Philosophical Inquiry, Promoting Thinking in Tertiary Education

Abstract

Introduction:  Universities are experiencing difficulties with the learning and motivations of students. This has resulted in high failure rates in some faculties and institutions, and concern amongst lecturers about the standard of knowledge being reproduced in students. Students seem unwilling to think things through, question or understand adequately. Many lecturers have experienced students asking "just tell me what to write" or "tell me what to say and I'll say it." Students seem to expect to be able to learn most of what they need by rote or to lack the skills or the motivation to learn in other ways.