Abstract
The study aimed to design and validate a pedagogical proposal oriented toward the development of critical thinking in university teacher training, through the articulation of intellectual standards and virtues using the reflective journal. An applied approach was adopted, with a pedagogical innovation design and validation through expert judgment and student assessment. The results evidenced favorable levels of feasibility and relevance, highlighting the potential of the structured reflective journal to guide the quality of reasoning and promote dispositions such as autonomy, perseverance, and intellectual empathy. Likewise, a feedback relationship was identified between the development of virtues and the regulation of the reflective process. It is concluded that the proposal constitutes a coherent and applicable pedagogical alternative for promoting critical thinking in teacher training.
References
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[19] H. Machost y M. Stains, “Reflective practices in education: A primer for practitioners,” CBE—Life Sciences Education, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 1–11, 2023, doi: 10.1187/cbe.22-07-0148.
[20] A. Sudirman, A. V. Gemilang et al., “Reinforcing reflective practice through reflective writing in higher education: A systematic review,” International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 454–474, 2024, doi: 10.26803/ijlter.23.5.24.
[2] F. Hasyim, T. Prastowo y B. Jatmiko, “Critical thinking-independent learning: A model of learning to improve students’ critical thinking skills,” European Journal of Educational Research, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 747–762, 2024, doi: 10.12973/eu-jer.13.2.747.
[3] D. T. Willingham, Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom, 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA, USA: Jossey-Bass, 2021.
[4] R. Payan-Carreira, A. Sacau-Fontenla et al., “Development and validation of a critical thinking assessment-scale short form,” Education Sciences, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 1–19, 2022, doi: 10.3390/educsci12120938.
[5] R. Voulgari y K. Koutrouba, “The level of teachers’ reflection: A systematic literature review,” International Journal of Instruction, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1–16, 2026, doi: 10.29333/iji.2026.1911a.
[6] D. Alt, N. Raichel y L. Naamati-Schneider, “Higher education students’ reflective journal writing and lifelong learning skills: Insights from an exploratory sequential study,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, pp. 1–17, 2022, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707168.
[7] W. Ho y Y. Lau, “Role of reflective practice and metacognitive awareness in the relationship between experiential learning and positive mirror effects: A serial mediation model,” Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 157, 2025, Art. no. 104947, doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2025.104947.
[8] R. Paul y L. Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools, 8th ed. Lanham, MD, USA: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
[9] D. Pnevmatikos, P. Christodoulou, T. Georgiadou y A. Lithoxoidou, “Undergraduate students’ conceptualization of critical thinking and their ideas for critical thinking acquisition,” Education Sciences, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 3–19, 2023, doi: 10.3390/educsci13040416.
[10] C. Guzmán-Valenzuela, R. Chiappa, A. Rojas-Murphy, N. Ismail y L. Pedraja-Rejas, “Investigating critical thinking in higher education in Latin America: Acknowledging an epistemic disjuncture,” Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, vol. 11, no. SI, pp. 71–99, 2023, doi: 10.14426/cristal.v11iSI.624.
[11] M. V. Morancho, “Developing critical thinking at university: Strategies for overcoming challenges and promoting its growth,” Revista de la Educación Superior, vol. 53, no. 210, pp. 1–22, 2024, doi: 10.36857/resu.2024.210.2848.
[12] A. Mulalić, “Teaching critical thinking skills in higher education: Some reflections,” Academic Perspective Procedia, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 174–182, 2021, doi: 10.33793/acperpro.05.01.17.
[13] C. Shahab y M. Barak, “Critical thinking in higher education: Identifying the pedagogical practices and modes of engagement,” Thinking Skills and Creativity, vol. 59, 2026, Art. no. 102041, doi: 10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102041.
[14] S. D. Brookfield, Teaching for Critical Thinking: Tools and Techniques to Help Students Question Their Assumptions. San Francisco, CA, USA: Jossey-Bass, 2012.
[15] D. Johnson, R. Kakar, R. Zahrndt y P. Walton, “Student evaluation using an intellectual standards rubric for critical thinking,” Pedagogy in Health Promotion, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 92–100, 2022, doi: 10.1177/23733799211070544.
[16] Z. S. Nakrowi, D. S. Ansori, Y. Mulyati y Y. Setyaningsih, “The use of intellectual standards to assess the quality of students’ argumentative writings,” LITERA, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 200–212, 2023, doi: 10.21831/ltr.v22i2.60465.
[17] G. Fortes, L. De Brasi y M. Baumtrog, “Employing the intellectual virtues to better understand argumentation interventions in education,” Frontline Learning Research, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 99–112, 2024, doi: 10.14786/flr.v12i2.1247.
[18] A. Lithoxoidou y T. Georgiadou, “Critical thinking in teacher education: Course design and teaching practicum,” Education Sciences, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1–14, 2023, doi: 10.3390/educsci13080837.
[19] H. Machost y M. Stains, “Reflective practices in education: A primer for practitioners,” CBE—Life Sciences Education, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 1–11, 2023, doi: 10.1187/cbe.22-07-0148.
[20] A. Sudirman, A. V. Gemilang et al., “Reinforcing reflective practice through reflective writing in higher education: A systematic review,” International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 454–474, 2024, doi: 10.26803/ijlter.23.5.24.
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