1 Has critical thinking been fruitfully married to group work in Hong Kong? -- 2 The research on group work, critical thinking and Confucian heritage culture: What does a thematic review tell us? -- 3 Research design: A mixed methods approach with a three-theme investigation and pedagogical intervention -- 4 How effective is group work in improving students' academic performance? -- 5 How effective is group work in improving the attitudinal aspects of student learning? -- 6 How does Chinese culture exert an influence on group work? -- 7 Summary, Concluding remarks and the way forward.

This book reports on studies contextualised within the curriculum development of General Studies in primary education and Liberal Studies in secondary education in Hong Kong. Both areas call for a learning environment that is conducive to the use of collaborative group work to foster critical thinking. By employing a mixed-methods approach and undertaking a teaching intervention based on Anderson et al.’s (2001) study, the book evaluates the effectiveness of group work in learners’ development of critical thinking skills and mindsets. In addition, it examines the influence of Chinese culture on the practice of group work. Findings from primary and secondary classrooms are subjected to a comparative analysis, yielding valuable insights into the relevance of group work for promoting critical thinking.