Cultural specificity of critical thinking in sub-Saharan Africa: a grounded theory study from Uganda

• Mauro Giacomazzi ^[3] ; Mónica Fontana ^[1] ; Liliana Maggioni ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  2. [2] Catholic University of America

     Catholic University of America

     Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] Instituto de Educación Superior Luigi Giussani

  Mostrar afiliaciones +
• Localización: Culture and Education, Cultura y Educación, ISSN-e 1578-4118, ISSN 1135-6405, Vol. 37, Nº 4 (diciembre), 2025, págs. 1033-1066
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Especificidad cultural del pensamiento crítico en África subsahariana: un estudio de teoría fundamentada en Uganda
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• Resumen
  • español

    En África, los gobiernos han declarado que las habilidades de pensamiento crítico son una prioridad educativa importante para aumentar la competitividad económica mundial y promover la independencia económica, política y cultural. Sin embargo, una variedad de factores culturales puede afectar la definición, el propósito y la manifestación del pensamiento crítico. Considerando el conocimiento limitado de las variables y los constructos que caracterizan el pensamiento crítico en el contexto subsahariano, esta investigación tuvo como objetivo investigar cómo los ugandeses definen y conceptualizan el pensamiento crítico y comparar la comprensión local de la habilidad con las definiciones occidentales más reconocidas. Para lograr este objetivo, los autores implementaron un estudio de teoría fundamentada para investigar la definición conceptual y operativa y los resultados del pensamiento crítico entre 54 informantes clave en Uganda. El estudio destaca la singularidad que caracteriza al pensamiento crítico en un país subsahariano, donde el modo de vida comunitario todavía juega un papel relevante en la formación social y cognitiva de la persona.

  • English

    In Africa, governments have declared critical thinking skills to be a major educational priority to increase global economic competitiveness and to promote economic, political and cultural independence. However, a variety of cultural factors may affect the very definition, purpose and manifestation of critical thinking. Considering the limited knowledge of the variables and constructs that characterize critical thinking in the sub-Saharan context, this research aimed to investigate how Ugandans define and conceptualize critical thinking, and compare the local understanding of the skill with the most renowned Western definitions. To achieve this aim, the authors implemented a grounded theory study to investigate the conceptual and operational definition and outcomes of critical thinking among 54 key informants in Uganda. The study highlights the uniqueness that characterizes critical thinking in a sub-Saharan country, where the communitarian way of living still plays a relevant role in the social and cognitive formation of the person.

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