Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information and make reasoned decisions. It involves suspended judgment, open-mindedness, and clarity of thought. It involves considering different viewpoints and weighing evidence carefully. It is essential for solving complex problems and making good decisions. People who think critically are able to see the world in a more nuanced way and understand the interconnectedness of things. They are also better able to adapt to change and handle uncertainty. In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to think critically is more important than ever and necessary for students and employees alike.
How do we define Critical Thinking?
- Understand the logical connections between ideas
- Identify, construct and evaluate arguments
- Detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning
- Solve problems systematically
- Identify the relevance and importance of ideas
- Reflect on the justification of one’s own beliefs and values
What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to objectively analyze information and draw a rational conclusion. It also involves gathering information on a subject and determining which pieces of information apply to the subject and which do not, based on deductive reasoning. The ability to think critically helps people in both their personal and professional lives and is valued by most employers.
Why do employers value critical thinking?
Critical thinking skills are a valuable asset for an employee, as employers typically appreciate candidates who can correctly assess a situation and come up with a logical resolution. Time is a valuable resource for most managers, and an employee able to make correct decisions without supervision will save both that manager and the whole company much valuable time.
Critical thinking is an important skill for anyone who wants to be successful in the modern world. It allows us to evaluate information and make reasoned decisions, rather than simply accepting things at face value. Thus, employers often want to employ people with strong critical thinking skills. These employees will be able to solve problems by themselves and identify ways to improve the workplace. They will be able to push back against bad decisions and use their own minds to make good decisions. Furthermore, critical thinking skills are important for students. This is because they need to be able to evaluate information and think through problems with a critical mindset in order to learn and improve.
Critical thinking skills examples
There are six main skills you can develop to successfully analyze facts and situations and come up with logical conclusions:
- Analytical thinking
Being able to properly analyze information is the most important aspect of critical thinking. This implies gathering information and interpreting it, but also skeptically evaluating data. When researching a work topic, analytical thinking helps you separate the information that applies to your situation from that which doesn’t.
- Good communication
Whether you use it for gathering information or convincing others that your conclusions are correct, good communication is crucial in the critical thinking process. Getting people to share their ideas and information with you and showing your critical thinking are components of success. If you’re making a work-related decision, proper communication with your coworkers will help you gather the information you need to make the right choice.
- Creative thinking
Being able to discover certain patterns of information and make abstract connections between seemingly unrelated data will improve your critical thinking. When analyzing a work procedure or process, you can creatively come up with ways to make it faster and more efficient. Creativity is a skill that can be strengthened over time and is valuable in every position, experience level and industry.
- Open-mindedness
Previous education and life experiences leave their mark on a person’s ability to objectively evaluate certain situations. By acknowledging these biases, you can improve your critical thinking and overall decision process. For example, if you plan to conduct a meeting in a certain way and your partner suggests using a different strategy, you should let them speak and adjust your approach based on their input.
- Ability to solve problems
The ability to correctly analyze a problem and work on implementing a solution is another valuable skill. For example, if your restaurant’s waitstaff needs to improve service speeds, you could consider reassigning some of their duties to bussers or other kitchen personnel so the servers can deliver food more quickly.
- Asking thoughtful questions
In both private and professional situations, asking the right questions is a crucial step in formulating correct conclusions.
Open-ended questions
Asking open-ended questions can help the person you’re communicating with provide you with relevant and necessary information. These are questions that don’t allow a simple “yes” or “no” answer, requiring the person who receives the question to elaborate on the answer.
Outcome-based questions
When you feel like another person’s experience and skills could help you work more effectively, consider asking outcome-based questions. Asking someone how they would act in a certain hypothetical situation will give you an insight into their own critical thinking skills and help you see things you hadn’t thought about before.
Reflective questions
You can gain insight by asking a person to reflect and evaluate an experience and explain their thought processes during that time. This can help you develop your critical thinking by providing you real-world examples.
Structural questions
An easy way to understand something is to ask how something works. Any working system results from a long process of trial and error and properly understanding the steps that needed to be taken for a positive result could help you be more efficient in your own endeavors.
VIDEOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGvChc5DeyM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsAg-JqJnA8
GAMES & MICROLESSONS
Critical Thinking Lesson Plan 1
puzzle for testing understanding
Critical Thinking Lesson Plan 2
ARTICLES
Journal of Developmental Education: «Developing Critical Thinking Skills in the Classroom: A Systematic Review of the Literature«.
BOOKS
Bassham, G. et al: «Critical Thinking: A Student’s Introduction«.
Hughes, W. et al: «Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills«.
Paul, R., Elder, L.: «Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life«.
White, D. A.: «Critical Thinking: The Nature of Critical and Creative Thought«.
Title, P.: «Critical Thinking: An Appeal to Reason«.
WEB SITES
Foundation for Critical Thinking
Description: Foundation for Critical Thinking website providing resources, books and articles related to critical thinking in various contexts.
The Critical Thinking Community
Description: An online resource that explores the fundamentals of critical thinking and offers tools and strategies to develop critical thinking skills.
The Critical Thinking Consortium
Description: An educational consortium that promotes critical thinking in the classroom. His website provides resources and strategies to teach and develop critical thinking skills.
Circular Economy: European Commission Portal.
