Critical thinking on a 10-week EAP course: Teachers' and international pre-university students’ views and experiences

Critical thinking (CT) is a widely recognised academic practice in what is often termed “Western” higher education (HE) and has been the subject of debate and research, particularly since the late 1980s. However, discussions on CT often rely on dichotomous and rigid categories: whether it is a cognitive or emotional endeavour, whether it can be taught and learned, and if so, whether it should be taught in isolation or embedded within disciplines. This article aims at contributing to previous studies of CT in HE by exploring the views and experiences of 12 English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers and 50 international pre-university students enrolled on a 10-week summer pre-sessional course at a university in the United Kingdom (UK). Using pre- and post-course survey data analysed thematically, the study reported on here reveals dynamic rather than rigid views and experiences of CT among the participants. Participating teachers emphasised different aspects of CT to be taught and assessed in an EAP context. Additionally, they tended to view CT primarily as an academic practice, but their students tended to view it as both an academic and social practice. Crucially, the findings indicate that CT can be developed over a 10-week period, with meaningful changes in international pre-university students’ understanding and application of CT at the end of the course. The article discusses the implications of these findings for CT instruction on pre-sessional courses and highlights key theoretical and pedagogical considerations for future practice. • Teachers' conceptualisations of CT focus on academic requirements. • Pre-university students' conceptualisations emphasise collaboration and socialising. • Discussions during teacher induction can improve pre-university students' experiences of CT. • Pre-university students' conceptualisations and experiences of CT show meaningful changes over time.