Educational Turning Point in Albania: No More Mechanic Parrots but Critical Thinkers

Autor/in	Alhasani, Mirela Dubali
Titel	Educational Turning Point in Albania: No More Mechanic Parrots but Critical Thinkers
Quelle	In: Journal of Educational Issues, 1 (2015) 2, S.117-128 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2377-2263
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Academic Discourse; Writing (Composition); Writing Instruction; Best Practices; Writing Skills; Critical Thinking; College Students; Educational Change; Socialization; Educational History; European History; Reading Skills; Barriers; Skill Development; Definitions; Democracy; Albania + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Discourse; Diskurs; Schreibübung; Schreibunterricht; Writing skill; Schreibfertigkeit; Kritisches Denken; Collegestudent; Bildungsreform; Socialisation; Sozialisation; History of education; Bildungsgeschichte; Reading skill; Lesefertigkeit; Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Begriffsbestimmung; Demokratie; Albanien
Abstract	Since 2004 Albanian academics have been making efforts to establish the best Western practices of academic writing associated with critical thinking and writing skills for university students. In this article, I will shed light upon the special challenges and peculiarities the establishment of Academic Writing discipline has encountered in Albania over the years of educational transformation in the broad framework of democratic political transition. I argue that the socio-political indoctrination of the society during five decades of communist dictatorship has delayed the cultivation of critical thinking, reading and, consequently, critical writing skills for academic and occupational opportunities. Moreover, the research will not be limited only to causal factors of delay, instead, it will pave the way to recommendations that accelerate the successful acquisition and possession of such crucial academic writing skills for Albanian university graduates and academia in general. First, I provide literature on definition of critical thinking and its improvement through writing courses; next I depict the typical political indoctrination of students during communist dictatorship tracing the legacy of mechanic reading and the huge lack of critical discourse even among the academic staffs themselves; later on I discuss the contemporary academic focus being placed upon the need of critical academic writing to prepare independent thinkers successful to face the democratic transition. Finally, and most importantly, I offer substantial suggestions and recommendations how to implement successfully the Western Academic writing tradition in the higher education curricula by taking into consideration Albania's educational legacy. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Macrothink Institute. 5348 Vegas Drive, Unit 825, Las Vegas, Nevada 89108. Tel: 702-953-1852; Fax: 702-420-2900; e-mail: info@macrothink.org; Web site: http://www.macrothink.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01