Critical thinking and the Kosovan educators' views and beliefs about education, teaching and professional development

Abstract

The purpose of the study has been to analyse the changes in the attitudes and beliefs of Kosovan educators about the aims of schooling, teaching, teachers’ roles and their professional development as a result of their participation in the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking (RWCT) programme. The participants in the study were 56 educators (out of a total of 188 who attended the sixth training round of RWTC) from various educational centres in Kosovo. The data was collected by means of an identical questionnaire that was administered to the teachers at the beginning (to reveal their pre-training attitudes and beliefs) and at the end of their training (to reveal their post-training attitudes and beliefs). An analysis of the data shows that prior to training teachers mostly viewed teaching as imparting knowledge, the aim of schooling as educating and teaching the younger generations, the role of the teacher as an idea-generator and a dominant figure, and professional development as completing further education and keeping abreast with professional literature (all of which show attitudes expressed in very general terms). On the other hand, in the second group of responses, the participants’ attitudes are now more specific and complete, revealing a view of teaching as a very complex activity. For instance, according to the teachers’ post-training views, the aim of the school is to educate and teach the new generations by using contemporary methods, to shape individuals who can think for themselves, who can reason, produce and create in a very productive way. Again, professional development is seen as an on-going movement toward professional perfection by following the contemporary achievements in the field of education, attending various seminars, etc.