Fostering Critical Thinking Through Collaborative Group Work

Dennis Chun-Lok Fung is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator in several core projects including ‘Implementation of Group Work and the Learning of Science and Critical Thinking in Hong Kong Primary Schools’ (HK$ 28,200) and ‘Fostering Communities of Practice to Enhance Small Class Teaching’ (HK$ 3,567,480) since joining the HKU in 2010. One major focus of his current research is cooperative learning and critical thinking in General Studies and Liberal Studies. He received his undergraduate and post-graduate education at the HKU and completed his MPhil and PhD in Education at the University of Cambridge. Tim Weijun Liang is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. He received his BA in English Language and Literature from Shantou University and his MA in TESOL from the HKU. His research interests include computer-assisted collaborative learning, critical thinking and dialogic education. He has published in Oxford Review of Education and Asia Pacific Education Review.

1 Has critical thinking been fruitfully married to group work in Hong Kong?.- 2 The research on group work, critical thinking and Confucian heritage culture: What does a thematic review tell us?.- 3 Research design: A mixed methods approach with a three-theme investigation and pedagogical intervention.- 4 How effective is group work in improving students' academic performance?.- 5 How effective is group work in improving the attitudinal aspects of student learning?.- 6 How does Chinese culture exert an influence on group work?.- 7 Summary, Concluding remarks and the way forward.