Critical Thinking in Higher Education and Labour Market

Abstract

Preface 6 variety in conceptualisations on what it is, how it is shown, what it addresses,and what it requires. The use and development of critical thinking are regularly and intentionally supported both in the labour market and higher education, despite diverse and clear indications that all that supporting of critical thinking, all that teaching of critical thinking are not always equally effective. Different conceptualisations of critical thinking result in different interpretations of the value of particular interventions, and, in turn, these different interpretations result in different reactions to those interventions. In addition to that insight, the monograph also extends an invitation for more research on fostering critical thinking, both by creating situations that afford critical thinking and by developing what is needed to engage in critical thinking. Here, too, we can only hope that the invitation will be widely accepted.The monograph highlights the importance of critical thinking, that is, why it is equally important to research it. It also highlights the complexity of critical thinking, stressing the need for research that acknowledges that complexity. The monograph recognises and illustrates that critical thinking deserves and requires multiple research approaches. Understanding critical thinking, the practice of critical thinking, the fostering of critical thinking, and the development of critical thinking requires knowledge and an in-depth understanding of the literature on critical thinking; it also requires engagement in empirical research, from qualitative and quantitative to descriptive, explanatory and interventionist. The monograph reveals that more conceptual and more empirical research need one another. Through instantiation, empirical research helps understand and validate conceptual research on critical thinking, while the use of conceptual literature is essential for deconstructing the findings in order to make them meaningful. The methodological richness and solid embeddedness in the (international) literature of this monograph might be intimidating, but extend an invitation to researchers and scholars in the domain of critical thinking to be especially critical when it comes to making methodological choices. Again, we can only hope that the invitation will be widely accepted.In The Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord invites us to be critical and not to be 'spectators', writing: 'Spectators do not find what they want, they want what they find'. This monograph helps to not become spectators -to remain critical first and foremost about (the development of) critical thinking.

Social Worker’s Experiences in a Case of Client’s Death in the Context of Wellbeing

“…One of the most important abilities, which, according to Indrašienė et al (2018), conditions the wellbeing of the individual and society, is critical thinking, named by the informant (M6): "I started to see critically: I can't have two things at the same time," and other statements of the informant were: "If I do something, I do it while understanding the motives and of my will -not forced by anyone, of free will and with a cool head. If I want to, I allow myself to be weak, vulnerable and ask for help.…”

Higher Education: Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility

“…Critical thinking is highlighted as one of the main competences and is treated as an ability that manifests itself in other competences, such as literacy or digital competence. According to Indrašienė (2021), Peterbauer (2023) in the governmental and non-governmental sectors, identifies critical thinking as one of the main skills that must be included in higher education programs, in their opinion, it is one of the competencies that determine success after graduation. The importance of critical thinking skills is noted (in the National Progress Strategy "Lithuania 2030", 2012), which states that imagination, creativity and critical thinking are considered important national resources.…”

“…Looking at education, we see that manifestations of critical thinking are a positive factor in education, where universities pay special attention to students being able to fit into the modern labor market. The importance of higher education and critical thinking is perfectly revealed by Popper (2020) and Indrašienė (2021).…”

“…Critical thinking is often referred to as the ideal of higher educationthe goal towards which the efforts of the academic community must be directed. This goal can be seen as the ability of students to become critical thinkers, able to create, cooperate, solve emerging problems, make relevant decisions, conclusions and contribute to the welfare of society (Indrašienė, 2021). After reviewing the concepts of critical thinking, its impact in higher education, the concept of academic freedom is further revealed.…”

A multi‐country comparison of lower secondary students' critical thinking under the International Baccalaureate and national curricula

“…The cultivation of critical thinking skills has several positive effects on a student's life, including increased academic success (Akpur, 2020; D'Alessio et al., 2019), greater resistance to misinformation (Joshi et al., 2022), better decision‐making (Butler et al., 2017), access to future higher‐quality employment opportunities (Goodsett, 2020; Indrašienė et al., 2021), and the ability to become informed, engaged and ethical citizens who contribute to the building and sustaining of a healthy and democratic society (Aktoprak & Hursen, 2022; Tiruneh et al., 2016). In today's information age, where vast amounts of information are accessible through online environments, the ability to think critically is more important than ever before.…”