The Democratisation of critical thinking | HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Democracy, citizenship education, critical thinking and self-cultivation are often seen as interrelated concepts, but a clear vision of how they overlap is still lacking. In this research project, we are developing a vision on citizenship education in senior secondary vocational education that incorporates critical thinking and self-cultivation.

The following objectives underlie the Democratisation of Critical Thinking project:

To formulate a clear vision on the integration of critical thinking, citizenship, self-cultivation and professional preparation in senior secondary vocational education;
To create a sustainable, professional learning community;
To develop the knowledge necessary to apply critical thinking in practice;
To make available curricula and measurement tools available to teachers in senior secondary vocational education.

This research is ongoing. Once completed, the research results will be summarised here.

17 September 2018 - 15 September 2020

This project is part of the NRO Working Group Educational Research secondary vocational education (MBO). These working groups focus on establishing sustainable ‘professional learning communities’. Various professionals contribute different types of expertise to this project too: the expertise of senior secondary vocational education teachers (Dutch, Citizenship and other specific subjects), researchers from an MBO expertise platform, the Centre for Expertise on Critical Thinking (ECKD), the Normative Professionalisation research group and two universities. Students and external partners are contributing their practical expertise too.

The partners are working together to develop a vision on critical thinking, citizenship and self-cultivation and its translation into learning continuity pathways and assessment tools. We are also working with senior secondary vocational education teachers to identify the professionalisation necessary to apply critical thinking in vocational education and training.