TY - JOUR
T1 - Thinking about critical thinking
T2 - An industry perspective
AU - Pearl, Alastair Owen
AU - Rayner, Gerry M.
AU - Larson, Ian
AU - Orlando, Laurence
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - There has been a drive towards enhancing the critical thinking (CT) skills development of students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, both in Australia and internationally. One debate among CT theorists centres on whether CT comprises a set of generalizable skills or is content- and context-dependent. While previous studies have considered CT skills development and its assessment in pharmacy courses, there appears to have been limited scholarly research within the pharmaceutical sciences discipline. In seeking to address this, it is vital to understand how companies conceptualize CT and its use by Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences graduates. This research identifies five major categories used to conceptualize CT in the companies interviewed: being systematic, having strong business sense, considering multiple solutions, considering implications and identifying problems and potential solutions. The study finds that, while these skills are dependent on the business context, they may be generalizable across a range of industries.
AB - There has been a drive towards enhancing the critical thinking (CT) skills development of students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, both in Australia and internationally. One debate among CT theorists centres on whether CT comprises a set of generalizable skills or is content- and context-dependent. While previous studies have considered CT skills development and its assessment in pharmacy courses, there appears to have been limited scholarly research within the pharmaceutical sciences discipline. In seeking to address this, it is vital to understand how companies conceptualize CT and its use by Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences graduates. This research identifies five major categories used to conceptualize CT in the companies interviewed: being systematic, having strong business sense, considering multiple solutions, considering implications and identifying problems and potential solutions. The study finds that, while these skills are dependent on the business context, they may be generalizable across a range of industries.
KW - Critical thinking
KW - employability
KW - industry
KW - stakeholder groups
KW - STEM education
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053378246&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0950422218796099
DO - 10.1177/0950422218796099
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85053378246
VL - 33
SP - 116
EP - 126
JO - Industry and Higher Education
JF - Industry and Higher Education
SN - 0950-4222
IS - 2
ER -