Critical Thinking as a Dimension of Constructivist Learning: Some of the Characteristics of Students of Lower Secondary Education in Croatia
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of the frequency of constructivist learning and its dimensions, including critical thinking, the differences in them with regard to certain demographic characteristics, and correlations with the frequency of use of certain new media in teaching students in the final grade of lower secondary education in Croatia
(N = 703). The results show that students assessed a significantly higher incidence of critical thinking in relation to the other four dimensions of constructivist learning. In respect of every latent dimension of constructivist learning, (all) students with higher grade point averages are inclined towards a higher assessment of the frequency of the personal relevance of learning, critical thinking, and collaborative learning. Girls are more likely to highlight the personal importance of studying, critical thinking, and student negotiation, while there is no difference in the assessments regarding gender in the control of studying and the uncertainty of learning with new media. Students, regardless of where they live, assess the incidence of general
constructivist learning equally, also in regard to each dimension, i.e. the personal relevance of learning, the uncertainty of learning (with new media), critical thinking, shared control, and collaborative learning. The frequent use of new media is associated with the increased incidence of all the dimensions of constructivist learning. An interpretation of the results
indicates that critical thinking is by far the most prominent dimension of constructivist learning, whereby the gender of students and their grade point average are, to some extent, key factors in the differences in critical thinking, but also in most other dimensions of constructivist learning. This paper explains in detail the didactic implications of its research results.
Downloads
References
Bognar, L., & Matijević, M. (2005). Didaktika [Didactic]. Zagreb: Školska knjiga.
BoÅ¡njak, Z. (2009). Primjena konstruktivistiÄkog pouÄavanja i kritiÄkog miÅ¡ljenja u srednjoÅ¡kolskoj nastavi sociologije: pilot istraživanje [Application of constructivist teaching and critical thinking to sociological education at secondary school level: A pilot study]. Revija za sociologiju, 40(3–4), 257–277.
Cindrić, M., Miljković, D., & Strugar, V. (2010). Didaktika i kurikulum [Didactics and the curriculum]. Zagreb: IEP-D2.
Dillon, A., & Gabbard, R. (1998). Hypermedia as an educational technology. A review of the quantitative research literature on learner comprehension, control and style. Review of Educational Research, 68(3), 322–349.
Fosnot, C. T., & Perry, R. S. (2005). Constructivism: A psychological theory of learning. In C. T. Fosnot (Ed.), Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives and practice (pp. 8–33). New York, NY: Teacher College Press.
Hermans, R., Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2008). The impact of primary school teachers’ educational beliefs on the classroom use of computers. Computers & Education, 51(4), 1499–1509.
Herrington, J., Oliver, R., & Herrington, A. (2007). Authentic learning on the web: Guidelines for course design. In B. H. Kahn (Ed.), Flexible Learning in an Information Society (pp. 26–35). London: Information Science Publishing.
Herrmann, U. (2009). Neurodidaktik: Grundlagen und Vorschläge für gehirngerechtes Lehren und Lernen [Neurodidactics: fundamentals and proposals for brain-based teaching and learning]. Weinheim und Basel: Beltz Verlag.
Huber, C. J., & Kuncel, N. R. (2015). Does college teach critical thinking? A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 20(10), 1–38.
Kanselaar, G., de Jong, T., Andriessen, J., & Goodyear, P. (2002). New technologies. In R. J. Simons, J. van der Linden, & T. Duffy (Eds.), New learning (pp. 55–82). Dodrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Kalyuga, S., Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (2001). Learner experience and efficiency of instructional guidance. Educational Psychology, 21(1), 5–23.
Kim, H. B., Fisher, D. L., & Fraser, B. J. (2006). Assessment and investigation of constructivist science learning environments in Korea. Research in Science & Technological Education, 17(2), 239–249.
Kuncel, N. R. (2011). Measurement and meaning of critical thinking (Research report for the NRC 21st Century Skills Workshop). Washington, DC: National Research Council.
Lai, E. R. (2011). Critical thinking: A literature review. Boston: Pearson.
Lee, C. L., & Chen, M. P. (2009). A computer game as a context for non-routine mathematical problem solving: The effects of type of question prompt and level of prior knowledge. Computers & Education, 52(3), 530–542.
Lewis, A., & Smith, D. (1993). Defining higher order thinking. Theory into practice, 32(3), 131–137.
Matijević, M. (2001). Alternativne Å¡kole: didaktiÄke i pedagoÅ¡ke koncepcije [Alternative schools: Didactic and pedagogical concepts]. Zagreb: Tipex.
Nix, R. K., Fraser, B. J., & Ledbetter, C. E. (2003). Evaluating an integrated science learning environment (ISLE) using a new form of the Constructivist learning survey (CLES). Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Chicago, IL, April 21-25, 2003), pp. 1–18.
Oelkers, J. (2010). Reformpädagogik: Entstehungsgeschichten einer international Bewegung [Reform pedagogy: The origins of an international movement]. Leipzig: Klett und Balmer Verlag Zug.
Phillips, D. C. (1995). The good, the bad, and the ugly: The many faces of constructivism. Educational Researcher, 24(7), 5–12.
Reid, D. J., Zhang, J., & Chen, Q. (2003). Supporting scientific discovery learning in a simulation environment. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 19(1), 9–20.
Rosen, Y., & Salomon, G. (2007). The differential learning achievements of constructivist technologyintensive learning environments as compared with traditional ones: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 36(1), 1–14.
Sahlberg, P. (2012). Lekcije iz Finske [Finnish lessons]. Zagreb: Å kolska knjiga.
Schmidt, R. F., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Tamim, R., Abrami, P. C., Wade, C. A., Surkes, M. A., & Lowerison, G. (2009). Technology’s effect on achievement in higher education: A stage I meta-analysis of classroom applications. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 21(2), 95–109.
Schulz-Zander, R., & Tulodziecki, G. (2011). Pädagogische Grundlagen für das Online-Lernen [Educational basics for the online learning]. In P. Klimsa, & L. J. Issing (Eds.), Online-Lernen: Handbuch für Wissenschaft und Praxix (pp. 35–46). München: Oldenbourg.
Skiera, E. (2010). Reformpädagogik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Eine kritische Einführung [Reform pedagogy in past and present: A critical introduction]. München: Oldenburg.
Sprenger, M. (1999). Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action. Alexandria: ASCD.
Sternberg, R. J. (1986). Critical Thinking: Its Nature, Measurement, and Improvement. Washington, DC: National Institute of Education.
Tamim, R. M., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Abrami, P. C., & Schmid, R. F. (2011). What forty years of research says about the impact of technology on learning: A second-order meta-analysis and validation study. Review of Educational Research, 81(1), 4–28.
Taylor, P. C., Fraser, B. J., & Fischer, D. (1997). Monitoring constructivist classroom learning environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 27(4), 293–302.
Taylor, P. C., Fraser, B. J., & White, L. R. (1994). An instrument for monitoring the development of constructivist learning environments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
Terhart, E. (2003). Constructivism and teaching: A new paradigm in general didactics? Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35(1), 25–44.
TopolovÄan, T., & Matijević, M. (2016). Characteristics of using new media as predictors of constructivist teaching in lower secondary education in Croatia. International Journal of Knowledge, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 4(1), 35–52.
TopolovÄan, T., Rajić, V., & Matijević, M. (2017). KonstruktivistiÄka nastava: teorija i empirijska istraživanja [Constructivist teaching: Theory and empirical research]. Zagreb: UÄiteljski fakultet
SveuÄiliÅ¡ta u Zagrebu.
TopolovÄan, T. Matijević, M., & DumanÄić, M. (2016). Some predictors of constructivist teaching in elementary education. Croatian Journal of Education, 18(1), Sp. Ed., 193–212.
Torgerson, C. L., & Elbourne, D. (2002). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of information and communication technology (ICT) on the teaching of spelling. Journal of Research in Reading, 25(2), 129–143.
Yilmaz, K. (2008). Constructivism: Its theoretical underpinnings, variations, and implications for classroom instruction. Educational Horizons, 86(3), 161–172.
Zarevski, P., MateÅ¡ić, K., & MateÅ¡ić, jr., K. (2010). Kognitivne spolne razlike: juÄer, danas, sutra [Cognitive gender differences: Yesterday, today and tomorrow]. DruÅ¡tvena istraživanja, 19(108–109), 797–819.
In order to ensure both the widest dissemination and protection of material published in CEPS Journal, we ask Authors to transfer to the Publisher (Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana) the rights of copyright in the Articles they contribute. This enables the Publisher to ensure protection against infringement.
