Developing a capacity to engage in critical reflection: students' ‘ways of knowing’ within an undergraduate business and accounting programme

Abstract

The development of a capacity to engage in critical reflection is central to higher education. However, students vary in this capacity and its development requires students to move from an absolute towards a contextual way of knowing. Using 32 semi-structured interviews, this study identifies the ways of knowing of 17 business and accounting students at a large new United Kingdom (UK) university. In this study, absolute and transitional ways of knowing were found to be predominant. This appears to be significantly related to: (1) an extrinsic motivation for studying for a UK business or accounting degree and the desire to obtain a ‘good degree’; (2) a strong focus on the organisation of learning, rather than on what is learnt; and (3) a strong focus on, and an unquestioning attitude to, assessment. The implications of these findings for further research and pedagogy within higher education are discussed.

Keywords:

• ways of knowing
• epistemological beliefs
• critical reflection
• business and accounting

Acknowledgements

The findings in this article derive from a larger project, funded by the Higher Education Academy and the Charitable Trusts of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. We particularly acknowledge the contribution of the participating students, who gave freely of their time and willingly shared their experiences.