Digital educational technology is capable of contributing supplementary strategies that can be used to address various educational challenges faced by higher education. Foremost among these challenges is the widespread lack of academic preparedness of students who enter South African higher education institutions. The legacy of Apartheid, teachers' poor domain knowledge and command of the language of instruction, together with a lack of commitment to the cognitive development of learners are some of the reasons why students have not developed the cognitive skills required to engage in meaningful learning. Meaningful learning requires a high level of conceptual engagement and development. To assist in the learning process, educators must focus on student learning rather than on the instructor and the technology used in the instruction. A powerful means of supporting meaningful learning is through a process of model building. Computer technology can effectively be used to facilitate the building of conceptual models. By encouraging students to use computer technology to build models that represent their personal understanding, the students are performing the role of designer and the technology is used as a cognitive tool. Using digital technology as a cognitive tool allows students to engage in critical thinking and higher-order learning. An expert system shell is one way in which technology can be used as a cognitive tool. When students build expert systems they are required to demonstrate the reasoning of an expert and to exhibit an understanding of causal relationships and procedural knowledge. There is very little evidence of research concerning the application of expert systems as a cognitive tool in education. The primary aim of this study is to formulate design principles in the form of conjectures and principles related to a learning environment that uses technology as a cognitive tool in the form of an expert system shell to promote higher-order thinking skills. The second aim of this study is to explore the experiences of students who are exposed to a learning environment based on the conjectures and principles formulated during the design phase of the research. The conjectures and principles formulated during this study are expressed in terms of the characteristics, procedures and arguments associated with a learning environment that uses technology in the form of an expert system shell to facilitate higher-order thinking. These conjectures and principles were separated into seven interrelated clusters that can be summarised as follows: <ul><li> initial exposure;</li><li> guided discovery learning;</li><li> designing the expert system on paper;</li><li> creating domain awareness;</li><li> linking conceptual understanding to a representation of that understanding;</li><li> hands-on development; and</li><li> problem engagement.</il></ul> These conjectures and principles could guide similar endeavours undertaken by lecturers or instructional designers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Štěrbíková, K.: Reading of images and reading of text as a way towards new experience from the book. /Thesis/ Prague 2014 - Charles University, Faculty of education, department of art education, 125 pages. The thesis examines the illustration of children's books - one of the forms of fine art. The illustration is considered to be one of the ways for the development of critical thinking, visual literacy and key competencies of younger school-age children. Therefore, this thesis focuses on the current concept of book illustration. Based on an intensive research the thesis is trying to detect those properties of book illustrations encouraging children to active participation and active relationship with the book. The interpretation of the image (illustration) is dealt with in close connection to the process of understanding conceptual meaning of the text reacting to the level of literacy skills achieved by Czech pupils. The program Critical thinking through reading and writing offers the option of increasing the level of literacy and at the same time the possibility of deepening the relationship of the child with the book. The goal of the thesis is to prove that if the viewer works with the book as one complex unit, which encourages flexible thinking, there is a chance for him/her to find a new,...

My master's thesis with a title Possible Applications of Innovative Methods for Reading Literacy Development in Elementary School is aimed at the critical thinking methods. These methods lead pupils in elementary school to a development of reading literacy. The theoretical part of my work provides an overview of the curriculum reform and the following changes in learning. The terms teacher, innovation, pedagogical constructivism and reading literacy are explained. The key competences of primary education are described, because their development and fulfilment are important goals of education. Furthermore, the educational programme Reading & Writing for Critical Thinking and the three-phase model of learning with its phases learning, awareness and evocation with emphasis on methods supporting a reading literacy of pupils are narrated. The methods of critical thinking supporting reading literacy of pupils are examined in the practical part of my work. The action research with help of an observation method is used in order to evaluate the impact of the critical thinking methods on the development of key competences and level of reading literacy of pupils. The research was conducted at the elementary school, where no innovative methods of critical thinking are used. Key words: teacher, constructivism,...

There is a great tendency in using literature as a medium of language teaching because literature plays an essential role in developing the students’ language skills. It also helps them in acquiring cultural experiences and to attain a better understanding of the literary texts. The Swedish National Agency for Education supports the inclusion of literature in English language classes in each of primary, secondary and even upper secondary schools. This research aims to examine the underlying reasons behind incorporating literature in teaching English, specifically in Swedish secondary schools grades 7-9, and it sheds light on how teachers manage to employ literature effectively in the classroom. Moreover, it explains the criteria behind selecting appropriate literary texts that suit students’ needs. The study also states some problems that may encounter teachers in adopting literature as a way of teaching. All these issues are discussed through conducting qualitative interviews with three English teachers. This study points out that literature has been used as a paramount tool for teaching English. By reading literary books, students’ knowledge about social and cultural issues is developed and their language skills also become better. Furthermore, teachers mention that there are several central criteria to note when using literature during the process of teaching literature, such as selecting literary materials with topics that students can find interesting to work with. Different kinds of tasks have been assigned to students to get the opportunity to describe, analyse and reflect upon what they worked with.  Some of the challenges identified by the teachers are lack of time and the students’ different skill levels. More studies are required regarding the efficacy of using literature as a helping educational tool in English language learning from students’ views, in particular considering individual and linguistic improvement.

Title: Reading as an Instrument for Education of Critical Reading at Lower Secondary School Level Author: Renata Bromová Department: Department of English language and ELT Methodology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University Supervisor: Prof., PhDr. Bohuslav Mánek, CSc. Abstract This thesis deals with the topic of reading as an instrument of critical reading; which enables training of critical reading within teaching English as a part of lower secondary education. Critical reading is consired to be an important part of general education due to the fact that critical reading and thinking as the highest form of work with information gathered from written texts are included in school curriculum and they work as key competences. Research of the thesis maps experience of teachers as well as students with critical reading within English language education and consequently verifies efficiency of systematic work with foreign language text as the means of critical reading. The research is divided into two parts. The quantitative part submits implementation rate of critical reading methods in the English lessons and the qualitative part introduces methodical materials prepared for practical realisation of critical reading practice including mentoring and evaluation of this methodical material. Data collection of both...

This investigation has sought to explore and understand how students who come to Sweden to study sustainable development perceive their future and what struggles they face. Underpinned by Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological theories the aim was thus to understand the role of education in sustainable development for international students; by looking at what kind of assets they possess, how struggles can be understood in relation to what assets they have, in what way geographical place might be significant and how changes of values and views of knowledge may affect their views of the future. The study has been restricted to Uppsala University and specifically The Centre for Environment and Development studies, (CEMUS.) CEMUS has been deliberately chosen since it offers many courses in sustainable development in English. As a method, an online survey and interviews have been conducted, with the aim of constructing a qualitative study. The data used in this study has been collected during a period of 3 months between February and April 2019. The scope of the study covers students who defined themselves as students within sustainable development who have or where taking courses at CEMUS at the time of the interviews.            The main result is that the students through the education in sustainable development experience new understandings of narratives, critical thinking and need for societal change. The clash between their earlier educational paths and the knowledge they have gained in sustainable development is disruptive to the extent of causing a cognitive dissonance resulting in a cleft habitus. It contributes to uncertainties about the future; both at the job-market as the undisciplinary and in life choices such as where and how to live. With one foot in current system and one foot on the edge of change towards an uncertain future. Most struggle enormously as their “in-between” position is not only due to meeting another culture, but a head on confrontation with earlier understandings of their reality and position in it. It is concluded that giving up privilege and convert what they have to the new frame of sufficiency, is hard. Nevertheless, the students who come from affluent backgrounds are those who adapt most easily to the education they meet at CEMUS, whereas those with less still have to face the fear of not having enough.

Thesis "Critical thinking of high school students - the method of verification of the news" focuses on the analysis of the media literacy of Czech high school students. The aim of the work was to find out how students validate information and whether they do so at all. I also focused on their critical thinking of the news and if they are able to recognize misinformation. I divided this thesis into two parts - theoretical part and the analysis. In the theoretical part, I focused on media concepts, issues of the digital media era and the inclusion of media education in the curriculum. I divided the research into two parts - quantitative and qualitative. In the first part of the research, I sent a questionnaire to the students from various high schools. I got 339 responses. Then I went deeper into the topic and did individual interviews with a sample of 11 students. The results of the questionnaire survey revealed that students are able to work with various sources of information, in most of them verify reports, and almost all can recognize misinformation. Due to the already conducted research of media literacy in the Czech Republic, I did not expect this positive result. However, in individual interviews in which I treated the respondents more in depth, the weaknesses of their media education became...

1 Abstract The diploma thesis deals with the educational topic Viruses at a higher level of grammar schools. The theoretical part deals with the inclusion of the topic during school year, analyses available textbooks and other teaching materials, focuses on the theoretical side of the activation methods, and suggests teaching units. In the teaching units it mainly uses activation methods and methods targeting on critical thinking. In the practical part of the proposed teaching unit verifies in teaching, and evaluates their success in terms of the degree of remembering pupils.

Den här studien undersöker hur gymnasielärare tolkar och arbetar mot värdeordet nyanserat som finns i kunskapskraven för samhällskunskap. En kvalitativ metod har använts i studien som utgjorts av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Teorier från Johan Sandahl, Maria Rönnlund et al. och Suzanne Parmenius Swärd används för att analysera empirin. Resultatet av studien är att de intervjuade lärarna tolkar nyanserat tänkande framförallt som en tankeförmåga. Det skaver mot tidigare forskning som belyser att nyanserat tänkande, utöver en tankeförmåga, är en språklig förmåga. Resultatet tillsammans med tidigare forskning visar att nyanserat tänkande, att ta olika perspektiv, är en demokratisk förmåga. Studien visar också att lärare arbetar på olika sätt för att elever ska vara nyanserade men att undervisningen huvudsakligen består av en social process i form av samtal och diskussion. Studien har också belyst att det är skillnad mellan prestation och förståelse. Att uppnå kunskapskraven för nyanserade resonemang och diskussioner är inte en garant för att kunna göra samma sak i ett annat sammanhang. Vidare har studien visat att det existerar ett forskningsgap kring nyanserat tänkande och att det behövs mer kunskap.

The thesis "Critical thinking and its application in libraries", aims to become familiar with the term "critical thinking". It informs about the program Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking and its Czech version. It represents some of the modern teaching methods, which are generated by its ideas and principles. It deals mainly with the description of activating methods, which are crucial for the program. The methods are divided into three groups according to whether they use more reading, writing and discussion. The practical part deals with the preparation of information education lessons in which methods are applied to developing critical thinking. The lessons are divided into three parts, according to a three-phase model of learning - evocation, awareness of the importance and reflection. Model lessons are adapted to the university library. As the lecture topics have been selected areas of critical thinking, information smog, invisible web, the credibility of information retrieval techniques and information security.