ERIC EJ986272: Critical Thinking: Competency Standards Essential for the Cultivation of Intellectual Skills, Part 1

2010·0.31 MB·English

by  ERIC

Critical Thinking: • come to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions (testing them against
relevant criteria and standards),
Competency Standards
• think open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought (recog-
nizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and
Essential for the Cultivation
practical consequences), and
of Intellectual Skills, Part 1 • communicate effectively with others in figuring out solutions to com-
plex problems.
By Linda Elder and Richard Paul
Students who internalize these competency standards will come to see that
critical thinking entails effective communication and problem-solving
skills as well as a commitment to overcoming one’s native egocentric and
Much lip service is given to the notion that students are learning to think
sociocentric tendencies.
critically. Studies consistently show that though faculty say that critical
It is important to note that, only when instructors understand the
thinking is important to their instruction, they have difficulty articulating
foundations of critical thinking can they effectively teach for it. The simple
a clear conception of it and demonstrating how they foster it (Gardner
truth is that teachers are able to foster critical thinking only to the extent
1995; Paul, Elder, & Bartell, 1997).
that they themselves think critically. This may be the single most signifi-
In order for students to learn critical thinking, instructors need to ex-
cant barrier to student achievement of critical thinking competencies. For
plicitly teach it through focused instruction. And standards for doing this
teachers to aid students in becoming deep thinkers, they must themselves
are essential. Thus in the next few columns we focus on some essential
think deeply. For teachers to aid students in developing intellectual hu-
critical thinking competency standards. In this first column of the series,
mility, they must themselves have developed intellectual humility. For
we essentially argue for the importance of critical thinking to instruction.
teachers to foster a reasonable, rational, multilogical worldview, they must
In the several columns that follow, we provide examples of the competen-
themselves have developed such a worldview. In short, teaching for critical
cies (Paul & Elder, 2007).
thinking presupposes a clear conception of critical thinking in the mind
These competencies serve as a resource for teachers, curriculum de-
of the teacher.
signers, administrators, and accrediting bodies. The use of these compe-
tencies across the curriculum will ensure that critical thinking is fostered The Concept of Critical Thinking
in the teaching of any subject. Large groups of students can be expected
The concept of critical thinking can be expressed in a variety of ways,
to achieve these competencies only when most faculty within a particular
depending on one’s purpose (though, as with every concept, its essence
institution are fostering critical thinking standards in their subject(s). It is
is always the same). A definition most useful in assessing critical think-
unreasonable to expect students to learn critical thinking at any substan-
ing abilities is as follows: Critical thinking is the process of analyzing and
tive level through one or a few semesters of instruction. However, basic
assessing thinking with a view to improving it. Critical thinking presup-
critical thinking competencies can be achieved by most students. The most
poses knowledge of the most basic structures in thinking (the elements of
basic and important competencies must be reinforced across the curricu-
thought) and the most basic intellectual standards for thinking (universal
lum. Some competencies might well be taught in a more restricted way.
intellectual standards). The key to the creative side of critical thinking (the
As you read this series of columns, it should become clear that any
actual improving of thought) is in restructuring thinking as a result of
well-educated student or citizen needs the abilities and dispositions fos-
analyzing and effectively assessing it.
tered through the critical thinking competencies articulated herein. To
As instructors foster critical thinking skills, it is important that they
transform classrooms into communities of thinkers, one must take a long-
do so with the ultimate purpose of fostering traits of mind. Intellectual
term view. Educators need to reflect widely and broadly as well as to be
traits or dispositions distinguish a skilled but sophisticated thinker from
systematic, committed, and visionary. The task is challenging indeed. But
a skilled fair-minded thinker. Fair-minded critical thinkers are intellectu-
it is a challenge ignored at the risk of the well-being of both students and
ally humble and intellectually empathic. They have confidence in reason
that of the entire society.
and intellectual integrity. They display intellectual courage and intellectual
Assessing Students’ Critical Thinking Abilities autonomy.
It is possible to develop some critical thinking skills within one or more
The critical thinking competency standards articulated in this series exem-
content areas without developing critical thinking skills in general. The
plify the standards needed for assessing students’ critical thinking abilities.
best teaching approach fosters both, so that students learn to reason well
They enable administrators, teachers, and faculty to determine the extent
across a wide range of subjects and domains.
to which students are reasoning critically within any subject or discipline.
These standards include outcome measures useful for teacher assessment, Critical Thinking and Learning
self-assessment, as well as accreditation documentation. In short, these
The key insight into the connection of learning to critical thinking is this:
standards include indicators for identifying the extent to which students
The only capacity we can use to learn is human thinking. If we think well
are using critical thinking as the primary tool for learning.
while learning, we learn well. If we think poorly while learning, we learn
By internalizing the full range of critical thinking competencies, stu-
poorly. To learn a body of content, say an academic discipline, is equiva-
dents will become more self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored
lent to learning to think within the discipline. Hence to learn biology, one
thinkers. They will develop their ability to
has to learn to think biologically. To learn sociology, one has to learn to
• raise vital questions and problems (formulating them clearly and pre- think sociologically.
cisely), Students need to think critically to learn at every level. Sometimes the
critical thinking required is elementary and foundational. For example,
• gather and assess relevant information (using abstract ideas to inter-
in studying a subject there are foundational concepts that define the core
pret it effectively and fairly),
38 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
of the discipline. To begin to internalize understanding one needs to give looking at things. They change their minds when evidence or reasoning
voice to those basic concepts, that is to state what the concept means in requires it. They are able to internalize important concepts within a disci-
one’s own words; to elaborate what the concept means, again in one’s own pline and interrelate those concepts with other important concepts both
words; and then to give examples of the concept from real-life situations. within and among disciplines. They are able to reason well enough to think
Without critical thinking guiding the process of learning, rote memo- their way through complex problems. If students are to become educated
rization is likely to become the primary recourse, with students forgetting persons, teachers must place thinking at the heart of the curriculum; they
at about the same rate they are learning and rarely, if ever, internalizing must require students to actively use their thinking to work ideas into it.
powerful ideas. For example, most students never take genuine owner-
Conclusion
ship of the concept of democracy. They memorize phrases like, “a democ-
racy is government of the people, by the people, for the people.” But they In this column we have introduced the concept of critical thinking com-
don’t come to understand what such a definition means. And when they petency standards and argued for the importance of critical thinking to
don’t know what a definition means, they cannot elaborate or exemplify education. In the next few columns, we will detail some of the competency
its meaning. standards by providing the relevant critical thinking principle, perfor-
Through critical thinking, then, one is able to acquire knowledge, un- mance indicators and dispositions, and expected outcomes.
derstanding, insights, and skills in any given body of content. To learn
References
content it is essential to think analytically and evaluatively within that con-
tent. Thus critical thinking provides tools for both internalizing content Gardiner, L. (1995). Redesigning higher education: Producing dramatic gains
(taking ownership of content) and assessing the quality of that internal- in student learning. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 7. Washing-
ization. It facilitates constructing the system (that underlies the content) ton, DC: The George Washington University, Graduate School of Educa-
within the mind, to internalize it, and to use it reasoning through actual tion and Human Development.
problems and issues. Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2007). A guide for educators to critical thinking com-
petency standards. Dillon Beach, CA; Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Critical Thinking and the Educated Person
Paul, R., Elder, L., & Bartell, T. (1997). California teacher preparation for in-
Developing critical thinkers is central to the mission of all educational in- struction in critical thinking: Research findings and policy recommenda-
stitutions. Ensuring that students learn to think critically and fair-mind- tions. Sacramento, CA: California Commission on Teacher Credential-
edly also ensures that students not only master essential subject matter but ing.
become effective citizens, capable of reasoning ethically and acting in the
Richard Paul is director of the Center for Critical Thinking and director of
public good.
research of the Foundation for Critical Thinking. Linda Elder is an educational
Education, properly so called, alters and reworks the mind of the stu-
psychologist and president of the Foundation for Critical Thinking at Sonoma
dent. Educated persons function differently from uneducated persons.
State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928.
They are able to enter and intellectually empathize with alternate ways of
Research in
IN
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VOLUME 34, ISSUE 2 • WINTER 2010 39