Critical Thinking in Open and Distance Learning Programmes: Lessons from the University of South Africa’s NPDE Programme

Teaching learners to be critical has become more important in education currently. Prospective employers and institutions of higher learning expect learners to be able to transfer learning to various situations. This study sought to investigate the utilisation of critical thinking skills in distance education. It was a qualitative study that explored experiences of teachers who were registered at the University of South Africa’s National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) programme. Interviews and observations were used to collect data. It was discovered that teacher education programmes should be the breeding place for critical teachers. The major implication was that without a methodical preparation of teachers, countries will struggle having critical learners. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Pascarella and Umbach (2012) point out that one particular goal of higher education is the development of critical thinking skills. Rowles et al. (2013) also concur that the fostering of critical thinking has become an expectation of many current faculty in higher education. Furthermore, they point out that it matters how teaching staff defines critical thinking because it has an effect on how they will address the challenge to promote it. Students who frequently report on their positive empowerment are those who are critical thinkers. In a country where examiners are usually concerned with student cheating in examinations, it will help if examinations test critical thinking rather than rote learning or memory recall. Teacher training programmes need to stress critical thinking because it is through empowered teachers that society can have critical learners in schools. Duran and Sendag (2012) opine that critical thinking is based on relating and drawing conclusions on notions and events. Furthermore, these authors say it involves different cognitive processes such as implicating problem solving, reflecting and criticising. All these are skills necessary to live in today’s world. Duran and Sendag (2012: 241) aver: Thinking begins with a physical or psychological inconvenience stemming from lacking the solution for a problem whose solution becomes the objective for an individual. Higher order thinking skills, like critical thinking and problem solving are considered necessary skills for 21st century individuals. All education institutions should be using these skills. Learners need higher order thinking skills if education is to make any sense. Shannon and Bennett (2012) cite a number of authors who observed that critical thinking evolves with the following stages:  Apply The students use knowledge and understanding to complete a practical task;  Analyse -While working on a practical task, the students break things down into their component parts;  Synthesise The students then will be able to combine and integrate various sources of information; and  Evaluate – At the end of the task completion, the students will be able to assess the value, merit or worth of something. All these are aspects that were part of the programme under study. This article looks at how a teacher in-service programme, The National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) attempted to apply the notions of critical thinking. The article is first part of preliminary study that is followed by an empirical study that tested the NPDE’s students’ actual experiences in the programme. The main question posed in this study was: How did the classrooms of NPDE graduates experience critical thinking? The secondary questions were: What were the special experiences of the teachers? Objectives of the Study This study seeks to investigate the role of critical thinking in one programme that was of-