The Influence of an Interdisciplinary Course on Critical Thinking Skills Page: 5
This dissertation is part of the collection entitled: UNT Theses and Dissertations and was provided to UNT Digital Library by the UNT Libraries.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
5
Significance of the Study
Incoming college students often do not think as critically as professors want
or expect them to (Pascarella and Terenzini, 1991). One field where this is especially
true is mathematics. To do well in mathematics, a student must not only learn how to
solve certain problems, but must learn why they are solved that way. Too many
mathematics students, because of their weak critical thinking skills, rely on rote
memorization and "absorb concepts and facts only long enough to get through the
next test" (National Research Council, 1996, p.22).
Another frequent problem in mathematics is motivation. Students are often
not motivated to do well in mathematics because they do not see its relevance to
what they want to do in life. Some professors teach the skills and assume the student
can apply them. Others may show an application or two and assume the student can
imagine other applications as well. Unfortunately, the students often cannot do this,
again, because of their weak critical thinking skills.
Science is another area in which critical thinking skills are important. At
least one researcher even considers the scientific process to be almost synonymous
with critical thinking (Logan, 1987). In science, students must be able to develop
theories or hypotheses, test those theories and reach valid and justifiable conclusions
based on empirical evidence, all while recognizing what assumptions are being made
and how things differ if those assumptions are not met. This fits most of the
definitions of critical thinking used by other researchers. Therefore, it seems natural
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This dissertation can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View one page within this dissertation that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Dissertation.
Elliott, Brett M. The Influence of an Interdisciplinary Course on Critical Thinking Skills, dissertation, August 1999; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278389/m1/11/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .