Abstract

GUZMAN SILVA, Susana  and  SANCHEZ ESCOBEDO, Pedro. Effects in a Capacitating Program for Professors in the Development of Critical Thinking Abilities for College Students in the Southeast of Mexico. REDIE [online]. 2006, vol.8, n.2, pp.1-17. ISSN 1607-4041.

The purpose of the present study was to obtain evidence about an in-service teaching program developed at a Southeast University of Mexico: Universidad del Mayab (Unimayab). The experimental group was made up by the students of nine teachers, involved in the teaching program, who were giving classes at Unimayab in the spring semester of 2003 (n = 219). Another nine parallel groups of students were invited to enroll as the control group (n = 218). At the beginning and at the end of the semester all of the students took the Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). The results showed significant difference in the total score and in four of the five subscales of the test. From the observations of the teachers' performances, it was evident that the teacher's qualification had more instructional strategies at their disposal than teachers from the control group. Teaching training programs as an aid to promote critical thinking in college students is discussed. Limitations of this study and the program implications at this level are also discussed.

Keywords : Critical thinking; inservice teacher education; teaching methods; higher education.