|
|
 |
|
Definitions
-
Critical
thinking is
thinking that proceeds
on the basis of
careful evaluation of
premises and evidence
and comes to
conclusions as
objectively as
possible through the
consideration of all
pertinent factors and
the use of valid
procedures from logic (Carter,
1973).
Decision making in
democracies is a process
of reaching agreement in
group situations through
discussion, debate, and
analysis. Decision
making should be more
than the aggregation of
performed opinions.
Opinions must be
confronted with each
other in the public
sphere, and all
participants in this
public discourse should
truly listen to each
other’s arguments. To
make proper democratic
decisions, no groups
should be excluded (Lipset,
1995).
-
- Inquiry
Skills Used in
Critical Thinking
- To observe is
to see and notice
somebody/something; to
watch
somebody/something
carefully so as to
notice things.
- To describe is
to say what
somebody/something is
like.
- To compare is
to examine people or
things to see how they
are alike and how they
are different; to
judge one thing and
measure it against
another thing.
- To identify
is to show or prove
who or what
somebody/something is;
to recognize
somebody/something as
being a particular
person or thing.
- To associate
is to link people or
things together in
one’s mind; to
connect people or
things because they
occur together, or
because one produces
the other.
- To infer is
to reach an opinion
based on available
information or
evidence; to arrive at
a conclusion; to
suggest indirectly
that something is
true.
- To predict is
to say in advance that
something will happen;
to forecast something.
- To apply is
to make a formal
request; to make a
law, etc. to operate
or become effective in
a particular
situation; (apply
something) to make use
of something as
relevant or
appropriate; to make
practical use of
something.
Checklist of Observable Behaviors
| What people do:
|
|
___ 1.
|
Describe the situation to others
|
|
___ 2.
|
Check to see if have the right information and if there is
any bias in their thinking (key words: check for bias)
|
|
___ 3.
|
Relate the situation to their personal beliefs
|
|
___
4.
|
Consider the
importance of the
situation.
Consider the importance of your
individual
activities.
Consider the
way your perception of
importance matches
the overall mission of the
bigger
organization
|
|
___
5.
|
Understanding how emotions
can influence
decisions and help
us reflect on the
importance of the
decision |
|
___
6.
|
Ask themselves what the result would be (key words:
consider the potential results/potential
results)
|
|
___
7.
|
Think of different ways to proceed and under what
conditions their limitations could be
changed (key words: change
limitations)
|
|
___
8.
|
Think collaboratively of different ways to proceed (key
words: think
collaboratively)
|
|
___
9.
|
Decide
which ways are the
best and what
should be done
|
|
___
10.
|
Do a spherical
scan (look all around,
up and down; anything
missing? Look
for other variables
that may influence your decisions) |
|
___
11.
|
Try it and see how
it turns out (consider
modifying the solution based on the
results) |
|
___
12.
|
Do another
spherical scan (look all
around, up and
down; anything missing?) |
|
___
13.
|
Consider planning
for negative consequences
or unintended positive
consequences of your
full implementation |
|
___
14.
|
If it turns out OK
- Reflect on the whole
process
and modify it where you think
appropriate |
|
___
15.
|
If it did not turn
out OK, start over.
Reconsider the importance of the process |
-
References
Carter, C. V. (1973). Dictionary
of education. New
York: McGraw Hill.
Lipset, S. M. (Ed.).
(1995). The
encyclopedia of
democracy.
Washington DC:
Congressional Quarterly.
Oxford-advanced
learner’s dictionary
of current English.
(1996). Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
- Example
-
- To illustrate these
skills, a teacher
might use examples of
common problems that
get in the way when we
try to tell ourselves
the truth about the
things we are doing
and the decisions we
are making. Using
examples of common
problems in critical
thinking, like the
ones listed below, the
teacher might assign
the students to play
roles in similar
situations. Then the
teacher could ask them
how they would change
the situation in a
positive way and
assign them to play
those roles, too.
-
- Common problems in
critical thinking that
people should avoid
(Callahan, 1998):
- Going
too far
(overgeneralization)
- Getting
personal
- "You
are another"
- Cause
and effect
- Making
false comparisons
- Experts
- Saying
things everyone
will like
- Arguing
in circles
- Self-evident
truths
- "It’s
either black or
white"
- "If
you’re with them
you must be
…"
-
- The following are
examples of common
problems in critical
thinking (Callahan,
1998):
- Getting personal :
Sometimes people try
to win an argument
by ignoring the
issue and attacking
the other person.
-
-
"I
don’t care
what he said,
he’s a jerk, I
know it, you
know it,
everybody knows
it, so I’m not
paying attention
to any of his
ideas."
"You’re
such a wimp, you
sound like
somebody who
can’t make up
his/her mind.
You’re not one
of us; you’re
just out to get
the kids to like
you and you’ll
do anything it
takes; your old
man was the same
way."
- Arguing in
circles:
Sometimes people use
a conclusion to
prove itself.
-
She must be
very smart. She
does well on
tests. How do we
know she is
smart? She does
very well on
tests.
Reference
|
