THINKING, READING AND
WRITING AT M-LEVEL:
FINDING THE CRITICAL
Melanie Gill – SSGT
School of Education
Session Overview
• What is M-Level?
• What is criticality and how do I achieve
it?
• Developing a critical stance to thinking,
reading and writing:.
M?
SEEC Level 6
SEEC Level 7
Knowledge & Understanding
Has a systematic understanding of the knowledge base
and its inter-relationship with other fields of study.
Demonstrates current understanding of some specialist
areas in depth.
Knowledge & Understanding
Has a deep and systematic understanding within a
specialised field of study and its interrelationship
with other relevant disciplines.
Cognitive skills
Conceptualising and Critical Thinking
Works with ideas at a level of abstraction, arguing from
competing perspectives.
Identifies the possibility of new concepts within existing
knowledge frameworks and approaches.
Cognitive skills
Conceptualisation and Critical Thinking
Uses ideas at a high level of abstraction. Develops
critical responses to existing theoretical discourses,
methodologies or practices and suggests new
concepts or approaches.
Problem Solving, Research & Enquiry
Demonstrates confidence and flexibility in identifying
and defining complex problems.
Identifies, selects and uses investigative strategies and
techniques to undertake a critical analysis, evaluating
the outcomes.
Problem Solving, Research & Enquiry
Designs and undertakes substantial investigations to
address significant areas of theory and/or practice.
Selects appropriate advanced methodological
approaches and critically evaluates their
effectiveness.
Synthesis and Creativity
Applies knowledge in unfamiliar contexts, synthesising
ideas or information to generate novel
solutions. Achieves a body of work or practice that is
coherent and resolved.
Synthesis and Creativity
Flexibly and creatively applies knowledge in
unfamiliar contexts, synthesises ideas or information
in innovative ways, and generates transformative
solutions.
Analysis and evaluation
Analyses new, novel and/or abstract data using an
appropriate range of established subject specific
techniques. Judges the reliability, validity and
significance of evidence to support conclusions and/or
recommendations suggests reasons for contradictory
data/results.
Analysis and evaluation
Undertakes analysis of complex, incomplete or
contradictory evidence/data and judges the
appropriateness of the enquiry methodologies used.
Recognises and argues for alternatives approaches.
1st cycle:
bachelor's
degree
2nd cycle:
master's
degree
3rd cycle:
doctoral
degree
Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education
Area (Bologna accords)
You will need to:
• read outside the module's core materials in order to get
a broader perspective on your area of interest
• demonstrate academic judgement by gathering
appropriate published evidence, which you then critically
evaluate and use as the basis for logical argument and
discussion on your area of focus
• gather your own data and consider its significance
• present your findings in a professional manner: as a
written assignment, a dissertation, or an oral
presentation to others.
So what is critical thinking?
What is it? …..perhaps
•
Organising your thoughts and materials
systematically to yield a coherent credible story
(Learning Development, Plymouth University 2010)
•
A questioning, challenging approach to perceived
wisdom
•
The ability to think about your own thinking in order
to reconstruct Judge, Jones & McCreery (2009)
Why do it ?
Contributes to:
•
•
•
Professional awareness
Practice
Self understanding…..pedagogy
What does it involve from thinker?
•
•
•
•
•
Considering your own thinking….and getting
in the habit of this
Examining ideas from an objective position
Questioning information in the light of your
own values attitudes and personal
philosophy
The willingness to be open minded to the
ideas and views of others
The confidence to challenge and recognise
the biases and prejudices in your own and
others thinking
Judge, Jones& McCreery (2009)
Model to Generate Critical Thinking
Description
Who? Where?
When?
How?
What?
Analysis
Topic
Why?
What next?
So what?
What if?
Evaluation
Learning Development University of Plymouth
Questions worth asking yourself about reading
Theme
Relevance
• Look at the introduction or overview to
check what it's about
Provenance
• Don't be tempted to use information that
may not have academic credibility
Objectivity
• Look for an introduction or overview that
describes affiliations or funding sources
Timeliness
• Don't risk using obsolete evidence or data
Presentation
• Look at language, layout and structure to
check whether you can use it confidently
Method
• Be aware of the differences in research
methods
Questions
•
Does the information match my needs?
•
Is it clear where the information has come
from? Can I identify the authors or
organisations responsible? How was it
published? Has it been peer reviewed?
•
Is the author's position or interest made
clear? Does the author declare any
connections that might compromise their
independence? Is the language emotive?
Are there hidden vested interests?
•
Is it clear when the information was
produced? Does the date of the information
meet my requirements?
•
Is the information clearly communicated?
•
What research methods were used, and
how are results reported? Do I need to
check how significant the results actually
are?
Reading at M-Level
Hulse, B. & Hulme, R. (2012), ‘Engaging with research through practitioner
enquiry: the perceptions of beginning teachers on a postgraduate initial
teacher education programme’, Educational Action Research, 20(1) 313-329.
What did you notice about
the style / tone / voice of
the writing?
How rigorous were
the arguments?
How do you know?
What did you notice
about the structure of
the article?
What is Critical Reading?
• Questioning any claims to knowledge (your own or
others’)
• Scrutinising claims - how reliable and convincing are the
author’s arguments?
• Being open minded and open to other perspectives
• Being constructive – seeking interpretations appropriate
to your context
Questions for Critical Reading
WHY?
Why was the
publication
written?
Moving from Critical Reading to
Critical Writing
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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needs to be literate
addresses the module outcomes and purpose
contains evidence
is critical
explores implicit values
contextualises
pursues and presents an argument
does not try to say everything
is sensitive to the reader
expresses your supported opinion
http://www.doceo.co.uk/academic/m_writing.htm
Writing critically
Descriptive writing
Critical/analytical writing
- states what happened
- states what something is like
- gives the story so far
- states the order in which
things happened
- explains what a theory says
-explains how something
works
-notes the methods used
-states opinions
-states links between items
- gives information
- identifies significance
- evaluates/judges value,
-weighs one piece of information
against another
- argues a case according to
evidence
-shows why something is relevant
or suitable
- explains reasons for selecting
each option
- indicates why something will
work (best)
-shows relevance of links
-draws conclusions
Adapted from Cottrell. S (2005) Critical Thinking Skills. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan
References
ASK Academic Study Kit: Advice for Post-graduate
students http://about.brighton.ac.uk/ask/postgraduates/
Cottrell. S (2005) Critical Thinking Skills. Basingstoke,
Palgrave Macmillan.
Denby, N., Butroyd, R., Swift, H., Price, J. and Glazzard,
J. (2008) Master’s Level Study in Education; a guide to
success for PGCE students. Maidenhead. Open
University Press.
Judge, B., Jones, P., & McCreery, E. (2009) Critical
Thinking Skills for Education Students. Exeter. Learning
Matters.