental attitude, a set of skills, a
high level activity
• Skills:
• Deep and evaluative reasoning
• Critical or questioning attitudes
• Deep subject knowledge
• Link to cultural context

Confucian style of learning
• Tradition of respect for teachers (unquestioning)
• Some prevalent characteristics:
• Teacher transmits information and student receives it
• Dislike of ambiguity
• Analytical with respect to detail and sequence
• Accustomed to visual learning
• Expectation that better students will help weaker
students

Socratean style of learning
• Encouraged to challenge and probe
• Find answers to questions, rather than receive answers
to questions
• Use of investigation/inquiry and reasoning to solve
problems
• Teaching through dialogue
• Well-suited to auditory learners

Engineering, and the requirements
of the UK-SPEC
• Subject specific knowledge
• Ability to
• Apply concepts laterally
• Integrate and synthesize knowledge
• Analyse and classify information
• Choose the right tool to solve a problem
• Deal with limitations and uncertainty
• Evaluate outcomes
• Student control of own learning processes
• Levels of Bloom’s taxonomy

Image taken from Clark, D. R. (2004), Instructional System Design Concept Map. Retrieved 3 June 2011 from
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html Used with permission.

Aims of the project
• Project funded as an HEA EngSC mini-project
• Aim: to explore engineering students’
conceptualisation of critical thinking, with a view to
using the findings to contribute to improved design of
academic programmes in the future.

Research carried out
• Focus groups (Video Clip from Focus Group)
• One at each institution
• Sheffield Hallam University - 21 Students
• The University Of Sheffield - 9 Students
• Responses used to develop questionnaire
• Questionnaires
• Distributed to students on two taught Masters programmes
• 109 responses overall
• 54 from The University Of Sheffield
• 55 from Sheffield Hallam University

Nationality groupings
Spanish, 1%
Pakistani, 2%
Syrian,
1%
Thai, 3%
Nigerian, 12%
Malaysian, 13%
Libyan, 3%
Iranian, 3%
British, 14%
Bosnian, 1%
Brunei, 2%
Bulgarian, 1%
Chinese, 17%
Greek, 3%
Indian, 25%
British
Bosnian
Brunei
Bulgarian
Chinese
Greek
Indian
Iranian
Libyan
Malaysian
Nigerian
Pakistani
Spanish
Syrian
Thai

Grouping of attributes for
questionnaire
Grouping
Information management skills
Inquisitiveness, organisation,
systematicity skills
Problem solving and analytical
skills
Open-mindedness, reflexivity and
evaluative skills
Attributes
Information seeking;
Discrimination; Context
Analysis; Creativity; Context;
Knowledge Transfer; Confidence
Analysis; Perseverance; Evaluation;
Prediction
Reflection; Knowledge Transfer;
Discrimination; Evaluation;
Context; Flexibility; Openmindedness

Information management skills
Sources used:
• Library (86%), University sites (82%)
• Internet search engines: General (79%), Academic (56%)
Best Sources:
• Reading lists (90%)
• Tutor guidance (80%)
• Identify relevant articles (78%)
Students recognise importance of exploring background
and context, but need to trust own reasoning skills, with
too much reliance on tutor guidance and Google.

Inquisitiveness, organisation and
systematicity skills (1)
Ability to analyse a large task, break it down into smaller
parts, design solutions, produce prototypes, with
justification for processes chosen.
Masters Project Plan
• 67% showed independent thinking in saying they
would propose project tasks to supervisor
• 81% preferred to be guided by supervisor
• Most understood need to understand context (98%),
background (98%), limitations (93%) and scope/ aims
of defining the project (92%)

Inquisitiveness, organisation and
systematicity skills (2)
Most understood the need to justify their project
methods by comparing a range of methods, but most
would use methods used in previous similar projects or
use the easiest route.
There appears to be a lack of self confidence,
independence and deep analysis in this theme.

Problem solving and analytical skills
Applying theory to practice within complex problems:
Understanding –> Propose –> Develop –> Test -> Evaluate
Results showed a systematic approach to problem solving:
• Using expert solutions (91%)
• Reviewing literature (83%)
• Similar problems (85%)
• Agreed to visual presentation of data but half would let the reader draw
their own conclusions from these.
Good lateral thinking to adapt solutions to fit problems,
Understood need to link theory to experimental results, and
proficiency with lab based work – exemplar engineering methods,
but need to be confident in their analytical skills.

Open mindedness, reflexivity and
evaluative skills
Reflective practice – making sense of similar or
contrasting viewpoints, formulate own, analyse and
learn from experience.
No general consensus of what reflective practice is,
perhaps ambiguity in the questions used within
the questionnaire.

Conclusions
• This research, using focus groups and questionnaires, into
international students’ conceptualisation of critical
thinking, has provided evidence that:
• International engineering students’ understanding of critical
thinking is not well developed.
• International engineering students may, without being aware of it,
have a critical thinking mindset and critical thinking skills.
• Staff observations, that students from some cultural
backgrounds lack an understanding of critical thinking, are
likely to be a result of different expectations and
backgrounds in thinking processes and in learning styles.

The way forward
• Further analysis of data to distinguish between
cultural backgrounds.
• Prepare guidance for staff on how programmes can be
designed to support critical thinking, taking account
of the different backgrounds of students.
• One example of this further work would be to include
explanations and examples of critical thinking in
induction, and include these again in instructions for
project work and assignments.

Questions for you
• At your institution, where is critical thinking required
in your curriculum?
• Have you experienced different approaches to critical
thinking from different student groups?
• Do you provide any support for students to help them
understand and practise critical thinking?
• How are you exploring your students’ critical thinking
skills?

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