The use of critical thinking in higher education in relation to the international student: shifting policy and practice

Academic staff working within Western higher education institutions (HEIs), have a responsibility to encourage the continuous critique of knowledge and values, expressed both within the curriculum that they deliver and within society more widely. Critical thinking is often regarded as the hallmark of a good education. Atkinson however raised concerns, that such practices may possess an exclusive (and reductive) character, fraught with cultural issues. Consequently, international students may be at a disadvantage in understanding the underpinning principles of critical thinking. This article draws upon data from a small case-study sample of international Masters level students, as a means to examine and refine notions of critical thinking in relation to practices within one United Kingdom university. We suggest that these data indicate that it is time to re-evaluate and reconsider the ways in which we understand and promote critical thinking within academic work