ABSTRACT

This paper describes how an action research process, centred around a professional development program for teaching critical thinking, enabled teachers in a specialised program for high-achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (Solid Pathways) to develop their pedagogical practices to support student cognition. It argues that a well-structured action research approach supports and enables teachers to link theory to practice in developing their pedagogy, especially where such development implies a shift away from content and curriculum-oriented pedagogy. Principal among these mechanisms are the grounding of practice in theory, well-designed practical activities, special materials that help bridge theory and practice, and collaboration among practitioners in undertaking transformative pedagogical change. The conclusions from this study support the claim that these four key mechanisms are crucial to the implementation of a critical thinking pedagogy and describe how action research can support the advent of such mechanisms into pedagogical development programs that have the capacity to contribute to significant and sustainable change. Overall, findings suggest that where support of student cognition is the goal, pedagogical development predicated on theory and focused on independent practice in a culture of collegial collaboration and dialogue, works best to create sustainable practices of teaching for thinking.

摘要

本文描述了以教授批判性思维的专业发展计划为中心的行动研究过程如何使教师在针对成绩优异的原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民学生（坚实的途径）的专业计划中发展他们的教学实践以支持学生的认知。它认为，结构良好的行动研究方法支持并使教师能够在发展教学法时将理论与实践联系起来，尤其是在这种发展意味着从内容和课程导向的教学法转变的情况下。这些机制中的主要内容是理论实践的基础、精心设计的实践活动、有助于弥合理论和实践的特殊材料，以及实践者之间在进行变革性教学变革方面的合作。本研究的结论支持这样的说法，即这四个关键机制对于批判性思维教学法的实施至关重要，并描述了行动研究如何支持将此类机制引入能够促进重大和可持续变革的教学发展计划. 总体而言，研究结果表明，在以支持学生认知为目标的情况下，以理论为基础并侧重于大学合作和对话文化中的独立实践的教学发展最能创造可持续的思维教学实践。