Abstract
Critical thinking is a well-researched topic. Most research is based on the meaning of critical
thinking and the different teaching methods involved in teaching for critical thinking. This
research project examines society's expectation that the education system and schooling in South
Africa should help in the cultivation of persons capable of thinking critically. More specifically,
it is based on the challenges involved when teaching for critical thinking with regard to the
CAPS curriculum policy document. The purpose of this study is to examine and understand how
teachers understand and teach for critical thinking through the teaching of English in grade 6.
Another aim of this study is to understand the challenges involved in teaching for critical
thinking.
An interpretivist paradigm was used in this study to capture the experiences and perspectives of
the participants. In order to capture these experiences, a qualitative research design was used.
The participants were six teachers from two different schools who teach grade 6 English. Data
was collected with the use of observations, interviews and document analysis. Six teachers who
teach English were chosen for the sample in order to be observed and interviewed. Document
analysis was done by analysing the curriculum policy statements. The CAPS curriculum policy
document was included in data collection to compare the teachers' perspectives and views to
what the curriculum policy document suggests.
The research revealed that the teachers in the sample argued that teaching for critical thinking is
important for education and society. The research also revealed that the teachers were all aware
of how to teach for critical thinking and that leamer-centred teaching approaches work best when
teaching for critical thinking. The research also found that the challenge of teaching for critical
thinking arises with implementation, because there is a disjunction between knowledge and
practice. The research found that the teachers still teach in a traditional way, with lessons being
teacher centred. The learners, however, do not remember what they are being taught and are
bored in class. The type of learner found in class has changed through the years, but the teacher's
teaching methods have remained the same. Further, the research showed that the learner - as an
individual - is not regarded, and the teachers are teaching for the learner who conforms to what
the teacher wants them to conform to, as was done in the past. The research also found that the...
M.Ed.