ERIC Number: EJ1012333
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0307-5079
EISSN: N/A
Developing a Capacity to Engage in Critical Reflection: Students' "Ways of Knowing" within an Undergraduate Business and Accounting Programme
Lucas, Ursula; Tan, Phaik Leng
Studies in Higher Education, v38 n1 p104-123 2013
The development of a capacity to engage in critical reflection is central to higher education. However, students vary in this capacity and its development requires students to move from an absolute towards a contextual way of knowing. Using 32 semi-structured interviews, this study identifies the ways of knowing of 17 business and accounting students at a large new United Kingdom (UK) university. In this study, absolute and transitional ways of knowing were found to be predominant. This appears to be significantly related to: (1) an extrinsic motivation for studying for a UK business or accounting degree and the desire to obtain a "good degree"; (2) a strong focus on the organisation of learning, rather than on what is learnt; and (3) a strong focus on, and an unquestioning attitude to, assessment. The implications of these findings for further research and pedagogy within higher education are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Higher Education, Epistemology, Semi Structured Interviews, Undergraduate Students, Accounting, Business Administration Education, Student Motivation, Academic Degrees, Evaluation, Transformative Learning, Student Attitudes, Learning Processes, Learner Engagement, Reflection, Critical Thinking
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A