Wisdom as an Outcome of Critical Thinking in the School Curriculum

This article considers a way of enacting critical thinking in the school curriculum. An alternative to adopting a formal framework of critical thinking which may not be exhaustive or include desirable components, involves working towards the generation of wisdom—defined as the quality of having the experience, knowledge and insight to think and act aptly in a specific context for a particular purpose—as a way for learners to make meanings that potentially have personal and social significance. The article uses a real-world example to illustrate how critical thinking can be driven by inquiry and underpinned by explanation to demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding in specific circumstances. Keywords: wisdom, critical thinking, curriculum, instruction, task design, classroom practic

How can what we know about motivation to teach improve the quality of initial teacher education and its practicum?

Motivation is what moves us to do something. It involves energy and drive to learn, work effectively, and achieve potential. Motivation also plays a large part in the interest and enjoyment of study (Martin, 2003). Research (e.g., Dowson & McInerney, 2003; McInerney, Maehr, & Dowson, 2004) suggests that salient motivations determine: (a) what activities people do or do not engage in ("attraction"), (b) how long they engage in these activities ("retention") and, (c) the depth to which they engage in these activities ("concentration"). Therefore, motivation may, determine what attracts individuals to teaching, how long they remain in their initial teacher education courses and subsequently the teaching profession, and the extent to which they engage with (concentrate on) their courses and the teaching profession (e.g., Martin, Marsh, & Debus, 2003)