Arlene Egan

Teaching Thinking Skills at University Arlene Egan

There is an increasing consensus among educational researchers and reformists of the importance of developing students' critical thinking abilities in higher education. In fact, Ten Dam and Volman (2004) argue that the ability for an individual to think critically is essential not only for educational and workplace efficiency but also for effective citizenship. Unfortunately, there is little agreement in the literature on the most successful way to develop third level students' critical thinking. Given this challenge, this book describes the development of a theoretically based intervention aimed at improving First Year Psychology students' critical thinking abilities. This book details the development, implementation and outcome of three distinct studies, each of which examines the effects of critical thinking instruction on students' critical thinking abilities. This book would be helpful to third level lecturers and tutors who may wish to embed critical thinking into their teaching. Student academic support advisors may also find this book useful when working directly with students focusing on their critical thinking development.