Humanities teachers’ conceptualization and pedagogical practices of critical thinking: A qualitative case study within a Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) in Kazakhstan

Abstract

For this thesis I focus on one of the “four C” skills of the 21st century - critical thinking (CT). Critical thinking is considered a complex concept that is new for the educational context of Kazakhstan. Recognizing that teachers’ beliefs and understanding about CT can have a direct impact on classroom practices. Therefore, it is important to explore teacher’s conceptualization to see the connections. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ conceptualization of CT and their pedagogical practices for developing CT for students in one Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) in Kazakhstan. The data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with twelve teachers working in the school. As a result of the qualitative analysis, the study revealed teachers’ conceptualization of CT, familiarity with the phenomenon, and what principals and strategies were implemented for developing CT skills for students........