中国留学生批判性思维的中西割裂

On the Constructions of Chinese students as Uncritical Thinkers in the West

批判性思维能力是当前国际上衡量人才的重要标准之一。然而,中国留学生的批判性思维能力却屡屡受到西方高等教育的质疑。本文从三个方面具体探讨了中国留学生的批判性思维能力与西方大学的期待之间的"割裂"现象,以此质询批判性思维这一概念在所谓的国际化教育中所反映的中西方之间的"距离感"。暗含"高下之分"的割裂,人为地在中西方批判性思维的理论和教育实践中划出了鸿沟,固化了中国学生"缺乏批判性思维"的刻板文化印象。为求应对,这就要求中国留学生和西方高等教育者共同努力,以一种平视的目光,模糊化专设的"西方"或"中国"的批判性思维模式,积极启用和融会贯通多元化的知识以推动批判性思维的创造力。

Critical thinking is widely recognized as a top skill we will need to stay competitive. However,various media reports and research in the West have stated a view that international students from the People's Republic of China are rather deficient in critical thinking. This paper explores how the labels of Chinese students as uncritical thinkers have emerged in the West,and raises doubts over Chinese students' alleged inability to think critically. In fact,the construction of Chinese students as uncritical thinkers reflects cross-cultural differences between China and the West in defining critical thinking and has helped strengthen,to some extent,the Western stereotype of Chinese people as being intellectually inferior to other races. To tackle this problem,it is necessary for education researchers to abandon the Western-centric view of critical thinking and adopt an unbiased and cultural-conscious approach to cultivate critical thinking among all students.