סמינר: תפיסות ופרקטיקות בחשיבה ביקורתית בחינוך מדעי והנדסי מנקודת מבט תרבותית.
The Conception and Practice of Critical Thinking in Science and Engineering Education from a Cultural Perspective
סיום דר'- כרמלה שהב, מנחה- פרופ' מירי ברק.
Abstract:
Critical thinking (CT) is viewed as a core competency essential for university graduates to successfully compete in the 21st century global economy; yet, much obscurity remains regarding its practical role in science and engineering education, especially in an era which embraces the internationalization of higher education. Accordingly, this study aimed to: (1) analyze how CT is conceptualized and practiced across cultures; (2) develop, implement and examine an instructional framework for promoting CT in science and engineering education. The study was conducted at an Israeli university and its international branch in China. A sequential mixed methods approach was applied, starting with semi-structured interviews with 10 instructors and 34 students. This was followed by a two-by-two experimental design (country-by-group), which included pre- and post-questionnaires administered to a sample of 308 students, examining their perceived CT learning experiences. The experimental groups were guided by a newly designed instructional framework which incorporates digital tools and intertwines individual and collaborative activities to explicitly promote CT with six main learning activities in conjunction with traditional course materials. The students in the control groups studied the same learning materials according to a traditional approach. The findings indicate that the intervention was perceived by the Chinese students in the experimental group as more effective in promoting all of the five examined CT skills compared to students in the control groups who studied according to traditional methods, while the Israeli students in the experimental group found it particularly promoted learning skills related to evaluation and self-regulation. No significant differences were found between the Chinese and Israeli experimental groups, suggesting that the model is cross-cultural. The study’s theoretical contribution is the creation of a novel pedagogical model that integrates elements of the sociocultural theory with CT concepts and instructional design principles. Methodologically, the study offers an innovative tool for analyzing both students' and instructors' conceptualization and experience with CT. The practical contribution is suggested examples of learning activities for fostering CT in science and engineering courses.
Bio:
Carmella is a doctoral student under the supervision of Professor Miri Barak. She received her bachelor’s degree in general history and English literature from Tel Aviv University, a teaching certificate from Haifa University and a master’s degree in education from Oranim Academic College of Education (summa cum laude). Carmella teaches scientific English at the Technion and academic English at Max Stern Yezreel College. During her studies, her article was published in the Journal of Science Education and Technology. In addition, her research was presented at a number of national and international conferences including Chais, ESERA, NARST and EARLI.
