Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-62).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (July 17, 2006) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Boise State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-151).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Boise State University, 2009. / Title from t.p. of PDF file (viewed April 12, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-151).

Dissertation (Ed.D)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Apr. 13, 2010). Directed by Randy Schmitz; submitted to the Dept.of Exercise and Sport Science. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-100).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Vita. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Developing critical thinking in early childhood is vital especially in Western culture since it improves an individual’s skills in creative thinking and enhances a person’s sense of responsibility. This is the fundamental contention of this thesis. These skills assist in developing and implementing a state of mind of not accepting negative situations and instead directs the individual towards trying to resolve and improve it. These issues have not yet been fully explored in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel. The development and application of notions of personal responsibility, critical thinking, and kindergarten-age children’s involvement in learning has yet to emerge as a reality in this community. This is needed because existing theory and practice involving these aspects of learning within the Palestinian system is problematic. Moreover, the development of a new approach to teaching and parenting of kindergarten-age children that fosters critical thinking and personal responsibility may not be a reality that is immediately achievable, but it is a possibility. This study aims to investigate how educational leaders can help kindergarten children aged 3-5 years to develop critical thinking and personal responsibility skills. The research focuses on Arab (Palestinian) children in Israel as these skills are not traditionally taught in the home or in educational settings in this culture. The literature shows that there is a marked disparity between the educational achievements of Arab and Jewish children in Israel, making the implications of this study salient not only to practitioners, but also to policymakers and educational institutions. In order to examine these goals, a case study involving qualitative research approaches of a kindergarten classroom has been conducted. The context of this study is an important and complex set of factors determining and shaping the content and form of the thesis and of the research that is embodied in the text. This study has been conducted in a kindergarten belonging to an Arab Municipality located in Northern Israel that was established in 2010 and is situated in a rural area in the north of the country. Lesson plans following the National Curriculum for Kindergarten Education were infused with teaching activities designed to facilitate the acquisition of critical thinking skills. The findings of the project showed that the presence of a strong educational leader had a positive impact on facilitating kindergarten children’s development of personal responsibility and critical thinking skills. This was especially the case if the leader played an active role in facilitating a learning environment at home and in school in which children were acknowledged and given greater autonomy and access to opportunities in which they could engage openly with parents and peers. This study calls attention to the need to further explore educational leadership in the context of early childhood education, as its implications for childhood development, particularly regarding critical thinking and personal responsibility, have not been sufficiently examined. This study claims to open possibilities for doing this in at least the Palestinian Kindergarten communities in Israel and perhaps beyond.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 200-222).

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2007. / Title from title screen viewed (4/10/2008). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-78).

<p>This project has been developed using a parallel strategy. The first part of this project uses the concept of a model, taken from Ml. Finley's book Ancient History Evidence and Models, as the basis of a philosophical inquiry into the development of higher level thinking skills found in two paradigmatic models: Plato's Republic and Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. In analyzing, synthesizing, amalgamating and adapting some of the elements of these two models, the writer constructs a generic metamodel for the development of higher level thinking skills in students.</p> <p>The second part of this project focusses on the development of 12 teacher-created lessons dealing with the topic of "Thinking About Thinking" for a Grade 8 Advisor class. The writer demonstrates how these lessons were implemented and provides samples of student work. She uses the "Student Development of Higher Level Thinking Skills Survey" as the basis of her interpretations and conclusions about the students' perception of the development of higher level thinking skills and the successes and weaknesses of the unit.</p> <p>The rationale for this project sterns from the writers personal and professional experiences in education and from the writer's belief that there is a need to assist our students to develop higher level thinking skills in order to meet the challenges of the future. There is a need to make education more responsive to the needs of society and to ensure that our students will be able to face the challenges of the Twenty-First Century by being effective problem-solvers and effective thinkers. The project is written primarily for those educators and scholars interested in analyzing models of thinking and in developing models in the classroom to promote the development of higher level thinking skills among students.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)