This article focuses on a detailed review of philosophical literary stories which represent specific area
of the Philosophy for children programme primarily aimed at independent thinking development
in education process. The benefits of the programme are characterised within the theoretical basis
on the level of critical, creative and caring thinking. The philosophical literary story is a part of
fiction. It covers philosophical categories, but it is characterised with simplicity in its theme, as
well as content and language part. The role of this type of text lies mainly in motivation toward
consequent philosophical discussion in a group called community of inquiry. Through the literary
text interpretation method, we demonstrate presence and interconnection among critical thinking
categories. At the same time, we discuss the subject type of texts as a specific model for critical
thinking level development.
Keyword(s) : critical thinking
The Influence of Selected Variables on University Students’ Critical Thinking Level: Preliminary Results
Critical thinking is necessary not only to understand the academic content, but also to effectively carry out activities related to one’s own profession. The aim of the research was to identify the level of critical thinking in university students and to determine the influence of selected variables on the level of critical thinking. The variables were gender, age, use of the media, necessity of the media, up-to-date information, up-to-date professional information, and health information on the Internet. Fifty respondents studying at university participated in the research. Both bachelor’s and master’s students at the age of 21 to 36 were involved in the study. In order to achieve the set goal, an quantitative approach was adopted using a critical thinking test (Criticatl Thinking Test for university Students – CTTUS) as a research technique. Descriptive, inductive and multivariate statistics were applied for the data analysis. Age and gender emerged as important factors. Information literacy, which can significantly affect the level of critical thinking, can also be an important factor in the education of pupils and students. Finally, the study limitations are presented.
A Toolkit to Assess the Level of Universal Competencies (Soft Skills) of Pedagogical University Students
As science and technology develops rapidly and the knowledge gained over the years of study devalues
equally rapidly, a university should not only provide students with specific, highly professional
knowledge and skills, but also develop universal competencies (soft skills), which include the ability
to self-study, self-development, communication and cooperation, creativity, critical thinking and
others. These are the skills that are increasingly valuable and will be more valuable in the future for
the personal and professional success of a young specialist demanded by an employer.
In the absence of unified and validated methods for diagnosing universal competencies, and with the
uncertainty and inconsistency relating to the basic set of soft skills required for a young specialist at
the start of his/her professional career, difficulties arise in organizing the educational process in high
education to integrate the development of hard and soft skills. The aim of the study was to develop a
toolkit for assessing and monitoring the level of development of universal competencies in students
of a pedagogical university.
The proposed toolkit was tested at the Institute of Natural Science and Sports Technologies of the
Moscow City University. It made it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses in the educational
process, acting as a sensitive diagnostic tool and facilitating the choice of a strategy aimed at
increasing its effectiveness for developing students’ universal competencies. The proposed approach
is universal and can be used in different contexts.
EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Implementing Critical Thinking in Teaching Reading: Focus on the Possible Hindrances
The study explores Iranian English teachers’ perceptions of the importance of critical thinking
skills and the extent to which they practice their beliefs in real classroom setting. As a secondary
purpose, the study discovered the possible hindrances in the way of implementing critical thinking
in reading classes. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, data were collected through survey
questionnaire, interviews and class observations from 4 universities and several English language
institutes. Fifty participants took part in the study. A questionnaire with 16 closed-ended and two
open-ended questions was utilized to collect data about the teachers’ beliefs. For the next phase
of the study, one teacher from among 10 teachers who showed strong beliefs was conveniently
selected for class observation and interview. The results of one sample T-test and independent
sample T-test indicated that teachers believed critical thinking was important and that there was
not any significant difference between male and female regarding critical thinking. Qualitative
analysis of the data showed that despite the teachers’ strong beliefs about the importance of critical
thinking, they did not implement it much in their classroom practices. The hindrances as well as the
implications of the study are fully explained in the paper.
Open-mindedness in the terminological system of the modern philosophy of education: interpretations and problems
This article considers the main aspects of the discussion about the concept of open-mindedness in
modern English-speaking philosophy of education. It emphasizes the importance of the topic for
national pedagogy, which is currently in composite dialogue with world traditions of understanding
the educational process. Open-mindedness is considered as an element of an extensive terminological
system. The need to clarify the meaning of the concept is associated with its role in determining
the criteria for the distinction between education and indoctrination. The article presents the
most significant definitions of open-mindedness and indicates that the external obviousness of the
concept contrasts with the difficulty of finding its consistent definition. It finds that the key feature
of the experience in interpreting open-mindedness is the increase in educational requirements.
It summarizes the main objections raised to various aspects of a theoretical understanding of the
concept. The author considers it logical to abandon attempts to implement the ideal of absolute
rational open-mindedness in teaching. In general, the discourse on open-mindedness shows the
impossibility of avoiding discussion about the development of a subject in any attempt to determine
the meaning of education. The article presents the research prospects in rethinking the role of
rationality in the process of making a man and the world.
The Structure Of Multi-Dimensional Thinking
The relevance of the work consists in the need of development of the form the individual, who is able to find effective and different solutions of professional and life tasks. The purpose of the article is to characterize features of a multi-dimensional thinking and to describe its structure. The work presents modern conditions of process of development and formation of professional identity. The author also defines the terms “critical thinking”, “reflexive thinking”, “creative thinking”, “prognostic thinking”, “system thinking”, “Multi-dimensional thinking” and its structure are formed from these terms.
The article describes the results of the research that were made from post-graduated students of Kazan(Volga region) federal university. This research describes knowledge of students about 5 types of thinking and also ways of its development.
If you are using different methods and techniques for the development of this or that kind of thinking, we also employ other types of thinking. However, concrete thinking actively manifested in dealing with a particular type of task. Furthermore, in the process for solving a problem in different stages of its possible use of different types of thinking. Depending on the purpose to solve problems selected the necessary methods and techniques. The solution of any problems and challenges currently not without multidimensional thinking, it is based on a systematic, creative, critical, reflective and forward-looking thinking.
Theoretical basis of foreign peragogical strategies for students’ critical thinking development
One of the most important aim of the modern education is the development of intellectual sphere of a person, in particular the critical thinking. A university graduate should be able to critically evaluate and classify the information, to make his own deci-sions. The development of critical thinking in the universities of western countries is a theoretically reasonable, systematic and controlled process. The western experience can be analyzed and adapted to the demands of the Russian society and be applied to the national professional education.