Can critical thinking be taught?
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First, what's critical thinking?
- seeing both sides of an issue
- being open to new evidence that disconfirms your ideas
- reasoning dispassionately
- demanding that claims be backed by evidence
- deducing and inferring conclusions from available facts
- solving problems
- seeing both sides of an issue
- being open to new evidence that disconfirms your ideas
- reasoning dispassionately
- demanding that claims be backed by evidence
- deducing and inferring conclusions from available facts
- solving problems
Students cannot think about something from multiple perspectives if they don't know much about it.
The processes of thinking are intertwined with the content of thought (that is, domain knowledge).
You can't teach critical thinking devoid of content.
The processes of thinking are intertwined with the content of thought (that is, domain knowledge).
You can't teach critical thinking devoid of content.
Problem-solving is a kind of critical thinking.
But students tend to focus on the surface structure, rather than on the underlying structure of the problem.
Sharing a pizza amongst 4 people and splitting the bill 4 ways.
Same underlying problem.
Different surface.
But students tend to focus on the surface structure, rather than on the underlying structure of the problem.
Sharing a pizza amongst 4 people and splitting the bill 4 ways.
Same underlying problem.
Different surface.
Critical thinking programs have modest benefits.
Highly dependent on the skill of the teacher.
Effectiveness drops rapidly when the type of problem at hand is different from the type of problem covered in the program.
Highly dependent on the skill of the teacher.
Effectiveness drops rapidly when the type of problem at hand is different from the type of problem covered in the program.
You learn to think critically in the ways in which you practice thinking critically.
Knowing that one should think critically is not the same as being able to do so.
That requires domain knowledge and practice.
Knowing that one should think critically is not the same as being able to do so.
That requires domain knowledge and practice.
It's not all bad news, however.
Virtually everyone is capable of critical thinking and uses it all the time.
Here are a few ways students can be taught critical thinking.
Virtually everyone is capable of critical thinking and uses it all the time.
Here are a few ways students can be taught critical thinking.
1. Teach students metacognitive strategies about how they ought to think.
'Consider both sides of an issue', for example.
Or 'reason from first principles'.
Metacognitive strategies, once learned, make critical thinking more likely.
'Consider both sides of an issue', for example.
Or 'reason from first principles'.
Metacognitive strategies, once learned, make critical thinking more likely.
2. Provide opportunities for students to practice critical thinking.
Preferably in the context of normal classroom activities.
Model critical thinking for students.
Preferably in the context of normal classroom activities.
Model critical thinking for students.
3. Introduce concepts drawing on student experiences.
For example, the importance of a source in evaluating a historical document is familiar to even young children.
Deepen their understanding by asking questions that they have the knowledge to grapple with.
For example, the importance of a source in evaluating a historical document is familiar to even young children.
Deepen their understanding by asking questions that they have the knowledge to grapple with.
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