ESRC-DFID Research Impact Photo: A group of students sittogether outsideaUniversity inBotswana. these debates inthe African context. noticeable lack of research and evidence toinform conducted intheUSA, UK,and Australia. thinking skills,current evidence rests largely onresearch positively influence the development of student critical ways in which academicexperiences at university can However, despite alarge body of literature lookingat individuals with demonstrable criticalthinkingskills. in sub-Saharan Africa –andelsewhere –callfor The new development challenges facing countries THE CHALLENGE development of their students’ criticalthinkingskills. Saharan Africa are now makingchanges to their teaching practices to supportthe Coast inGhana, andStrathmore University inKenya, universities across sub- together with researchers from theUniversity of , theUniversity of Cape economy’. Thanks to innovative research from University College London, UK education, acrucialskill for graduate participation intheglobal‘knowledge considered oneof themostimportant outcomes of acontemporary university Critical thinking–theprocess of questioningandlearning withanopenmind–is AFRICA IN PRACTICES TEACHING EDUCATION HIGHER REFORMING MARCH 2020 There isa Credit: Marc Shoul/Panos Pictures. THE RESEARCH affected thedevelopment of skills, criticalthinking wanted to understand how different teaching styles the teaching andlearningenvironment), researchers two-year periodandaqualitative investigation of study of student ‘gains’ incriticalthinking over a Using amixed methods approach (a longitudinal universities across Botswana, , and . examinedof theimpact teaching reforms in14 and Outcomes in African Higher Education’ project The ‘Pedagogies for Critical Thinking: Innovation Research jointly supported by the ESRC and DFID

curricula. Mwenda Ntarangwi, CEO, explained: work andissupportinguniversities inadapting their has now incorporated criticalthinkinginto itsnational In Kenya, theCommission for University Education fostering criticalthinking. and processes tobetter prepare lecturers intheskill of considering ways to reform their teaching practices countries, many of theparticipating universities are Following thedissemination of research inallthree THE IMPACT • • • • • • found tohave: critical thinkingskills of their students. They were particular significant supported improvements inthe later), thestudy found that three universities in undergraduate course andthenanother two years test undertaken by students at thestartof their version of the‘Collegiate Learning Assessment’ (a Measuring criticalthinkingskillsusinganadapted pedagogical change. and how universities in Africa respond toprocesses of All content is available under theOpen Government License v3.0, except where otherwise stated. (IDS) andtheUniversityof Cambridge’s Research for Equitable Access andLearning (REAL) Centre. mutual learning. The Impact Initiative is a collaboration between the Institute ofDevelopment Studies and their grant holders, support them to exploit influencing and engagement opportunities, and facilitate Outcomes in Education Systems Programme. We seek to identify synergies between these programmes impact of research from: (i) the Joint Fund for Poverty Alleviation Research, and (ii) the Raising Learning science research supported by theESRC-DFID Strategic Partnership, maximisingtheuptake and The Impact Initiative seeks to policymakers connect and practitioners with the world-classsocial select institutions. not justapreserve of afew who may have access to thinking skillsare amustfor allKenyan students, role increasingly becomes facilitative. These critical larger role in the process of learningas the teacher’s active andinteractive as thelearner takes on a supporting thischange where learningisherewith a knowledge economy. [It is] particularly useful for meet the needs of society achanging propelled by students with requisite skillsandcompetencies that competence-based curriculum that aimsatproducing taken [by the Government of Kenya] to introduce a This research hassupported oneof the boldmoves foster pedagogical change. discuss andimprove their practices, inorder to Provided staff teaching withsufficient to time align approaches;with teaching and Restructured assessment formats better soasto staff; providingregular ongoingdevelopment for teaching Created aculture of pedagogical improvement, the curriculum; Ensured criticalthinking was a required skillacross perspectives; were exposed toa variety of viewpoints and Created alearningenvironment in which students members privileged independent student learning; Enabled ashared teachingculture in which faculty and Mary Omingo (, Kenya Botswana); Christine Adu-Yeboah (University of , Ghana) (University CollegeLondon, UK); Richard Tabulawa (University of The research was carriedoutinpartnership Rollestonwith Caine Schendel (University College London,and Boston UK College, USA). by Tristan McCowan(University College London, UK)andRebecca Learning Outcomes inEducation Systems Research Programme led university quality intheregion. based contributionto acritically overlooked aspect of the curriculum.It isproviding animportant evidence- shown thesuccess of infusing criticalthinkingacross The ‘Pedagogies for Critical Thinking’ research has university system isneeded. class sizes, indicating that systemic change across the success of theseinnovations is restricted by large the research tookplace. However, insomecasesthe critical thinkinginto their teaching approaches since universities involved inthestudy have embedded In Ghana, there isevidence that lecturers at thepublic characteristics highlighted by thestudy. policy), to better supportthekinds of institutional (a critical component of theacademicpromotions to overhaul itsprocess for evaluating teachingquality skills for employment. Another institutionis preparing that focused ontheimportance of criticalthinking university to organise aseminar for faculty andstaff In Botswana, theproject inspired oneparticipating thinking into itsstaff development programme. level, while another isincorporating aspects of critical dimension initscurricular review at aninstitutional Nairobi hasrecently adopted criticalthinkingasa key structures. For example, oneprivate university in criticalthinkingprioritised withininstitutional Some Kenyan universities have also explicitly (UCL) Institutional Research Information Service (IRIS) and Botswana Higher Education Policies and Practices in Ghana, Kenya for Critical Thinking: Implications of Project Findings for R.; Adu-Yeboah, C.andOmingo, M.(2019) Schendel, R.;McCowan, T.; Rolleston, C.; Tabulawa, and International Education Botswana, Ghana andKenya’ A.M. (2019) Rolleston, C.;Schendel, R.andGrijalva Espinosa, FURTHER READING Pedagogies for Critical Thinking: Innovation and Outcomes T in African Higher Education he research team was fundedby theESRC-DFID Raising ‘Assessing “Approaches toLearning” in , London: University College London College, USA. University College London, UKandBoston London, UKandRebecca Schendel, with Tristan McCowan, University College University of Cambridge incollaboration Tofaris, REAL Centre, Faculty of Education, This impactstory was written by Elizabeth CREDITS @the_Impact_Init #impactlessons www.theimpactinitiative.net [email protected] 14.1:118–140 , Research inComparative ). ). Pedagogies

ESRC-DFID Research Impact