Abstract

NUNEZ-LOPEZ, Susana; AVILA-PALET, José-Enrique  and  OLIVARES-OLIVARES, Silvia-Lizett. The development of critical thinking abilities in university students by means of problem-based learning. Rev. iberoam. educ. super [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.23, pp.84-103. ISSN 2007-2872.

Competency-based education seeks to develop cognitive skills that allow the students to generate critical thinking, that can be understood as the student’s ability to solve problems within and outside the classroom. The purpose of this study was to find out to what extend the problem-based learning system could be useful for developing the generic competences of critical thinking. The authors used a mixed method with embedded and trans-sectional design applied in a group of 27 students enrolled in the first four-month period of the subject Introduction to Nutrition and Dietetics (Introducción a la Nutrición y Dietética), part of the study program of the degree in Nutrition at a private university of Iguala, Guerrero. The study is based on individual generic competences questionnaire, section of adapted critical thinking (Olivares et al., 2013: 9) and the observation framework for the critical thinking abilities (Facione, 1990: 15). The results show that the mentioned technique has a positive effect for the abilities related to judgment in a specific situation, with objective and subjective data.

Keywords : competences; critical thinking; university students; problem-based learning; Mexico.

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