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Source publication
The need to establish a research field within psychology didactics at secondary level has recently been voiced by several researchers internationally. An analysis of a Swedish case coming out of secondary level education in psychology presented here provides an illustration that complexity thinking—derived from complexity theory—is uniquely placed...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... found that case studies, research articles, and digital tools are commonly used, and role plays, the flipped classroom, and logbooks are used quite rarely for the purpose of teaching psychology. In addition, the selection of methods more often takes place after a consultation with pupils and not so often after a consultation with colleagues ( Table 6). | What is the biggest challenge for psychology teachers when the subject plan is to be transformed into didactic work in the classroom? ...Context 2
... prefer to engage with pupils when transforming the curriculum into practice through the selection of methods rather than consulting colleagues ( Table 6). In a consultation with other teachers 54 62 57 57 ...Context 3
... of the books listed by Swedish teachers in this study, however, include case studies, and teachers often use these in classroom activities. Digital tools, practical exercises, and films are also used, but to a lesser extent than case studies ( Table 6). The book in combination with methodologies promoting selfknowledge, including case studies, is one of the activities carried out to reach goals in the curriculum according to teacher statements, and case studies (as described in the psychology books listed by teachers) are particular to traditions coming out of psychology. ...Citations
... The conclusive analysis presented is consistent with the potential of complexity theory to address the challenges, at the micro-and macro-genetic levels, in establishing a new field of research in higher education from the perspective of educational psychology, and to provide possible solutions for the implementation of complex and creative thinking as a developmental goal for students and a strategic goal for higher education institutions. (Davis and Sumara, 2014;Scott et al., 2018;Harmat and Herbert, 2020). On the other hand, the main limitation of this review is that there is not enough information to explore the different weight of the methodologies implemented for the development of cognitive, affective-attitudinal, creativity, talent and academic performance skills in higher education in academic programmes. ...
Aim
This systematic review identified systematic reviews of quantitative and qualitative empirical studies on the promotion and development of critical thinking in higher education students that allowed us to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the main definitions of critical thinking found in systematic reviews of critical thinking in higher education, and what are their similarities and differences? and (2) What are the most commonly used teaching strategies in higher education for teaching or promoting critical thinking, and how effective have they proven to be?
Methods
Systematic reviews were selected according to the guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyzes (PRISMA, 2020) and the eligibility criteria proposed by the PICOS strategy (population, interventions, comparators, outcomes and study design), based on 23 records of scientifically identified registers in the Journal Citation Report databases of the Web of Science.
Results
The bibliometric and systematic search of reviews of empirical studies on the topic allowed the selection of five systematic reviews. The results highlighted that conceptually critical thinking is related to both dispositions and skills, and that although there is no consensus on its definition, it is established that it is a higher-order cognitive process that can be trained. However, the results show that more studies have been conducted considering critical thinking as a skill than as a disposition, that the immersion approach has been widely used, and that some instructional strategies have shown greater effectiveness than others when the disciplines are evaluated independently.
Discussion
Despite the relative consensus on the importance of critical thinking for professional development in higher education, this review highlights some difficulties in conceptualizing critical thinking, in the relationship between dispositions and skills, and in its assessment in academic disciplines.
... The dynamic and collaborative character of crisis management also lends itself well to applying the lens of complexity theory; this approach has proved effective in the analysis of complex adaptive systems, such as educational organisations, offering knowledge to aid policy development and the design of adaptive work environments that enable the kind of non-linear processes that characterise education service provision (Coiera 2011;Burns 2001). Therefore, the complexity approach may be useful in all educational settings to describe dissipative structures, the holistic and non-linear nature of learning processes and the dynamic relations between agents taking part in the educational system (Harmat and Herbert 2020;Forsman et al. 2012). ...
Due to a combination of historical, socioeconomic, political and environmental factors, Ethiopia is unfortunately prone to internal conflicts, such as the one which re-erupted in April 2018 between the Gedeo and Guji ethnic groups in southern Ethiopia. One of the effects of this conflict was that education was severely disrupted in the Gedeo and West Guji zones. Many schools were damaged or looted, and thus no longer provided safe learning environments, while others were repurposed as temporary shelters for internally displaced people. The conflict died down again in July 2018, and the authors of this article conducted their post-conflict case study research between April and June 2019. They investigated six adversely affected schools and their surrounding communities in the Gedeo and West Guji zones. Based on their research, they explore community perceptions of post-conflict reconstruction of education, focusing on early activities such as prioritising education, restoring safety and security, and supplying resources. They examine the reconstruction of education in the study area using primary data gathered from parents, teachers, administrators and humanitarian agencies through qualitative interviews. This study is influenced by four themes derived from the basic premises of complexity theory: emergence, self-organisation, non-linearity and connectedness. Throughout the authors’ analysis, they make use of the data collected by focus group discussions, interviews and field observations, complemented by secondary data. Despite numerous stakeholders’ efforts to provide humanitarian aid, this study found that post-conflict reconstruction of education is poor and based on short-term normalisation rather than aiming for long-term sustainable safe learning environments for children and youth in the study areas. At the end of their sobering analysis, the authors stress the importance of providing children and youth with a long-term, sustainable and healthy learning environment using targeted strategies and policy options.
Desafortunadamente, los comentarios de Covarrubias y Roca perdieron por igual el punto central de mi artículo target, a saber, lo fútil de discusiones sobre el objeto de estudio propio de la psicología. Sus comentarios solo rodearon el planteamiento, sin comentarlo directamente. En estas reflexiones ulteriores, reitero y elaboro en mayor detalle algunos de los aspectos de ese punto. Específicamente, respecto al comentario de Covarrubias, reflexiono sobre algunas aparentes confusiones ontológicas sobre propiedades y representaciones mentales, aclarando que no son lo mismo. También, aclaro que el representacionalismo es compatible con la neurociencia cognitiva, la teoría de la identidad, el conexionismo e inclusive el enfoque ecologista gibsoniano. Pero, termino rechazando el representacionalismo por conceptualmente obscuro y, con ello, todo debate sobre representaciones como ininteligible. En su lugar, como ejemplo del tipo de conexionismo eliminativo que investigo, muestro una simulación de aprendizaje de contingencias con un modelo de redes neurales que no postula representaciones, procesamiento de información o siquiera mediación causal interna. Respecto al comentario de Roca, señalo su empecinamiento en acusar a la psicología mentalista de dualista, reiterando las razones por las cuales esta acusación es patentemente falsa. También identifico varias falacias en su argumento en contra de los modelos de redes neurales. En especial, como lo anticipé en mis reflexiones sobre el comentario de Covarrubias, ningún modelo computacional requiere la postulación de mediación causal mecánica.
