CATHERINE MITSAKI c.mitsaki@rgu.ac.uk
Research Student
Deconstructing critical thinking skills provision: the normative and the transformative.
Mitsaki, Catherine; Zhang, Qian
Authors
Qian Zhang
Abstract
Critical thinking skills are at the core of Higher Education and EAP practice; however, there is little consensus in defining the term and its elusive nature. We approached this landscape from a social-constructivist perspective aiming at deconstructing views and practices as well as generating ideas and alternative avenues for research and practice. We conducted a small-scale survey on how EAP practitioners view the relevant provision at their institutions, how they think teaching critical thinking skills can be more focused and effective, and how they view their role in this transition. We used this data as a springboard for our workshop at BALEAP 2023 Conference to initiate a cycle of de- and re-construction of EAP practice. This reflective report adopts Kolb's cycle of reflective practice to analyse the outcomes of this process. Our results indicate that the emerging themes link under two larger concepts: instructional approaches and acknowledging cultural diversity. We identified a positive move towards more holistic, post-method instructional approaches to meet learners' needs without losing sight of active student engagement. The results also highlight that diverse views and perceptions of CT skills due to cultural and educational differences were acknowledged and deficit models and/or stereotyping were rejected and identified as main challenges EAP tutors face in their practice.
Citation
MITSAKI, C. and ZHANG, Q. 2025. Deconstructing critical thinking skills provision: the normative and the transformative. BALEAP: journal of research and practice [online], 1(1): write-ups from Caution! EAP under DEconstruction: proceedings from the 2023 biennial conference, 19-21 April 2023, Warwick, UK, pages 112-139. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31273/baleapjrp.v1.n1.1888
| Journal Article Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Acceptance Date | Apr 11, 2025 |
| Online Publication Date | Apr 11, 2025 |
| Publication Date | Apr 30, 2025 |
| Deposit Date | May 6, 2025 |
| Publicly Available Date | May 6, 2025 |
| Journal | BALEAP journal of research and practice |
| Publisher | University of Warwick Press |
| Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 112-139 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.31273/baleapjrp.v1.n1.1888 |
| Keywords | Critical thinking; EAP; Deconstruction; Reflection; Cultural differences |
| Public URL | https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2795764 |
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© Copyright: The Authors. This article is issued under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.