The pedagogy of inquiry and deliberation in higher education in the Arab region. Issue 2 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Abouchedid, Kamal
• Is Part Of: Contemporary Arab affairs. Volume 10:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 207
• Page End: 227
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: cooperative learning -- critical thinking -- problem solving -- debate -- discourse analysis; Arab countries -- Periodicals; Arab countries -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 909.0974927
• DOI: 10.1080/17550912.2017.1311600
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-0912

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the extent to which the official discourse of 36 institutions of higher education in 15 Arab countries pronounces four meanings depicted in the extant literature on the pedagogy of inquiry and deliberation: cooperative/collaborative learning; problem-solving; critical thinking; and discussion/debate. Results derived from the discourse analysis showed a weak emphasis on cooperative learning and discussion/debate while problem solving comprised the highest number of sentences in the discourse followed by critical thinking. Information analysed from interviews and course syllabi provided a portrait of how teaching might be carried out in the universities surveyed. However, for a complete picture of pedagogy of inquiry and deliberation to be drawn, research emphasis should be shifted into action research and observational case studies that tend to yield an in-depth account of teaching and learning in higher education.