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- Brodin, Eva, 1974-
(author)
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Critical Thinking in Scholarship: : Meanings, Conditions and Development
- 2007
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The purpose of this thesis is to explore the phenomenon of critical thinking in scholarship as regards its meanings, conditions, and development using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. This exploration takes its departure in ancient Greece, following a historical movement of the phenomenon up to present day perspectives on critical thinking, revealing a range of different meanings and conditions. Thus, the reader is invited to follow my synthetic meaning constitution of the phenomenon of critical thinking as it appears in different philosophical and educational texts. Through this gradual process of meaning constitution it is shown that the scholarly critical thinker is in one way or another concerned with abstract relationships, in order to either master, understand, or change the world. These underlying interests may, in turn, be derived from the critical thinker’s sense of responsibility towards God, nature, society, and humanity as a whole. It also appears that even though critical thinking in scholarship is traditionally framed within rational and principle based thinking, the development of the meaning of critical thinking is on its way to new dimensions. Besides rationality, other qualities of critical thinking are highlighted, such as reflective thinking, emotions, creativity, imagination, and intuition. Despite the fact that research on critical thinking has started to move in new directions, educational policy documents implicitly conceptualize critical thinking in traditional terms. This means that the phenomenon is captured within its own instrumentality, with no further concern for its possible ends. The same circumstance can be noted in relation to contemporary perspectives on critical thinking, which tend to focus on the process of critical thinking, since critical thinking is implicitly understood as an assurance of attaining normatively good ends. However, critical thinking is a phenomenon that is future oriented, involving its intention and possible ends. Against this background, it is therefore argued that critical thinking receives its most critical feature when intention, process and end constitute a constructive interrelated whole.
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- Kristensson Ekwall, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Dizzy - Why Not Take a Walk? Low Level Physical Activity Improves Quality of Life among Elderly with Dizziness
- 2009
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In: GERONTOLOGY. - : S. Karger AG. - 0304-324X .- 1423-0003. ; 55:6, s. 652-659
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Dizziness is a very common complaint. The frequency of dizziness increases with age. It affects quality of life negatively for older persons in several ways. Objectives: This study intended to investigate which variables (physical activity, loneliness, health complaints, need of help for daily living and falls) differed between those with and without dizziness and also to investigate which factors affected quality of life among older persons with dizziness. Method: An age-stratified, randomised sample of senior citizens-aged 75 or older - living in the south of Sweden (n = 4,360) answered a questionnaire concerning demographic data, social network, health complaints and diseases, feelings of loneliness, quality of life (Short Form 12), frequency of falls and activities. Results: Dizziness was associated with an increased risk of falling. Falls in the last 3 months were reported in 31% of the subjects with dizziness compared to 15% among those without (p andlt; 0.001). Dizziness also correlated with depression, with 42.5% feeling depressed among the elderly reporting dizziness as compared with 13.2%. Exercise, both light (i.e. go for a walk) or heavy (i.e. work in the garden), correlated with reduced risk of low quality of life among older, dizzy persons, both mental (light exercise OR 0.58; heavy OR 0.48) and physical (light OR 0.62; heavy OR 0.21). The proportion of dizzy persons doing light exercise was 75.6% versus 87.4% among the not dizzy (p andlt; 0.001). Exercise reduces the risk of falling and the risk of being depressed, and increases quality of life. Conclusion: Even light exercise seems beneficial both for improving quality of life and to decrease the risk of falling, which in turn will lower the mortality rate. Older persons reporting dizziness should be encouraged and perhaps helped to exercise. If one could increase physical activity among the elderly, it would reduce the number of falls, diminish medical costs, suffering for the individual, and be of paramount medicosocial importance for society.
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- Lindberg-Sand, Åsa, et al.
(author)
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Compulsory higher education teacher training in Sweden: development of a national standards framework based in the scholarship of teaching and learning
- 2008
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In: Tertiary Education and Management. - 1358-3883. ; 14:2, s. 123-139
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Today visible proofs of excellence in teaching and learning are increasingly important aspects of institutional branding in higher education (HE). Teaching competence is brought forward as a central aspect of the quality of programmes. Still, the induction of new university teachers is managed in many different ways. Approaches may vary according to how teaching competence is perceived; as growing from practice only, requiring formal courses or, for instance, outlined in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) movement. In Sweden, the HE Ordinance from 2002 states that to get permanent positions, lecturers should have completed Compulsory HE Teacher Training (CHETT). The size and organisation of the courses were not regulated in theOrdinance and institutional practices varied. In a three-year project intended learning outcomes for CHETT was suggested. These outcomes are based on SoTL and linked to an estimated workload of 10 weeks. Based on a national survey in 2006, institutional responses to the proposals are analysed.
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