An analysis of critical thinking skills and democratic citizenship education in the South African higher education system and its implications for teaching and learning

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dc.contributor.advisorWaghid, Yusefen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPullen, Eltonen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-10T14:06:43Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-23T06:51:32Z
dc.date.available2023-03-18T03:00:10Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.description Thesis (DEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the extent to which critical thinking (CT) skills are being developed in the accounting programmes accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) at South African universities. The study is situated within the South African Higher Education (SAHE) accounting landscape, which in recent years (2013 to 2020) has suffered declining student success rates despite increased access to higher education. Specifically, the study aimed to evaluate whether a pedagogy aimed at cultivating democratic values of equality within the SAHE accounting landscape can enhance the development of critical thinking skills in students. Secondary research questions focused on the related meanings of CT and democratic citizenship education (DCE), as well as on how the concept of CT has been advanced (or not) in the SAHE policies, the SAICA competency framework and the pedagogical practices within the accounting programmes at SAICA-accredited universities (SAUs). In particular, the focus was on evaluating the extent of CT development within the pedagogical activities conducted by SAICA-accredited programmes. These pedagogical activities were evaluated along a continuum, where activities regarded as more indicative of critical thinking were regarded as more critical thinking (MCT), and those less indicative of critical thinking were regarded as less critical thinking (LCT). The research approach used was a conceptual-deconstructive analysis approach, with an overarching eclectic paradigm incorporating interpretivism’s broad philosophical perspectives, critical theory, and deconstruction. This research approach evaluated the pedagogical activities at accounting programmes accredited by SAICA as LCT overall. This evaluation of LCT was due mainly to the focus on assessment which mimics the SAICA Initial Test of Competence (ITC) exam. This exam essentially assesses ‘what the student does on their own’ instead of ‘what the student co-constructs with their teachers and/or peers’, with the latter being indicative of MCT. Furthermore, the analyses revealed a lack of learner-centred pedagogical practices, deliberative encounters in the classroom, and pedagogical expertise by accounting academics. In response to the above-mentioned findings, the study proposes Foucault’s notion of rupturing in the dominant mimicked SAICA ITC assessment practices reminiscent of assessment of learning and instead argues for assessment within learning as coined by Waghid and Davids (2017). Furthermore, the study argues for the adoption of problem-based learning (PBL) within the pedagogy instead of the current prevalent instructional modes of teaching at SAUs. Furthermore, the study suggests pedagogical training and the practice of critical reflection for chartered accountant (CA) academics who tend to enter the academe as technically skilled accounting experts rather than as pedagogically trained teachers. In general, the study urges CA academics to continuously critically reflect on how notions of DCE and CT can be fostered within the pedagogy without ignoring the technical competencies.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het beoog – geleë binne die Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys (SAHO) rekeningkundige veld, wat die afgelope jare (2013 tot 2020) dalende studentsuksessyfers gely het, ten spye van verhoogde toegang tot hoër onderwys – was om te bepaal in watter mate kritiese denke (KD) ontwikkel word in die rekeningkundige programme geakkrediteer deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Instituut van Geoktrooieerde Rekenmeesters (SAIGR) by Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite. Die studie het spesifiek ten doel gehad om te evalueer of ‘n pedagogie gemik is op die ontwikkeling van demokratiese waardes van gelykheid binne die SAHO rekeningkundige veld, die ontwikkeling van kritiese denkvaardighede in studente verbeter. Sekondêre navorsingsvrae het gefokus op die verwante betekenisse van KD en demokratiese burgerskapopvoeding (DBO), asook hoe die konsep van KD gevorderd is (of nie), in die SAHO-beleide, die SAIGR bevoegdheidsraamwerk en die pedagogiese praktyke binne die rekeningkundige programme by SAIGR-geakkrediteerde universiteite (SGUs). Die fokus was veral op die evaluering van die omvang van KD-ontwikkeling binne die pedagogiese aktiwiteite wat deur SAIGR-geakkrediteerde programme uitgevoer word. Hierdie pedagogiese aktiwiteite is volgens ‘n kontinuum geëvalueer, waar aktiwiteite wat as meer aanduidend van kritiese denke beskou is, as meer kritiese denke (MKD) beskou is, en die aktiwiteite wat minder dui op kritiese denke, as laer kritiese denke beskou (LKD). Die navorsingsbenadering wat gebruik is, was ‘n konseptueel-dekonstruktiewe ontledingsbenadering, met ‘n oorkoepelende eklektiese paradigma wat die breë filosofiese perspektiewe van interpretivisme; kritiese teorie; en dekonstruksie insluit. Hierdie navorsingsbenadering het gelei tot die evaluering van die pedagogiese aktiwiteite by rekeningkundige programme geakkrediteer deur SAIGR, as LKD in die geheel. Hierdie evaluering van LKD was hoofsaaklik te danke aan die fokus op assessering wat die SAIGR Aanvanklike Bevoegdheidstoets (ABT)-eksamen naboots. Hierdie eksamen assesseer in wese ‘wat die student op hul eie doen’ in plaas van ‘wat die student saam met hul onderwysers en/of portuurgroep saamstel’, met laasgenoemde wat beskou word as ‘n aanduiding van MKD. Verder het die ontledings wat gedoen is, ‘n gebrek aan leerdergesentreerde pedagogiese praktyke aan die lig gebring; deliberatiewe ontmoetings in die klaskamer; en pedagogiese kundigheid deur rekeningkundige akademici. In reaksie op bogenoemde bevindinge stel die studie Foucault se idee van verbreking in die dominante nagebootsde SAIGR-assesseringspraktyke wat herinner aan assessering van leer, en pleit eer vir assessering binne leer soos geskep deur Waghid en Davids (2017). Die studie pleit verder vir die aanvaarding van probleemgebaseerde leer (PGL) binne die pedagogie, in teenstelling met die huidige algemene onderrigmetodes van onderrig by (SGUs). Verder stel die studie pedagogiese opleiding en die oefen van kritiese refleksie voor, vir geoktrooieerde rekenmeester (GR) akademici wat normaalweg die akademie betree as tegniese rekeningkundige kundiges, eerder as pedagogies opgeleide onderwysers. In die hoofsaak spoor die studie GR-akademici aan om voortdurend krities te besin oor hoe idees van DBO en KD binne die pedagogie bevorder kan word sonder om die tegniese bevoegdhede te ignoreer.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.embargo.terms2023-02-10
dc.format.extentviii, 284 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126309
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTeaching -- Handbooks, manuals etc.en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCivics -- Study and teachingen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSAICA ITCen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSouth African Institute of Chartered Accountantsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAccreditation (Education)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAccountants -- Education -- Study and Teaching (Higher) -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCitizenship -- Study and teaching -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCritical pedagogyen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshDemocracy and education -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleAn analysis of critical thinking skills and democratic citizenship education in the South African higher education system and its implications for teaching and learningen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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Doctoral Degrees (Educational Psychology)