Developing Student Criticality in Higher Education: Undergraduate Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences [Paperback]

Critical thinking is a major and enduring aspect of higher education and the development of criticality in students has long been a core aim. However, understandings of criticality are conceptually and empirically unclear. The book combines a well developed conceptual discussion of the nature of criticality appropriate for the twenty-first century, the extent to which it is attainable by arts and social science undergraduates, and the paths by which it is developed during students' higher education experiences. Drawing upon empirical accounts and case studies of teaching and learning in different disciplines, this book critically analyses higher education curriculum and policy documentation to explore higher educational processes, encouraging a re-evaluation of practice and educational values, and enabling the development of curricula which incorporate systematic attention to the development of student criticality. This book proposes a rounded conceptual vision of criticality in higher education for the twenty-first century.

A rounded conceptual vision of criticality in higher education for the twenty-first century, demontrating ways forward in theory, research and practice of critical thinking.

Rosamond Mitchell is Professor in the School of Humanities and Director of the Centre for Applied Language Research at the University of Southampton, UK.
Florence Myles is Professor of Second Language Acquisition at the University of Essex, UK.

This book is an excellent contribution to developmental approaches to criticality. It has already made an invaluable contribution to my own work in both research and curriculum development and is particularly useful for those engaged in transition issues or developing student capacity for success in higher education. It will certainly interest researchers, educators and policy-makers who are searching for a research-led approach to understanding and developing student criticality in an era of rapid change in higher l³©