University Students’ Perspectives on Reflective Learning: Psychometric Properties of the Eight-Cultural-Forces Scale

Abstract

This study emerges from the development of higher-order thinking skills recognised as influential attributes to be considered for quality of learning in preservice teachers; hence, this quantitative research is a systematic attempt to obtain metric-quality pieces of evidence for identifying university students’ perspectives on reflective learning standards throughout their initial training period utilising an adapted cultural-forces scale. The earlier mentioned tool is an adaptation of Ritchhart’s scale (2015) for the assessment of cultural forces from the model of the Culture of Thinking. The selected sample of preservice teachers encompasses 700 university students of education from 7 faculties of education in Spain. Research results reveal that the use of the scale displayed high reliability and suitability. Similarly, significant statistical differences were observed in the eight scales of cultural forces assessment, where the prime-valued by the students were interactions, expectations, environment, language and time. Apropos of statistics, research results manifest as relevant. Such significance reveals how classroom culture and practical strategies acquire meaning and show connections with learning purposes—likewise with the developmental encouragement of cognitive skills and dispositions towards reflective learning.

Business Ethics Decision-Making: Examining Partial Reflective Awareness

“…If individuals become aware of their own deviations, they may put additional effort into shaping their future decision-making in a desired direction. In this context, improvement in reflective awareness would contribute to the better, more sustainable [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62] ethical choices and reveal a possibility of an intervention design within the higher education framework. In addressing the question of how revealed regularities can be translated into nudges, we conclude that it is necessary to use additional questions and instruments in order to reveal underlying patterns and/or guidelines for decision-making in relation to those who selfidentify themselves.…”

“…In addressing the question of how revealed regularities can be translated into nudges, we conclude that it is necessary to use additional questions and instruments in order to reveal underlying patterns and/or guidelines for decision-making in relation to those who selfidentify themselves. However, the implementation of the narratives [59], writing about the experiences of ethical dilemmas, raising awareness of own process of ethical decisionmaking, interpreting and understanding ethical decision-making and the exchange and receipt of the feedback may be implemented in the higher education system as an intervention design. Such design is in line with sustainable education [24], and in this case, sustainable business ethics education.…”

“…Such design is in line with sustainable education [24], and in this case, sustainable business ethics education. The stated approach benefits the reflective skills improvement [24,59], which impacts not only ethical decision-making, but also plays a role in becoming a virtuous person [23]. Implementation of such an approach could help the Croatian economy to move away from bad practices that rank Croatia low in terms of competitiveness: judicial independence, efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations, transparency, critical thinking, etc.…”

“…The relationship between the business ethics curriculum, sustainability and responsibility has previously been suggested as a prerequisite for shaping future decision-makers' attitudes and competences, as well as for building their integrity and morality [54][55][56][57][58]. Correspondingly, the reflective thinking proved to have an important role in development of quality learning and knowledge application to new and realistic situations [59,60], also, [61] show that reflective (and cooperative) learning environment enable development of competences for sustainability. Stated reveals a firm relationship between the ethics curriculum, reflective skills nurturing and attainment of complex competences (such as competences for ethical decision-making and the competences for sustainability).…”

A Model for the Selection of Active Learning While Taking into Account Modern Student Behavior Styles

“…In turn, the level of students' readiness for such interaction is highly dependent on their motivation for learning and the level of their academic and professional knowledge. Active learning methods, selected with the student's level of readiness for learning in mind, make it possible to: compensate for poor educational and cognitive motivation; raise the level of personal and team responsibility; and foster the development of critical thinking [13,21,26,33,44]. To increase the student's inclusion in the learning process, the academic teacher must remember that each student is a personality, an individual who has his or her own specific characteristics, tastes, preferences, abilities, his or her original way of processing information and approach to problem solving [45][46][47][48][49].…”