1. Critical analysis involves breaking down a topic into its individual elements, considering it from different perspectives without accepting information at face value.
2. It requires wide reading on all aspects of a topic and synthesizing various sources to arrive at an informed evaluation or judgment.
3. Critical analysis builds upon knowledge and understanding of an issue through analyzing, applying, comprehending, and synthesizing information from multiple sources before making an assessment.
3. In pairs, take three minutes to discuss what is happening in this image.
4. What is critical
analysis?
• Standing back and thinking about all the
elements of a topic
• Not taking information at face-value
• Thinking about context
• Considering an issue from different perspectives
• Analysing and evaluating information, ideas and
perspectives before making a judgement
• Critical thinking is about asking and answering
questions: ‘Why? How? What if? What next? So
what?’
5. Now you have started to critically analyse,
let’s take it a step further.
Should university vice-
chancellors should have
their pay capped?
On your handout, start
noting down what you think
and why.
What do I think? Why?
What do other
people think?
Why?
6. But is there more for you to
consider?
In your groups, you each have a
different article about recent calls for
limiting the pay of university vice-
chancellors.
Read the article and add some more
detail to your grid: is this another point
of view or does it give you some more
reasons to explain your own view?
Share the information and ideas from
your article with the rest of your
group. Use that discussion to add even
more comments to your grid.
What is your own view now?
7. As you have just been critically
analysing a question, a debate and
source material, how would you
define critical analysis?
Note down your definition on your
worksheet.
What is critical analysis?
8. What is Critical Analysis?
• Critical analysis builds on your knowledge,
understanding, and application of an issue.
• Critical analysis involves breaking down the
question, topic, or source in order to consider all
of its elements.
• Critical analysis requires wide reading on, and
‘synthesis’ of, all elements of the question or
topic.
• Critical analysis usually leads to an evaluation (or
judgement, or argument) which is based on the
synthesis of evidence, applications, and
arguments.
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
9. TO THINK AND WRITE CRITICALLY, YOU NEED TO READ
WIDELY SO THAT YOU GET A RANGE OF DIFFERENT
(ACADEMIC/EXPERT) OPINIONS.
10. Academic reading requires critical analysis throughout.
Routinely ask questions of the material, such as…
Nature
What is the provenance?
(author, date)
What is the context?
What type of source?
What is its purpose?
What is the intended audience?
What is the bias?
Are there assumptions?
Content
What is the main point/argument/conclusion
of the source?
What further/minor points are made?
Use of language and imagery?
What evidence is used? Effective?
How does this information compare with
other sources and/or your own knowledge?
Usefulness
How can I use this?
What is its significance?
What are its limitations?
12. Critical reading Do British values have a place in education?
In your group, you have been provided with
two extracts relating to the above assignment
brief.
As you read, keep thinking about how you
can critically analyse it.
You have a critical reading check list on your
handouts to help you with this.
13. Author, title, type of
source
Topic Main Point – Argument
Key ideas/themes
Strengths/
Weaknesses
Limitations
How to use Significance Your thoughts about what
is said
Useful for your
referencing.
Also highlights any
possible bias from the
type of source.
Is this very close to your
research topic?
Is this an article on a
different topic that you
are going to apply to your
question?
What is the author trying
to tell you?
Look at the abstract,
introduction and
conclusion - to help you
determine the main
argument.
Evidence?
Date?
Sample size?
Source outside your field-
can you apply the ideas?
Where are you going to
use this information in
your writing?
How are you going to use
it?
This is where you begin to
plan your writing.
Are you going to combine
this source with another
to make a point stronger
with a synthesised
reference?
Are you going to compare
this source with another
to contrast arguments?
Is this big picture
information you may use
in your introduction?
Is this sources cited
frequently in further
studies?
Is this source
underpinning your line of
argument?
Is this source providing
key research?
What do you think?
What questions has this
source raised for you?
Has this led you to think
about further reading you
need to do?
14. A reading grid can help you keep track of your reading and analysis, and
think about how you will use or refer to it in your writing: keep reviewing
Author, title Topic Key
idea/theme
Strengths/Wea
knesses
How to use Further
thoughts
Bill Johnston
(2010) The First
Year at
University:
Teaching
Students in
Transition
(Helping
Students Learn)
BJ = academic
skills tutor
Effects of
stress on
university
students
during
transition
Students need
to have
differences in
study practices
made clear at
the outset: this
is primarily the
responsibility
of the
university
Very small
sample but
longitudinal
study –
appropriate
methods
Rich data – see
transcripts
Compare to
sources which
emphasise the
responsibility
of the student
in adapting to
different study
practices
But at what
stage should
support be
removed?
Gradually?
They are
adults! Role of
independent
learning?
Don’t forget, you will also be thinking about how to use this reading in your own profession too when writing
reflections or discussing your research: it’s not just abstract
15.
16. Have a go….
You have a blank copy of the reading
grid on your worksheet.
In pairs, have a go at completing it for
the two articles you have just read on
British Values.
What analysis did you record?
Why did you choose those points?
Remember the
question: Critically
evaluate the role of
sustainability in
Human Resource
Management.
17. Reflection…..
Go back to your definition of critical analysis. Would
you change it now?
If you had to give another L7 student a piece of
advice about how to develop their critical thinking,
what would it be?
Notas del editor
Follow up with some discussion, questioning – use some Socratic questioning here! Push for challenging them on preconceived bias/perspectives.
To confirm/develop their initial responses – ask them for examples from the discussion of how they did each
Intro the topic with a little info on pay levels and controversy. Get a little feedback
Whilst this is quite a generic topic, the students' experiences in HRM should be drawn upon during the discussion as relevant (e.g. HR professionals’ views on performance related pay). Explain this activity carefully to them. Ideally need them in groups of 4. Q and A to develop their critical thinking – keep pushing on provenance etc. Keep also referring back to the image as further context on the subject. End with asking them whether they have changed their views, if so why and if not why. SO, YOU HAVE BEEN CRITICALLY THINKING!!!!
Get some examples from them.
To develop if time
Talk about each of these.
Follow this up with q and a – based on the question, how would they use this article/source? Go through different types of questions to bring out their critical analysis – keep probing.
Talk in more detail about how this relates to CA – id of point, evidence, strengths and weakness, compare and contrast, own thoughts triggered
Mind mapping also works but use the same features – really spend some time on this, asking fro examples etc and emphasising the way in which you draw links between works and idenifty themes
Get them working on their grids but emphasise the questions afterwards – get them explaining and justifying why they were noting down those points of analysis and posh for how they might use them for this question.
Go round and get all of their responses to these questions as a plenary.
