Teaching Students to Think Critically

Abstract

As a new faculty member, I was midway through my first semester when I realized three things: 1) most first-year students and some upper-level students were not thinking critically about the subject matter; 2) they did not know what critical thinking was; and 3) I needed to slow the pace, even eliminate discussion topics, in order to familiarize students with the process and provide the time necessary to apply critical thinking skills. Based on my initial experiences, I developed a list of strategies I'm now implementing.Define Critical Thinking to Students -Like most professors, I assumed that students knew how to think beyond rote memory. After students expressed their confusion and uncertainty, I decided to begin a discussion of critical thinking with Bloom and Green's clear definition. "Critical thinking generally embraces all forms of higher-level thinking that are more complex or deeper than mere acquisition of knowledge and factual recall." I have also developed a handout that lists several higher-level, critical thinking skills.

Critical Thinking as a Predictor of Self-Esteem of University Students

“…The theoretical framework of critical thinking has mainly been explained by Bloom's Taxonomy (Lipman, 1988), which is used to find differences in human cognition (Meyers, 1986). Because critical thinking includes cognitive activities such as formulating hypotheses, solving problems, and making plans, the cognitive model of Bloom's Taxonomy may be used by educators to help student improve their cognitive skills.…”

Asian Social Science, Vol. 4, No. 5, May, 2008

“…For a learning environment to encourage the development of critical thinking, Meyers (1986) considers that four elements need to be present: a) the stimulation of students' interest, b) the creation of meaningful discussion, c) the exposure to the thoughts and views of others, and d) the fostering of a supportive and trusting atmosphere. Meyers feels that obtaining and holding the students' interest is the first, vital element, because once their interest is aroused, students can be guided into thinking critically and this will develop their confidence in their analytical and problem-solving abilities.…”

Pengembangan Instrumen Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Dan Motivasi Belajar Ipa Siswa Kelas Iv Sd

“…Untuk mengembangkan kemampuan dan keterampilan berpikir kritis peserta didik dalam proses pembelajaran perlu dilakukan strategistrategi sebagai berikut (Meyers, 1986). Pertama, Menyeimbangkan antara konten dan proses, dalam penyajian materi pelajaran agar diseimbangkan antara konten dan proses.…”