How Do Language Learning, Teaching, and Transnational Experiences (Re)shape an EFLer’s Identities? A Critical Ethnographic Narrative

Using critical ethnographic narrative as a tool and language socialization as the theoretical stance, the article analyzes excerpts of a language teacher’s life experience and presents findings to join the existing literature. The article indicates that (a) transnational teacher identities develop in a multiple-identity system including identities as an L2 learner, teacher, user, critical thinker, and global citizen; (b) the identity development is not completely staged, but instead recurring; (c) the emergence, formation, and development of the identity system requires translanguaging, transcultural, and transnational capitals, which are accrued through socializing experiences; and (d) critical thinking and intellectual agency work as stimuli to sustain the identity development. The article contributes to the existing literature by presenting a conceptual framework in studying language teacher identities. This article ends up with some advocacy that identity as a pedagogy and tool may provide teacher educators with something innovative and helpful to conduct research in the field.

Philosophical Issues in Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is active, good-quality thinking. This kind of thinking is initiated by an agent’s desire to decide what to believe, it satisfies relevant norms, and the decision on the matter at hand is reached through the use of available reasons under the control of the thinking agent. In the educational context, critical thinking refers to an educational aim that includes certain skills and abilities to think according to relevant standards and corresponding attitudes, habits, and dispositions to apply those skills to problems the agent wants to solve. The basis of this ideal is the conviction that we ought to be rational. This rationality is manifested through the proper use of reasons that a cognizing agent is able to appreciate. From the philosophical perspective, this fascinating ability to appreciate reasons leads into interesting philosophical problems in epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy. Critical thinking in itself and the educational ideal are closely connected to the idea that we ought to be rational. But why exactly? This profound question seems to contain the elements needed for its solution. To ask why is to ask either for an explanation or for reasons for accepting a claim. Concentrating on the latter, we notice that such a question presupposes that the acceptability of a claim depends on the quality of the reasons that can be given for it: asking this question grants us the claim that we ought to be rational, that is, to make our beliefs fit what we have reason to believe. In the center of this fit are the concepts of knowledge and justified belief. A critical thinker wants to know and strives to achieve the state of knowledge by mentally examining reasons and the relation those reasons bear to candidate beliefs. Both these aspects include fascinating philosophical problems. How does this mental examination bring about knowledge? What is the relation my belief must have to a putative reason for my belief to qualify as knowledge? The appreciation of reason has been a key theme in the writings of the key figures of philosophy of education, but the ideal of individual justifying reasoning is not the sole value that guides educational theory and practice. It is therefore important to discuss tensions this ideal has with other important concepts and values, such as autonomy, liberty, and political justification. For example, given that we take critical thinking to be essential for the liberty and autonomy of an individual, how far can we try to inculcate a student with this ideal when the student rejects it? These issues underline important practical choices an educator has to make.

“Positivista feliz” ou “hipermilitante pessimista”? Sobre os atos de problematização em Michel Foucault

“Positivista feliz”ou “hipermilitante pessimista”? Sobre os atos de problematização em Michel Foucault1 Resumo: Através do escrutínio de duas noções centrais do pensamento de Michel Foucault – crítica e genealogia–, este texto elucida o conceito de problematização, dando ênfase a seu possível caráter performativo. Numa primeira parte, construímos uma perspectiva do que seria a tarefa do pensador crítico, para, num segundo momento, elucidar a diferença entre uma história das soluções e uma genealogia dos problemas. A provocativa interrogação do título remete a duas atitudes aludidas pelo filósofo. Ao pensar os atos de problematização, esperamos fornecer uma posição acerca deles, e mostrar um modo particular do autor de moldar as noções centrais abordadas anteriormente. Palavras-Chave: Crítica. Genealogia. Atos de Fala. Filosofia. Problematização. 1 Financiamento de pesquisa: CNPq Michel Foucault: “Happy positivist” or “Hyperactivist pessimist”? On its acts of problematization Abstract: Scrutinizing two main notions of Michel Foucault’s thinking – Critique and Genealogy -, this paper elucidates the concept of problematization, with an emphasis in its hypothetical performative aspect. Firstly, we build a perspective on the task of a critical thinker to, in a second moment, elucidate the difference between a history of solutions and a genealogy of problems. The provocative question mark in title refers to two attitudes alluded by Foucault. Reflecting about acts of problematization, we hope to offer a position about them, and show the particular way of this author to shape those central notions approached before. Keywords: Critique. Genealogy. Speech Acts. Philosophy. Problematization. ¿"Positivista feliz" o "hipermilitante pesimista"? Sobre los actos de problematización de Michel Foucault Resumen: Mediante el escrutinio de dos nociones centrales del pensamiento de Michel Foucault – crítica y genealogía – este texto elucida el concepto de problematización, enfatizando su posible carácter performativo. En la primera parte, construimos una perspectiva del que sería la tarea del pensador crítico, para en un secundo momento, elucidar la diferencia entre una historia de las soluciones e una genealogía de los problemas. La provocativa interrogación del título remite a dos actitudes de Foucault. Pensando los actos de problematización, nosotros intentamos fornecer una posición acerca de ellos, y mostrar un modo particular del autor de moldar las nociones centrales abordadas anteriormente. Palabras clave: Crítica. Genealogía. Actos del habla. Filosofía. Problematización. Data de registro: 03/10/2019 Data de aceite: 27/05/2020

The Power and Discursive Abuse of the Media: Hate and Discrimination as Social Consequences Presentation and Interview with the Socio-Cognitive Thinker Dr. Teun A. Van Dijk

In this work, the Dutch critical thinker and the socio-cognitive researcher on discourse and power issues, Teun A. Van Dijk, gives us a critical analysis of power and its discursive strategies for domination. It exposes us some forms of abuse of speech on the part of power (such as the media) that end up provoking hate discrimination and rejection of the other.

Building Relationships and Resolving Conflicts: Infusing Critical Thinking into Workplace Practices

As we are now living in a world characterized as a “new normal,” nothing is more important than leaders who are adept at critical thinking enabling them to enhance their businesses by making judicious decisions while remaining sensitive to the needs of their employees. When talking about critical thinking, often neglected is the descriptor “critical.” Among other things, “critical” means significant, vital, essential, and analytical, and involving skillful judgment as to truth and merit. From the point of view of commonsense, “critical” may also imply an effort to see a problem or situation clearly and truthfully in order to make fair judgments and wise decisions. Thus, critical thinking is more than learning to use specific thinking skills deemed necessary for business and everyday life. A critical thinker will have a sense of ethics governing his or her decision making and business acumen. Consequently, critical thinking necessitates life-long learning, experience, developing one’s intuitions, and above all, being creative, flexible-minded, sensitive to one’s environment, as well as being trusted and fair-minded. The ethical overtones of becoming a critical thinker are obvious making critical thinking and essential component of values-based leadership.

Does Developing Moral Thinking Skills Lead to Moral Action?

This paper explores the relationship between thinking and acting morally. Can we transfer critical thinking skills to real life situations? Philosophical practice with clients as well as with school children creates a context for not only being a critical and reflective thinker but also a self -critical thinker and self -reflective thinker. In his book On Dialogue, David Bohm explores the notion of proprioception of thinking; focusing on thinking as a movement. The tacit, concrete process of thinking informs our actions in a way that rational thinking by itself cannot. We can try to impose rational thinking on our tacit, concrete process of thinking but knowing how to be just abstractly, for example, does not necessarily make us act justly in the moment. Philosophical practice puts us in touch with our own tacit, concrete process of thinking. Through dialogue (Bohm, Buber) we become more than skilled rational thinkers ; we become skilled thinking beings.

DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The paper is devoted to the role of critical thinking in teaching and focuses on asking the right questions to get the right answers. Critical thinking is being able to think logically and reasonably. It also provides novice teachers and students with practical example of a lesson plan for a reflective teacher. It helps to see the essential elements for a lesson plan, but most importantly it provides an example of a plan heading which is crucial before planning as it helps teachers think critically before they start the lesson. A critical thinker is analytical, reflective, fair-minded, positive, curious, perseverant and creative. The researchers suggest a lesson plan for PD workshop on the importance of critical thinking with detailed procedure.

Development and Validation of the Anesthesia Critical-Thinking Test (ACTT)

Background: Despite critical thinking being a crucial skill in anesthesia practice, no specific tool exists to evaluate the skill in anesthesia training. The present study measured the validity, reliability and practicality of the Anesthesia Critical-Thinking Test (ACTT) for measuring the stages of critical thinking in anesthesia settings.Methods: We developed the ACTT to evaluate critical-thinking skills by ranking learners into 6 critical-thinking stages: 1) unreflective thinker, 2) beginning critical thinker, 3) practicing critical thinker, 4) advanced critical thinker, 5) accomplished critical thinker and 6) challenged thinker. Content validity was assessed by 5 experts. Concurrent validity, reliability and practicality were tested by 2 evaluators. We retrospectively and randomly assessed 47 long-essay assignments written by 1st–3rd year anesthesia residents in 2018. The assignments were subsequently blindly reviewed by 2 researchers to assess the critical-thinking stages. Results: The ACTT’s items were adjusted for content validity until the item-objective congruence was > 0.5. Concurrent validity between the scores and the critical-thinking stages showed moderate correlation by both evaluators (Evaluator 1 rs 0.574, P < 0.001; Evaluator 2 rs 0.603, P < 0.001). High-performance learners (stages 3, 4 and 5) had significantly higher scores than low-performance learners (stages 1 and 2), with P = 0.001. Interrater reliability was strongly correlated (rs 0.866, P < 0.001). Both evaluators were satisfied with the tool’s practicality.Conclusions: The ACTT provides a valid, reliable and practical means of evaluating the critical-thinking skills of anesthesia residents.