The survey is relatively brief and although its target audience is obviously for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), it was easy for me to complete as a university professor in economics.

Thanks so much. Any higher education teacher with interest in quality teaching can respond to the survey questions.

I appreciate your responses sir

I answered your survey. I like the study. We have this problem in Singapore. They’re socialized and conditioned for rote memorization in the past and through the educational system at all levels. It’s become a problem as the future lies in innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity and critical thinking. They’ve confused teaching creative thinking with creative teaching. I can teach multiplication tables on a chalk board, or develop a colorful powerpoint animated production... but it’s still teaching multiplication tables.

They real problem is that we can’t really “teach it”; teach “creativity" that is. Creativity is like a muscle everyone has. If it’s not exercised, it will be weak. If it gets challenging and consistent exercise, it will strengthen. A teacher’s job vis-a-vis creative thinking is much like a trainer or coach. Develop a good training program with appropriate exercises. Encourage, assist, support, be diplomatically critical, demonstrate new methods and techniques when needed, correct poor approaches, etc.

The same applies to critical thinking skills. Also, there’s a move in the US and Singapore (places I’ve worked in the last several years) to “rapidly" “teach” “critical thinking” skills. That’s ironic. I was literally once asked to teach critical thinking skills in 15 minutes with 1 to 3 powerpoint slides. Crazy. Critical thinking skills are not something you can rapidly upload. They take time and experience to cultivate and develop. We can give examples like having them try on several pairs of glasses allowing things to be seen differently, or from different perspectives. However, the point is for them to eventually develop their own glasses. One example I actively do: I’ll have a class form pairs or small teams (sometimes individuals). They have to go to different parts of the building and draw it: some with a pen; wome with a pencil; some with crayons or markets; some with paints; some can use modelling clay; some can use photo images; some can make video clips; some have to view from the toilets; from the room; from the roof; from the front; from a satellite image; some have to interview employees about the building; some interview visitors; some have to describe sounds and smells, how it feels; the social makeup and demographics; activities...and so forth (e.g., not just a variety of visual dimensions, but other senses, and social dimesnions). They come back to the classroom and show their pictures, etc., report, and so on. Then I ask them “which one is right and which one is wrong?” Of course they look at me perplexed. Then I say, “all are right for various reasons”. However, if I rely on one, I only have a partial understanding. If I combine them, I have a more complete and holistic understanding. Depending on the question we need to answer (e.g., “where is the nearest bathroom” versus “where is the cleanest toilet” or “cheapest food” or “how does the building make visitors feel”), we might choose specific descriptions and methods. This leads to my working groups on methodology and research design. I digress. These type of things work really well.

Anyway, our modern and accelerating culture of impatience undermines the development of critical thinking skills. It’s unfortunate. How do we fix this problem?

Hope this helps and best regards,

D. Kyle Latinis

Greetings D. Kyle Latinis,

I am glad to learn a lot from you regarding the Critical Thinking Skills. Thanks so much for completing the survey too. I look forward to working with you in the near future if you'll have the time.

Best Wishes!

Thanks. My pleasure. Anytime. I’m based mostly in Singapore these days, but travel around regionally a lot. Good luck on your project. It’s very important. I’m very pleased people like you are working on solutions and improvements.

Also forgot to mention: There’s a lot of good discourse (research and publications) on “arts” (performing and visual) and enhancement of creativity and critical thinking skills. Just heard a few excellent keynotes at an international conference on advanced multidisciplinary research (I also gave aa keynote, but mainly social sciences). Amy Hamilton (Australia) gave the presentation. Outstanding. There were four of us (Science, Engineering, Social sciences, and Arts, as in “art”: performing and visual arts). There were hundreds of excellent papers - mostly education research related. ICAMR conference in Makassar City, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Thanks so much David. I look forward to working with you soon.

I sincerely thank you so much for responding to the short survey on "Teaching for Creative Thinking and Creativity: Developing TVET Students' Critical thinking Skills". I feel so great reading through the awesome responses I got from various experts in the forum. I am humbled.

However, let me inform you that the survey on “Teaching for Creative Thinking and Creativity: Developing TVET Students' Critical thinking Skills” is not meant for Journal article, rather, a book project, (single-authored).

I humbly request your thoughts and ideas on the relevant key areas that may need to be addressed in the proposed book project based on what is obtainable or what is in practice in your respective countries. Specifically, are there some specific areas of interest that this book may have to cover based on what you currently address in your area (Teaching for Creative Thinking and Creativity: Developing TVET Students' Critical thinking Skills)? What chapters or chapter titles would you like to see the proposed book cover?

Suggestions are highly welcome. This is to ensure that the proposed book meets the international standards, and as well be of interest to every TVET expert when it eventually gets published in 2020. To make suggestions on the relevant chapter(s) that you may want to see or read in the proposed TVET book, please use this link to comment https://goo.gl/mFByDb

I feel that I am gradually becoming like Oliver Twist, who’s always asking for more in this forum!! @

David Kyle Latinis , Rob Catlett

Thank you so much.

Thanks. Good question. Not sure about titles but relevant topical categories... there are many. I’m an applied interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary person (mostly social/soft sciences, but quite a lot of hard sciences on one hand, and humanities on the other). One of the reasons I like anthropology - study of people - anything is valid. Thus, topics/chapters dedicated to multidisciplinary and multicultural (international) are particularly interesting to me. Not just traditional fields (stovepipes/disciplines) but new ones and yet to be dreamed up ones. A chapter on imagining future multidisciplinary studies with disciplines that are emergent or not yet gelled into existence (speculative or even sci-fi but realistic). Also, I’d like to see something on the value of field trips and field schools - hands on stuff rather than things we can do in the classroom. I have to run right now, but remind me again in the next few days. I think the book initiative is excellent and will have high impact.

Thanks so much sir.