Critical Thinking in
Education & Life
*taken from The Foundation for Critical Thinking
www.criticalthinking.org
Thinking Critically:
• About critical thinking
– It’s true: I read it in the
newspaper!
– You’re welcome to your opinion,
but mine is right!
– Of course it’s art: It’s in the Art
Gallery!
– Why? Why? Why?
Key Questions
• What is critical thinking?
• Why is critical thinking particularly
important in college?
• What are the attributes of a critical thinker?
• How should I evaluate sources of
information?
• What are the elements of a good argument?
• What are logical fallacies?
• What are propaganda techniques?
Critical thinking
• Do you ‘read between the lines’
when you’re reading a newspaper or
magazine?
• Do you avoid taking things at face
value?
• Do you think beyond the obvious?
• Are you skeptical about the claims
made in commercials?
If so, you have started on the road to
becoming a critical thinker!
Critical thinkers:
• Ask relevant and pertinent
questions.
• Are curious.
• Are aware of their own biases.
• Are open to changing their opinions
based on new information
• Formulate well-reasoned
arguments.
• Reserve judgment until they have all
the facts.
To Do’s:
• Become actively involved in your
learning by questioning the
information presented to you.
Accept the statement that ‘there is
no such thing as a stupid question’
and make it your new credo!
• Be careful not to slip into the habit
of accepting what you read or are
told by ‘experts’.
Are Your Sources of
Information Reliable?
As a critical thinker you must first
learn to evaluate the source of your
information.
• Lectures/discussions:
– Who it the speaker? What is his/her
experience in the chosen topic? Does
he/she have any obvious biases? Is
he/she considered an expert in his/her
field?
•
Written material:
– Books, journals, magazines, and newspapers –
allow you to know the name of the author and the
name of the publishing body. A little research will
tell you whether you can trust the source; i.e., is
the author well-respected in the field? Is the
publishing body well-established, with a good
reputation? Is the information up-to-date?
•
Film, videos, television, and radio:
– Be aware of the target audience of the media. Are
the views expressed balanced? Is the production
designed to inform, educate, or make a profit?
•
The internet:
– Must be a very discerning consumer when you
‘surf the net’. Check the credentials of the author
and the publisher. There are many excellent
websites; the trick is to avoid those created with
little or no subject knowledge or those with a
hidden agenda.
6 Stages in Development of
Critical Thinking Skills:
(Paul & Elder, 2002)
• Stage 1: The Unreflective
Thinker
– (we are unaware of significant
problems in our thinking)
• Stage 2: The Challenged
Thinker
– (we become aware of problems in
our thinking)
Stages cont’d
• Stage 3: The Beginning Thinker
– (we try to improve, but without regular
practice)
• Stage 4: The Practicing Thinker
– (we recognize the necessity of regular
practice)
• Stage 5: The Advanced Thinker
– (we advance in accordance with out
practice)
• Stage 6: The Master Thinker
– (skilled and insightful thinking becomes
second nature)
To ‘answer a
question or solve a
problem’
What is the question I am
trying to answer?
WHENEVER
WE THINK we
think for a
‘purpose’
What is my
fundamental
purpose?
Based on
‘concepts and
theories’
Within a ‘point of view’
What is the most basic concept in the question?
To make ‘ inferences
and judgments’
What are my most
fundamental inferences or
conclusions?
Universal
Structures
of
Thought
What is my point of view with respect to the
issue?
Based on ‘assumptions’
What assumptions am I using in my
reasoning?
We use ‘data,
facts and
experiences’
What information do I need to
answer my question?
Leading to ‘implications
and consequences’
What are the implications of my reasoning
(if I am correct)?
Elements of Thought
It is important to understand the elements of critical
thinking and practice your thinking skills regularly
until they become “second nature” (Paul & Elder,
2002).
•
All reasoning has a PURPOSE.
–
–
–
•
Take time to state your purpose clearly
Check periodically to be sure you are still on target
Choose significant and realistic purposes
All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to
settle some QUESTION, to solve some problem.
–
–
–
Clearly state the question at issue
Break question into sub-questions
Identify if question has one right answer, is a matter of
mere opinion or requires reasoning from more than one
point of view
• All reasoning is based on ASSUMPTIONS.
– Clearly identify your assumptions and
determine whether they are justifiable
– Consider how your assumptions are shaping
your point of view
• All reasoning is done from some POINT OF
VIEW
– Identify your point of view
– Seek other views and identify their strengths
and weaknesses
– Strive to be fair-minded in evaluating all
points of view
• All reasoning is based on DATA,
INFORMATION and EVIDENCE
– Restrict your claims to those supported by
the data you have
– Search for information that opposes your
position as well as information that supports
it
• All reasoning is expressed through, and
shaped by, CONCEPTS AND IDEAS
– Identify key concepts and explain them
– Consider alternative concepts or alternative
definitions of concepts
• All reasoning contains INFERENCES or INTERPRETATIONS by
which we draw CONCLUSIONS. Infer only what the evidence implies.
– Check inferences for their consistency with each other
– Identify assumptions underlying your inferences
• All reasoning leads somewhere or has IMPLICATIONS and
CONSEQUENCES.
– Search for negative as well as positive implications
– Consider all significant consequences
Analyzing Arguments
• You may be called upon to analyze a position
that you disagree with deeply. This is an
important part of critical thinking because
before you can evaluate a position reasonably,
you have to understand it accurately.
• Acknowledge your feelings and biases towards
the topic under discussion. Are your own preconceived ideas preventing you from
appreciating another point of view?
Analyzing Problems (cont’d)
Identify some problem you need to reason
through. Then complete the following:
• What exactly is the problem: (Study the problem to make
clear the kind of problem you are dealing with. Figure out, for
example, what sorts of things you are going to have to do to solve it.
Distinguish problems over which you have some control from
problems over which you have no control. Pay special attention to
controversial issues in which it is essential to consider multiple points
of view.)
– The key question that emerges from my problem
is…..(state the question as clearly and precisely as you can.
Details are very important.
– My purpose in addressing this problem
is…(know exactly what you are after. Make sure you are
not operating with a hidden agenda and that your
announced and real purposes are the same).
– Actively seek the information most relevant to
the question. (include in that information options for
action, both short-term and long-term. Recognize
limitations in terms of money, time and power.)
– Some important assumptions I am using in my
thinking are…(figure out what you are taking for
granted. Watch out for self-serving or unjustified
assumptions.)
– If we solve this problem, some important
implications are….. If we fail to solve this
problem, some important implications are….
(evaluate options, taking into account the
advantages and disadvantages of possible
decisions before acting. What consequences are
likely to follow from this or that decision?)
– The most important concepts, theories, or
ideas I need to use in my thinking
are…(figure out all significant ideas needed to
understand and solve the problem. You may
need to analyze these concepts. Use a good
dictionary.)
A Standards Check
• Clear
– Is my reasoning clear?
• Do I understand this clearly?
• Do I know the implications?
– Have I given enough?
• Examples?
• Contrasting examples?
• Hypothetical cases?
• Analogies?
– Have I elaborated enough?
– Is my presentation of my
reasoning clear?
• Have I said clearly what I meant?
• Accurate
– Is my reasoning accurate?
– Is this in accord with
• The best knowledge I have?
• The findings of the discipline?
• Reliable sources?
– Do I need to check this out?
• Check: could this be based on:
– Wishful thinking
– Unexamined background stories?
– Hearsay, questionable sources?
• Does my presentation display
accuracy?
– Have I supported the accuracy of
my claims
• With reasons?
• With good reasons?
• Important, Relevant
– In my reasoning, have I focused
on what is most important, give
• My purpose?
• The question at issue?
• The context?
• Do I have an overview?
• Can I outline my reasoning?
• Can I summarize my reasoning?
• Have I presented my reasoning in a
way that displays what is
important?
• Sufficient
– Have I reasoned this through enough,
given
• My purpose?
• The question at issue?
• The context?
– Have I left out crucial steps?
– Have I jumped to conclusions?
– Are there other essential issues to
consider?
• In my presentation
– Have I said enough to show my
audience that it is reasonable to come to
my conclusions?
• Deep and Breadth
– In my reasoning, have I looked
beneath the surface?
• At underlying explanations,
theories?
• At complexities of the issue?
• Have I taken account of other
relevant perspectives?
– In my presentation, have I
presented my reasoning in a way
that displays its
• Depth?
• Breadth?
• Precise
– Is my reasoning precise enough, specific
enough?
• Do I need more details?
• Do I need more exactness?
– Have I stated the details and degree of
exactness my audience needs?
• Reasonable overall
– Is my reasoning reasonable overall?
– Have I presented a reasonable overall
case?
Critical thinking is about
questioning everything, first
your own thinking and biases
and then everything about the
material you are examining or
creating.
Resources
American Educator: Can Critical Thinking Be Taught?
American Federation of Teachers, Sum 2007
Nosich, G. 2009. Learning to Think Things Through: A
Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum, 3rd
ed., Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson.
Ruggiero, V.R. 2006. Becoming a critical thinker, 5th ed.
Houghton-Miflin Company: Boston.
www.austhink.org/critical/
www.criticalthinking.org
www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html
www.insightassessment.com/articles.html
www.accd.edu/sac/history.html