Undergraduates and the development of argument

This article emphasizes the need to encourage undergraduate students to develop arguments, which involves enhancing their analytical skills and capacity for critical thinking, across disciplines regardless of level. It argues that these skills, required by the Quality Assurance Agency＇s （QAA） benchmarks, are developed not by instruction but by engaging with the philosophic process that leads to the deep learning. This process of learning is based on a dialectical approach, viewing dialogue with colleagues, primary texts and written assignments, as central to developing an inductive argument and a critical perspective. This article proposes an analytical framework to analyze the extent to which a tutor is facilitating the development of argument. It suggests that while, if required one must provide students with explicit guidelines about this process, nevertheless this practice is problematic because of the inherent tension between explicit teaching and deep learning, which facilitates the acquisition of these analytical skills.     

Emerging Attributes of Pedagogy and Curriculum for the “New World Order”

This article is a conceptual one designed to start dialogue on educational issues that are unfolding amidst the changes in other sectors of our society such as production, services, and recreation. We first present an overview of the fundamental but profound changes evidenced in our society and then discuss the nature of these changes and their impact on human ability to function effectively within such an environment. In light of the complexities such as uncertainties and dualistic/multiple perspectives and incongruities, we propose that a model for pedagogy and curriculum development should adopt critical thinking as the key attribute—because it has the potential to deliver an education system for the new world order.     

Turning Polemics into Pedagogy: Teaching about Censorship in Art Education

In recent decades, the field of art education has seen an increasing interest in issues of social justice and social reconstruction which has led to pre‐service art educators often being encouraged to include potentially controversial topics in their pedagogy. Surprisingly, however, there seems to have been little concurrent discussion concerning the inherent risks involved in introducing polemical themes within the classroom. Indeed, despite its obvious importance, the subject of censorship is often given little attention in art education circles, save for when it has already become an active problem, such as when an instructor is accused of censorship by a student, or when forces outside the classroom seek to involve themselves in pedagogical decisions. In this article, I describe my experience creating and implementing an undergraduate pre‐service art education course on the subject of censorship. I begin by examining my students’ reactions to some of the themes explored, and then explain how discussing cases of art censorship and controversy can serve as a platform for introducing students to the key role that context plays in how we perceive, value and react to artworks. Finally, I make the argument that by including censorship as a subject within their curriculum, teachers can help students better to navigate the psychological, moral and ethical complexities of contemporary art making.     

What future teachers believe about democracy and why it is important

This paper analyses pre-service education student perceptions and perspectives related to education for democracy in Australia. Using a critical pedagogical framework datum from an online survey, it presents both quantitative and qualitative responses of contrasting understandings of democracy. It begins by outlining the concepts of thick and thin democracy and why this is important in relation to contemporary debates about the state of civics and citizenship education, and then explains the conceptual framework of critical pedagogy and methodology. The datum analysed is discussed in relation to neoliberalism and indicates that the pre-service teachers in this study view democracy in a narrow or thin way that may impact on their classroom practice where they would be teaching about but not for democracy. A more critical and thicker understanding of democracy is suggested as essential if we desire our students to become active and transformative citizens.     

Critical Thinking and Educational Ideal

Critical thinking, as an educational trend, has been much discussed and proposed nowadays. In this paper, an analysis is made on the gap between our present educational practice and educational ideal from three different aspects, that is, the content, the manner and the one-sidedness of our teaching. It＇s observed that there is still a long way to go in order to realize our educational ideal and critical thinking, and critical pedagogy should be widely promoted and applied so as to foster well-educated people in its true sense. A conclusion is finally reached that education is the core no matter what theories and concepts are proposed and adopted.     

教师批判性思维倾向量表(TCTS)的修订

本研究的目的在于以分析教师批判性思维倾向(Teacher Critical Thinking)的结构为基础,制订教师批判性思维倾向的测量工具。原始问卷根据台湾学者朱苑瑜、叶玉珠编制完成的《批判性思考倾向量表》及教师批判性思维倾向的理论定义而构造。489位中小学教师参加了测验。要求被试在6点量表上评定问卷的每一个条目是否适合描述他们自己,“1”代表非常同意,“6”代表非常不同意。测验结果得到了一个由12个条目构成的四因素结构的教师批判性思维倾向量表,该因素解释总变异的74.2%,量表平均分为27.12,标准差为10.98,无显著性性别差异(t=.336,P=.737)。统计分析还表明:该量表具有较好的内部一致性信度(a=.9496)和折半信度(r=.9384)。本量表适合在中小学教师中使用,稳定性较强,项目较少,简便易行。     

新时期女性成长小说的叙述声音

通过对新时期女性成长小说中的叙述声音进行分析,可以发现在现有性别文化体制下,女性写作主体对文本叙述策略的把握已经有了很大的提升,但由于女性在社会文化中"他者"的境遇及话语体制存在的男性中心意识,她们依然无法彻底摆脱被男权文化制约的叙述困境。     

论建设单位在工程实施阶段的造价管理

在工程实施阶段,虽然节约投资、降低造价的空间不大,但浪费投资、增加造价却有极大的可能性,因此,在此阶段必须组织工程招标,加强工程合同管理,强化施工过程管理,严格控制工程变更,提升工程结算水平,从而切实有效控制该阶段的工程造价,以确保建设单位的投资效果。     

大学理想之一：大学批判精神

大学理想,表达了人们对传统大学所应承担社会责任之期望。在各种大学理想中,大学批判精神是其最高层次和最高境界。当前,并不能说大学批判精神的缺失,只能说大学批判精神显得黯淡。     

浅谈新时期高校思想政治教育的几个结合

与社会主义市场经济的建设发展相适应,高校思想政治教育既要填充更新内容,又要改进变换方法,只有从时代要求和学生实际出发,融灵活多样的方式于高校思想政治教育之中,才能使其功能和作用有效发挥。