ERIC Number: EJ1107431
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Aug
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-4086
EISSN: N/A
Adapting, Not Adopting: Barriers Affecting Teaching for Critical Thinking at Two Rwandan Universities
Schendel, Rebecca
Comparative Education Review, v60 n3 p549-570 Aug 2016
A recent study of student learning at three of Rwanda's most prestigious public universities has suggested that Rwandan students are not improving in their critical thinking ability during their time at university. This article reports on a series of faculty-level case studies, which were conducted at two of the participating institutions in order to investigate some of the reasons behind these results. Although educational practices likely to foster critical thinking skills are required elements of the undergraduate curriculum at both institutions, the case study analysis suggests that these practices are being fundamentally altered during implementation, because of a limited understanding of the rationale for pedagogical change and low levels of faculty motivation to implement more labor-intensive teaching methods. The findings suggest that teaching and learning policies are only likely to be effective if accompanied by pedagogical training and support for ongoing faculty development.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Critical Thinking, Case Studies, College Faculty, Educational Practices, Undergraduate Study, Educational Change, Teacher Motivation, Teaching Methods, Educational Policy, Faculty Development, Barriers
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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: Rwanda
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A