ERIC Number: EJ1111569
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Apr
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1478-8047
EISSN: N/A
A Critical Evaluation of the Understanding of Critical Thinking by School Teachers: The Case of Hong Kong
Mok, Francis K. T.; Yuen, Timothy W. W.
Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, v15 n1 p28-44 Apr 2016
There is a strong belief that critical thinking should be cultivated in schools. But it is not clear how critical thinking is understood by front-line teachers who are given the responsibility of training critical thinkers. Based on a study conducted in Hong Kong, we found that some school teachers were in favor of a "positive" image of critical thinker who is knowledgeable, prudent, being critical to the critics who are ready to criticize, and being constructive after making criticisms. We try to argue that such a positive portrayal, although uncontroversial from a detached point of view, may not be adequate in the context of Hong Kong where a critical stance toward power holders and established interests is badly needed. Without paying due attention to the "aporetic" dimension, such understanding of critical thinking would make it difficult for students to adopt a critical stance to the prevailing cultural beliefs, social values, political institutions, or economic ideologies that merit the greatest attention.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Critical Thinking, Case Studies, Interviews, Teacher Attitudes, Relevance (Education), Context Effect, Bias, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Familiarity, Personal Autonomy, Educational Philosophy, Educational Practices
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A