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Evidence from a developmental interview analysis, a summative assessment, and participant surveys shows that learners forming meaning from earlier developmental perspectives produced lower critical thinking in reading and writing. Their reported successes and challenges aligned with their developmental perspectives. Implications discuss how to support critical thinking growth for developmentally diverse adult learners.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/australian-journal-of-adult-learning-volume-55-number-1-april-2015-epistemological-development-and-critical-thinking-in-post-secondary/593599/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/australian-journal-of-adult-learning-volume-55-number-1-april-2015-epistemological-development-and-critical-thinking-in-post-secondary/593599.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Jasmine","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-06","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What theory guides the study of critical thinking in reading and writing?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The study uses Kegan’s constructive-developmental theory to examine how epistemological development relates to critical thinking performance and learning.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What did the assessment and interviews indicate about learners at earlier developmental perspectives?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Learners constructing meaning from earlier developmental perspectives demonstrated lower critical thinking in reading and writing.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How do the findings inform support for adult learners?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The results suggest that epistemological development plays a role in critical thinking, and constructive-developmental theory can help identify developmentally appropriate approaches for supporting learning and growth.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},593599,1792162037,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},2336478487870,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 55, Number 1, April 2015  \nEpistemological Development and Critical Thinking in Post-Secondary  \nJennifer Ouellette-Schramm Hamline University Minnesota, & St. Catherine University Minneapolis  \nUsing Kegan’s constructive-developmental theory, this study explores to what extent epistemological development is a factor in critical thinking performance and learning in reading and writing among a diverse group of six adult learners. Analysis of a developmental interview, a summative assessment and participant surveys indicated that learners constructing meaning from earlier developmental perspectives demonstrated lower critical thinking in reading and writing, and expressed successes and challenges in accordance with their developmental perspectives. Implications are discussed for supporting critical thinking growth for developmentally diverse adult learners.  \nKeywords: Adult development; critical thinking; reading/writing; academic literacy; constructive-developmental theory  \nIntroduction  \nDeveloping critical thinking skills in reading and writing is increasingly  \nEpistemological Development and Critical Thinking in Post-Secondary 115  \nrecognised as important for preparing educationally disadvantaged adults for the post-secondary education they will need to compete in knowledge-based workforces. Canada’s Language Benchmarks for adult English as a Second Language Learners and United States Adult Basic Education (ABE) guidelines include critical thinking skills such as identifying an author’s purpose, main idea, intent, and line of reasoning, and communicating complex concepts using abstract language (Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, 2012; Pimentel, 2013) . In the United States, the General Education Diploma, recognised by many states as a high school diploma alternative, was revised in 2014 to require and assess the ability to write logical, cohesive arguments with claims supported by evidence (GED Testing Service, 2013) . As more adults enter post-secondary institutions, their ability to think critically in reading and writing is essential (Pimentel, 2013) .  \nHowever, many adults entering post-secondary in the United States underperform in critical thinking in reading and writing (Flores et.  \nal., 2012; Pitmann, 2010). A relevant theoretical lens not frequently considered in addressing this issue is that of adult epistemological development. The family of adult developmental theories that focus on epistemological growth are constructive-developmental, based on the tenet that adults actively construct rather than passively observe reality, and that the logics through which they make meaning become more complex over time. Constructive-developmental theories suggest that some adults will be “in over their heads” in facing “the curriculum of modern life,”(Kegan, 1994). Few studies, however, have investigated how epistemological complexity shapes critical thinking in reading and writing (Kane, 2005; Shapiro, 1984), particularly among educationally disadvantaged adults.  \nThe purpose of this study was to use a constructive-developmental lens to understand to what extent epistemological complexity is a factor in developing critical thinking skills in the context of reading and writing. The question guiding this research was: How might adult learners’ epistemological complexity impact their critical thinking performance and learning in reading and writing? The adult learners in this study were enrolled as students at a tuition-based private university in the state of Minnesota in the United States, where they registered for English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) or  \n116 Jennifer Ouellette-Schramm  \nremedial classes to prepare for admission to a degree program. Because they tested below twelfth grade reading levels, they also qualified to enrol in Minnesota’s ABE system, which is publicly funded and nontuition based, administered through the Minnesota Department of Educatio","cbCaihHpZWWXbvwW","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihHpZWWXbvwW","pdf",224897,21,"English","# Introduction\n## Purpose and research question\n## Theoretical framework","[{\"question\":\"What theory guides the study of critical thinking in reading and writing?\",\"answer\":\"The study uses Kegan’s constructive-developmental theory to examine how epistemological development relates to critical thinking performance and learning.\"},{\"question\":\"What did the assessment and interviews indicate about learners at earlier developmental perspectives?\",\"answer\":\"Learners constructing meaning from earlier developmental perspectives demonstrated lower critical thinking in reading and writing.\"},{\"question\":\"How do the findings inform support for adult learners?\",\"answer\":\"The results suggest that epistemological development plays a role in critical thinking, and constructive-developmental theory can help identify developmentally appropriate approaches for supporting learning and growth.\"}]","Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 55 - Number 1 - April 2015 - Epistemological Development and Critical Thinking in Post-Secondary | PDF",1792077550,53]