Abstract:

Most students in Higher Education lack the ability to reflect as a means of solving problems. Critical reflection as an extension of critical thinking aims at deepening learning. Students do not have sufficient platforms to think critically, engage and become responsive to problems. These are mechanisms that assessment needs to explore. Reflection is a conscious active reaction to a situation, and a process of learning that enables students to think critically, to improve their understanding, and to make connections between the social and natural. The study explored the use of critical reflection as an assessment tool to enhance logic, engagement and inquiry. Verbal and written forms as ways of reflecting were used as assessment strategies to determine how critical reflection impacts on students’ cognitive development and transformation towards their socio-cultural beliefs and practice in order to develop logic and inquiry as a means of solving problems. The study adopted an interpretive design. The sample consisted of four lecturers and eight students in four faculties at a university of technology. A purposive sampling technique was used. Data were collected by using an interview schedule for staff, a self-administered open-ended questionnaire for students, and a classroom observation. Thematic analysis was applied to sort data into emerging themes. From literature and data results, it emerged that the use of critical reflection as an assessment tool is an effective strategy to help students develop logic and other higher order skills which in turn, enables them to understand theory and practice better.

Keywords:

Assessment, critical reflection, critical thinking, development, engagement, inquiry, logic.