Fostering Reflective Thinking and Combating Ethnocentric Tendencies. A Cross-Cultural Inquiry-Based Learning Experience in Higher Education

A pilot teaching project in the context of higher education has yielded some insights on effective teaching strategies for the promotion, among postgraduate students, of a habit of inquiry. This is meant as a valuable attitude in contemporary societies and a paramount prerequisite for developing reflective thinking and open-mindedness in a Deweyan perspective. Postgraduate students – pre-service teachers and educators -- were involved in a cross-cultural and inquiry-based project. As the students’ perspectives revealed, adopting an inquiry attitude contributed not only to the development of reflective thinking and open-mindedness but also self-empowerment and inquisitiveness.