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
Linara Bartkuvienė
Critical Thinking Through Literary Criticism or Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Critical Thinking Through Literary Criticism or Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Linara BARTKUVIENĖ
Vilnius University, Lithuania
Abstract
This talk is about the role of critical thinking as both an intellectual and ethical tool in teaching literary criticism in a university English literature class. Critical thinking must consider diverse viewpoints and their ethical implications in critical reception; otherwise, it falls short of being truly critical. The first section sets the stage for the university classroom as an ideal interpretative community, where diverse epistemological assumptions shape textual meanings. This reflection draws on Stanley Fish’s theory of interpretative communities, David Bleich’s theory of epistemological assumptions, and Wolfgang Iser’s phenomenology of reading to understand how these theories inform literary analysis and define our comprehension and reception of literature as an academic discipline and its pedagogy. In contrast, the second section transitions from theory to practice, outlining academic pedagogical strategies for teaching literary criticism, such as research-based discussions, writing assignments, and small-scale research projects. This part focuses on the practical challenges and realities of helping students analyse, interpret, and evaluate literature to cultivate their critical mindset. Practical examples and authentic case studies will be provided, illustrating how a text can be read from multiple perspectives using diverse theories. Reflections on challenges, such as balancing group validation (group-centered thought) with individual (self-centered) thought, will also be included. This suggests that critical thinking does not exist in a vacuum but interacts with our underlying assumptions about knowledge and reality. A university English literature class is an environment where students can develop critical thinking, intellectual, and hence ethical character. By integrating theoretical insights with practical strategies, we can prepare students for both academic and real-world challenges.
Keywords: critical thinking, literary criticism, literary analysis, interpretation, epistemological assumptions.
References
Bleich, D. (1980). Epistemological Assumptions in the Study of Response. In J. P. Tompkins (Ed.), Reader-Response Criticism. From Formalism to Post-Structuralism (pp. 134-164). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Elder, L. (2019). Liberating the Mind. Overcoming Sociocentric Thought and Egocentric Tendencies. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
Fish, E.S. (1980). Interpreting the Variorum. In J. P. Tompkins (Ed.), Reader-Response Criticism. From Formalism to Post-Structuralism (pp. 164-185). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Frye, N. (2000). Anatomy of Criticism. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.
Iser, W. (1980). The Reading Process: A Phenomenological Approach. In J. P. Tompkins (Ed.), Reader-Response Criticism. From Formalism to Post-Structuralism (pp. 50-70). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Biodata
Linara Bartkuvienė. Assist. Prof. Dr. Department of English Philology, Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University, Lithuania. She teaches a range of courses to BA and MA students, including 18th- and 19th-century English Literature, 20th-century English Literature, and research paper writing courses. Her research spans 20th-century English literature, with her current focus being on reception studies.
