Abstract:

This is a qualitative case study assessing lecturers’ knowledge of critical thinking at two secondary pre-service teacher education programs in Saudi Arabia. Data include open-ended interviews with four lecturers from each university and is based on purposeful sampling. The theoretical framework is Richard Paul’s (1992) theories on critical thinking and the consensus arrived at in the Delphi Report. The findings demonstrate that there is a lack of knowledge of critical thinking theory among lecturers at both universities and this can be attributed to many factors including cultural, lack of professional development and an emphasis on rote-learning and memorisation. This lack of knowledge of critical thinking impacts on the development of critical thinking among students who will perpetuate this in their own teaching practice in the future. This paper argues for education reforms based on critical thinking to improve student learning outcomes and for professional development in critical thinking for lecturers.

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