An outcome learning approach: The development of critical thinking skills in early childhood education

It has been acknowledged that nurturing students to be intellectually active, socially caring and globally aware is a key component of the HKIEd strategic plan (HKIEd, 2009). Preparing our students and graduates to achieve such goals is important to the institutional development. These targets are concerned with the support to our students to become independent, analytical, critical and creative learners and thinkers through relevant curriculum design and learning activities. In the implementation process, seeking evidence of change related to competences identified, developing a clear understanding of critical thinking in subject areas (MacPherson, 1999, Tapper, 2004), as well as identifying tangible evidence that supports effective learning and teaching (Thompson & Rebeschi, 1999, Angeli & Valanides, 2009), all are meaningful and essential. Based on the Institute-endorsed publication, Planning for the Future, Making a Difference, this project proposes to articulate and exemplify critical thinking as a graduate attribute, by using a modular learning approach. The objectives of this project are to: 1. identify what critical thinking means in a pre-school educational setting, drawing perspectives from undergraduate and postgraduate student-teachers; 2. provide evidence of learning outcomes in relation to how critical thinking and problem-based learning is learnt and assessed through the design of outcomes learning objectives, student class work and assessment strategies; and 3. align learning outcomes with practice by developing a set of measurable behavioral learning objectives based on Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) in modular learning at different levels of programmes. The key outcomes of the project are to help students gain a powerful thinking tool of critical thinking for life. In addition, it is intended to consolidate a set of programme level descriptors and associated subject specific learning objectives to enhance learning and teaching, and to offer a guideline for curriculum development and quality assurance in health related subject learning.