Abstract

According to Brown (2018) and Fisher (2013) there is a thinking skills deficit in the education system in the UK. Central to this thesis is the question of the extent to which Critical Thinking (CT) can be taught or whether CT can only be gained in conditions conducive to its development. In relationship to the existence of a thinking skills deficit, this thesis argues that Arts students can become confident critical thinkers who are able to understand and apply complex theories and concepts to creative projects through pedagogical scaffolding interventions (Vygotsky, 2012) based on dialogic practices and democratic principles at work in a Community of Inquiry (Lipman, 2010). This qualitative research study employs a constructivist ontology combined with an interpretivist epistemology (Coe et al., 2017) combined with Narrative Inquiry (Clandinin and Connelly, 2004) to discuss the datasets generated by the research from a range of pedagogic interventions designed to develop critical thinking (or ‘thinking skills’). The study puts Lipman’s framework of Thinking Dimensions to work in the opening up of liminal educational spaces in the university which serves as the focus of his study as a way of working through the ideas and issues underpinning the notion of thinking through making in the creation of art works. Thematic analysis is employed to bring to light findings from this study in the form of five practice-focused (Dewey, 2009) conditions in which CT can thrive. From the dataset analysis understanding is developed regarding how carefully scaffolded CT pedagogic interventions in facilitated groups can support students to develop their Pedagogic Rights (Bernstein, 2000) Enhancement, Inclusion and Participation of their experiences of education in the Arts.