Design CT interventions using empirically valid instructional design principles and report student and teacher characteristics¶
Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 5 claims (2 for, 3 mixed) · 1 study (1 review),q2· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study
Description¶
The review argues that inconsistent intervention impacts stem from inadequate instructional design: most implicitly-embedded interventions "did not take into consideration all important design principles suitable for the development of CT." It recommends future interventions be systematically designed in line with empirically valid instructional design principles, and that future research report the impact of interventions in relation to student characteristics such as gender, year level, and academic performance so educators can tailor CT instruction to particular student groups.
Design Implications¶
Context¶
Requirements¶
- Interventions must specify targeted CT components, task design, student roles, and feedback/coaching, which prior interventions rarely did
Constraints¶
- The review states its scope limited to higher education intervention studies published 1995-2012 in peer-reviewed journals
Target Learners¶
- higher education students
Target Learning Goals¶
- critical thinking skills and dispositions
Claims¶
- Direct CT instruction combined with modeling, coaching, and discussion yields more consistent CT improvement than implicit teaching strategies [+W]
- Effects of implicit strategies (higher-order questioning, concept mapping, discussion) on CT are inconclusive, with domain-specific gains that fail to transfer [~W]
- Proportions of significant CT gains vary by instructional approach, but approach alone does not determine effectiveness [~W]
- Problem-based learning environments consistently improve students' critical thinking compared with lecture-based instruction [+W]
- Effectiveness of CT instruction varies with year level: first-year students benefited most under general or infusion approaches [~W]
Related Strategies¶
Examples¶
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Key Sources¶
- Dawit T. Tiruneh, An Verburgh & Jan Elen. (2014). Effectiveness of Critical Thinking Instruction in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies. Higher Education Studies. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/hes.v4n1p1
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
strategy |
id |
design-ct-interventions-with-valid-instructional-principles |
title |
Design CT interventions using empirically valid instructional design principles and report student and teacher characteristics |
description |
The review argues that inconsistent intervention impacts stem from inadequate instructional design: most implicitly-embedded interventions "did not take into consideration all important design principles suitable for... |
status |
review |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-14 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — dawit-t-tiruneh-2014 |
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