Cultural Imaginaries and Complex Thinking: Impact of Cultural Education on the Development of Perceived Achievement of Complex Thinking in Undergraduates

Abstract

This article presents the results of measuring the perceived achievement of complex thinking competency in a group of university students enrolled in a subject about Mexican cultural education. Specifically, the work intended to identify whether there is a correlation between the level of complex thinking and its sub-competencies with the appropriation of cultural knowledge. The sample population of university students from different disciplines took the subject “Imaginarios Culturales de México (Cultural Imaginaries of Mexico)”. The descriptive methodology analyzed the means of the students’ responses on a validated instrument measuring their perceived achievement of complex thinking competency and its sub-competencies. The questionnaire instrument was implemented at the beginning and end of the course without making a specific intervention. In conclusion, the research identified a statistically significant correlation between both variables, demonstrating that cultural training correlates with students’ perceived achievement of complex thinking competency and its sub-competencies. These results contribute to both the educational theory associated with the development of formative tools of competencies and skills, as well as the revaluation of cultural appropriation as a relevant formative element in lifelong learning.

Keywords

• professional education
• educational innovation
• complex thinking
• critical thinking
• cultural imaginaries
• higher education