Critical thinking skills in tertiary education in Botswana
Date
2021-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
ENGLISH SUMMARY : This thesis seeks to contribute to an assessment of critical thinking skills in tertiary education in Botswana. It does so by developing an instrument of analysis based on the well-known and world widely used Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain, specifically the revised version which is the theoretical basis for this thesis. The instrument of analysis is then applied to a select set of year-end examination papers at a prominent university in Botswana which specializes in training for industry. The dedicated focus on critical thinking skills is triggered by the general need for innovation and invention brought about by the competitive nature of the knowledge economy, and in particular by the policy decision by the Botswana government to aggressively develop the economy along the route of the 4th industrial economy. Chapter 1 sets out the background to the study and explains the delimitations of the study and the methodological choices that were made. Chapter 2 profiles the notions of critical thinking and of critical thinking skills in greater detail. Chapter 3 traces the history and evolution of the Bloom’s framework and explicates the various dimensions of the taxonomy in its revised version. Chapter 4 explains the construction of the instrument of analysis on the basis of the Bloom’s taxonomy and demonstrates the specifics of the application Chapter 5 presents the findings and draws conclusions on the basis of the data. Chapter 6 offers evaluations and conclusions. This includes a discussion of the limitations to generalising the study results. It nevertheless can be confidently stated that critical thinking skills are underrepresented in the year-end papers. Apart from the specific results obtained in this study, it can be stated that the study has developed a standardised instrument of analysis which can be replicated across multiple educational institutions. As such it is a platform on which an education-wide reappraisal of critical thinking skills development in Botswana may be conducted.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie tesis wil bydra tot ‘n assessering van kritiese denkvaardighede in tersiêre onderwys in Botswana. Dit is gedoen deur ‘n instrument van analise te ontwikkel wat gebaseer is op die algemeen bekende en gebruikte Bloom se taksonomie van die kognitiewe domein, spesifiek die hersiene taksonomie wat die teoretiese basis vir hierdie tesis is. Hierdie instrument word dan toegepas op ‘n geselekteerde groep jaareind eksamenstelle van ‘n prominente universiteit in Botswana wat spesialiseer in opleiding vir die industrie. Aanleiding tot die fokus op kritiese denkvaardighede is die algemene behoefte aan innovasie en ontwerp wat tiperend is van die mededingende aard van die kennis-ekonomie, en in besonder die beleidskeuse van die Botswana regering om die ekonomie in die rigting van die sogenaamde 4e industriële revolusie te stuur. Hoofstuk 1 beskryf die agtergrond van die studie en verduidelik die afbakenings en metodologiese keuses in die studie. Hoofstuk 2 profileer die konsepte van kritiese denke en kritiese denkvaardighede. Hoofstuk 3 volg die ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis van Bloom se raamwerk en gaan in diepte in op die hersiene taksonomie Hoofstuk 4 verduidelik die konstruksie van die instrument van analise, en demonstreer in besonderhede hoe dit toegepas is om die kodering te doen vir die tesis. Hoofstuk 5 bied die resultate aan van die kodering. Hoofstuk 6 evalueer die data en kom tot bepaalde gevolgtrekkings. Dit sluit in ‘n bespreking van die noodwendige beperking van die studie en die vraag hoeveel veralgemening moontlik is. Ten minste kan die algemene konklusie gemaak word dat die eksamenstelle ‚n onder verteenwoordiging van kritiese denkvaardighede demonstreer. Afgesien van die spesifieke resultate van die studie, kan wel gekonstateer word dat die instrument wat ontwikkel het nuttig is om op ‘n gestandaardiseerde wyse kritiese denkvaardighede in vraestelle te meet. As sodanig is dit ‘n bruikbare platform vir ‘n landswye assessering van kritiese denkvaardighede in tersiêre onderwys.
ENGLISH SUMMARY : This thesis seeks to contribute to an assessment of critical thinking skills in tertiary education in Botswana. It does so by developing an instrument of analysis based on the well-known and world widely used Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain, specifically the revised version which is the theoretical basis for this thesis. The instrument of analysis is then applied to a select set of year-end examination papers at a prominent university in Botswana which specializes in training for industry. The dedicated focus on critical thinking skills is triggered by the general need for innovation and invention brought about by the competitive nature of the knowledge economy, and in particular by the policy decision by the Botswana government to aggressively develop the economy along the route of the 4th industrial economy. Chapter 1 sets out the background to the study and explains the delimitations of the study and the methodological choices that were made. Chapter 2 profiles the notions of critical thinking and of critical thinking skills in greater detail. Chapter 3 traces the history and evolution of the Bloom’s framework and explicates the various dimensions of the taxonomy in its revised version. Chapter 4 explains the construction of the instrument of analysis on the basis of the Bloom’s taxonomy and demonstrates the specifics of the application Chapter 5 presents the findings and draws conclusions on the basis of the data. Chapter 6 offers evaluations and conclusions. This includes a discussion of the limitations to generalising the study results. It nevertheless can be confidently stated that critical thinking skills are underrepresented in the year-end papers. Apart from the specific results obtained in this study, it can be stated that the study has developed a standardised instrument of analysis which can be replicated across multiple educational institutions. As such it is a platform on which an education-wide reappraisal of critical thinking skills development in Botswana may be conducted.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie tesis wil bydra tot ‘n assessering van kritiese denkvaardighede in tersiêre onderwys in Botswana. Dit is gedoen deur ‘n instrument van analise te ontwikkel wat gebaseer is op die algemeen bekende en gebruikte Bloom se taksonomie van die kognitiewe domein, spesifiek die hersiene taksonomie wat die teoretiese basis vir hierdie tesis is. Hierdie instrument word dan toegepas op ‘n geselekteerde groep jaareind eksamenstelle van ‘n prominente universiteit in Botswana wat spesialiseer in opleiding vir die industrie. Aanleiding tot die fokus op kritiese denkvaardighede is die algemene behoefte aan innovasie en ontwerp wat tiperend is van die mededingende aard van die kennis-ekonomie, en in besonder die beleidskeuse van die Botswana regering om die ekonomie in die rigting van die sogenaamde 4e industriële revolusie te stuur. Hoofstuk 1 beskryf die agtergrond van die studie en verduidelik die afbakenings en metodologiese keuses in die studie. Hoofstuk 2 profileer die konsepte van kritiese denke en kritiese denkvaardighede. Hoofstuk 3 volg die ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis van Bloom se raamwerk en gaan in diepte in op die hersiene taksonomie Hoofstuk 4 verduidelik die konstruksie van die instrument van analise, en demonstreer in besonderhede hoe dit toegepas is om die kodering te doen vir die tesis. Hoofstuk 5 bied die resultate aan van die kodering. Hoofstuk 6 evalueer die data en kom tot bepaalde gevolgtrekkings. Dit sluit in ‘n bespreking van die noodwendige beperking van die studie en die vraag hoeveel veralgemening moontlik is. Ten minste kan die algemene konklusie gemaak word dat die eksamenstelle ‚n onder verteenwoordiging van kritiese denkvaardighede demonstreer. Afgesien van die spesifieke resultate van die studie, kan wel gekonstateer word dat die instrument wat ontwikkel het nuttig is om op ‘n gestandaardiseerde wyse kritiese denkvaardighede in vraestelle te meet. As sodanig is dit ‘n bruikbare platform vir ‘n landswye assessering van kritiese denkvaardighede in tersiêre onderwys.
Description
Keywords
Critical thinking -- Ability testing -- Botswana, Education (Higher) -- Psychological aspects -- Botswana, Cognitive psychology, UCTD