Expanding on the evidence of Higher Order Thinking Skills in first year undergraduates

Expanding on the evidence of Higher Order Thinking Skills in first year undergraduates

All students enter university with a ‘virtual uni bag’ containing their previous life experience as well as their existing knowledge and skills. If the teachers in the academy know what they bring and what will engage them, they could use that knowledge, when designing curriculum and assessment, to improve pedagogy to enhance the transition process for vulnerable students. This paper reports on innovative research into the Higher Order Thinking Skills present in a sample of pre-service education students’ writing in the genre of critical comparative analysis. Interviews were also conducted and analysed. Using analytical descriptors derived from the work of Marzano (2001) and focussing on the two’ top’ levels of skills the Self-system and Metacognition it was found that these aspects of the students’ skills were well represented. The paper ends with tentative suggestions for the use of this research in planning pedagogical approaches for first year courses.

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