Nurturing Critical Minds: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Education and the Workforce
Nurturing Critical Minds: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Education and the Workforce
We are delighted to invite you to our upcoming international conference on “Nurturing Critical Minds: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Education and the Workforce”. The conference is interdisciplinary, it will cover a diverse range of fields and perspectives on the development of critical thinking skills in different academic fields at universities and labour market institutions. Showcasing the holistic approach, the conference aims to explore the vital role of critical thinking in diverse academic disciplines and its significance in the ever-evolving landscape of labour market institutions.
The conference aims to bridge the gap between universities and labour market institutions, fostering a culture of critical thinking that thrives in the classroom and enhances professional growth in the workplace. This conference will serve as a platform for educators, researchers, and labour market professionals from diverse fields to explore innovative strategies, and share best practices and collaborate on integrating critical thinking skills into educational curricula.
Keynote speakers
Alistair Starling
Co-Founder and Managing Director of the European Diplomats
Luís Sebastião
Associate Professor in the Department of Pedagogy and Education, Director of the Center for Research in Education and Psychology, University of Évora
Dimitris Pnevmatikos
Professor in the Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Western Macedonia
Erika Vaiginienė
Associate professor in the Department of Business, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vilnius University
Inga Jončienė
Head of Business Development at Alliance for Recruitment
Adam Mastandrea
Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, Institute of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University
Daiva Penkauskienė
Director of Modern Didactics Center, Associate Professor in the Institute of Educational Sciences and Social Work, Mykolas Romeris University
Sandra Kairė
Associate Professor, Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University
Kay Hemmerling
Dr Kay Hemmerling, Chairman at the Institute for Moral-Democratic Competence (IMDC e.V.)
Programme
Programme
Rasa Aškinytė
Analysis of Ethical Problems Based on Theory and Practice of Logical Thinking: An Educational Model
Analysis of Ethical Problems Based on Theory and Practice of Logical Thinking: An Educational Model
Rasa Aškinytė
Vilnius University, Lithuania
Abstract
Critical thinking is an essential skill in all fields, including education of ethics and moral reasoning itself. The fundamental thesis and research object of this presentation is that Aristotelian logic may foster critical thinking in moral education and beyond.
This presentation will explore a few theoretical fundamentals, including the interconnectedness between critical and logical thinking, the interface between ethics and logic as well as the possibility to teach/learn ethics following the rules of logical thinking.
Besides the theoretical background, the aim of this research was to create and test a framework for applicability and relevance of Aristotelian logic in lessons of ethics in secondary schools, to develop a methodology and to analyse its practical applicability. The experiment was conducted in 2008-2009 with students of 9-10 grades (98 participants in the experimental group and 102 in the control group). For 6 months, a teacher implemented the methodology of moral learning, including logical thinking. Based on the quantitative test on logical thinking, the treatment group obtained a significantly higher post-test score compared to the control group, which suggests that the methodology had helped to improve students’ logical thinking in the moral domain. The experiment was partly repeated in 2024 with the aim to test moral reasoning skills and include logics into the moral education programme.
Logical (e.g., critical) thinking helps to move away from rigidly categorical thinking and to be able to make reflective judgements about the adequacy of varying perspectives. That helps to achieve the main goal of moral education (and education in general) – for school kids to become better thinkers and better people.
Keywords: Critical thinking, logic, ethics, moral education, moral reasoning.
Biography
Rasa Aškinytė is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University. Lithuania. With a career of more than 25 years in various universities, more than 10 years at the Council of Europe (the Pestalozzi Programme), she has gained experience as a lecturer and researcher on national and international levels. Her primary research focus revolves around the possibility to teach/learn ethics following the rules of logical thinking and intercultural education. She has co-authored the General Education Curriculum, authored a national textbook for 7-9th grades in ethics, a textbook for primary school children, a book for teachers Philosophy for the little ones, and various other textbooks for school and university students. Beyond academia, Rasa Aškinytė is a psychotherapist and writer. Email: .
