critical thinking-with questions (2)

8/8/2019 Critical Thinking-With Questions (2)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/critical-thinking-with-questions-2 1/18

Critical Thinking

Taken from Michael Scriven &Richard Paul for the National Councilfor Excellence in Critical Thinking

Instruction



2

Critical Thinking

What & Why?



3

Critical Thinking Active and skillful conceptualizing,applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience,reflection, reasoning, or communication, as

a guide to belief and action.



4

Critical Thinking In its exemplary form:

± based on universal intellectual values thattranscend subject matter divisions: clarity,accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance,

sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth,and fairness.



5

Critical Thinking It is:

± 1) a set of information and belief generatingand processing skills

± 2) the habit, based on intellectual commitment,of using those skills to guide behavior



6

Critical Thinking It is not:

± the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in whichinformation is sought and treated

± the mere possession of a set of skills, because itinvolves the continual use of them

± the mere use of those skills ("as an exercise") withoutacceptance of their results.



7

Critical Thinking Motivationally based:

± selfish motives: manifested in the skillful manipulationof ideas in service of one's own vested interest. As suchit is typically intellectually flawed, however

pragmatically successful it might be.

± fairmindedness and intellectual integrity: of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish use.



8

Critical Thinking Not universal in any individual; everyone is subject toepisodes of undisciplined or irrational thought.

Quality is a matter of degree and dependent on , the qualityand depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with respect to a particular class of questions.

No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but onlyto such a degree, with insights and blind spots, subject totendencies towards self-delusion.

Development is a life-long endeavor .



9

Critical Thinking Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so.

Much of our thinking, is biased, distorted, partial,uninformed or prejudiced.

Quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought.

Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life.

Excellence in thought, must be systematically cultivated.



10

A Definition :

± Critical thinking is that mode of thinking -about any subject, content, or problem - inwhich the thinker improves the quality of his or

her thinking by skillfully taking charge of thestructures inherent in thinking andimposing intellectual standards upon them.



11

Critical Thinkersraise vital questions and problems, formulating themclearly and precisely;

gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstractideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasonedconclusions and solutions, testing them against relevantcriteria and standards;

think openmindedly within alternative systems of thought,recognizing and assessing their assumptions, implications,and practical consequences

communicates effectively with others in figuring outsolutions to complex problems.



12

Critical Thinking Self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, andself-corrective thinking

Presupposes rigorous standards of excellence andmindful command of their use.

Effective communication and problem solvingabilities and a commitment to overcome our nativeegocentrism and sociocentrism.



13

S tages & Questions to Develop CT S

kills

S tage One: The Unreflective Thinker

Qu estions: Am I aware of the crucial rolethat thinking is playing in my life and of thefact that problems in my thinking arecausing significant problems in my life?

Elder, L., and Paul, R. (1996). Critical thinking: A stage theory of critical thinking: Part II. J ournal of Developmental Education, 20 (2).

Retrieved A pril 13, 2006 from EBSCOhos Academic Search Premier database.



14

S tage Two: The Challenged

Thinker

Qu estions : Am I willing to take active steps to

take command of my thinking? Am I willing tocommit myself to developing my critical thinkingabilities? Am I willing to discover my own

prejudices and misconceptions? Am I willing to

resist the native egocentric defensiveness andrationalization that I will most likely feel when Iam faced with admitting my deficiencies?



15

S tage Three: The Beginning

Thinker

Qu estions : What am I doing on a day-to-day basis to begin

to take command of my thinking? Am I beginning torecognize mistakes I am making in thinking? Am Icommitted to finding those mistakes? Am I beginning torecognize when I am being egocentric? Am I beginning torecognize egocentric thinking of others? Am I beginning to

understand that the quality of my life depends on thequality of my thinking? Am I able to see that sporadicattempts at improvement are not enough, that I need todevelop a systematic approach to improving my thinking?



16

S tage Four: The Practicing

Thinker

Qu estions : W hat am I doing on a day-to-day basis to take command

of my thinking? Does my day-to-day life provide evidence of acommitment to development as a high-level thinker? Am I beginningto notice my native egocentric defensiveness, arrogance, andrationalizing interwoven into the fabric of my everyday life? Can Ilook across the domains of my life and see the problems that mythinking causes for myself and others who are influenced by me? Can Irecognize the negative implications of my selfish desires? Howeffectively is my plan for systematic practice working? W here is itworking best? W here is it working least well? W hat must I do toimprove my thinking consistently in all areas of my life? W hat must Ido on a daily basis to effectively deal with my egocentrism? How can Iimprove the quality of my thinking on a daily basis?



17

S tage Five: The Advanced Thinker

Qu estions : Am I developing depth of understanding not only of the need for systematic practice in thinking but also insight into deep levels of problems inmy thinking? Do I recognize areas of significant ignorance and prejudice? AmI developing the ability to develop new fundamental habits of thought basedon deep values to which I have committed myself? How effective is mysystematic plan for bringing critical thinking into my life? Am I consistentlyable to notice and correct for my native egocentric defensiveness andrationalizing powers on a day-to-day basis? Can I see and correct myegocentric and sociocentric tendencies in the fabric of my everyday life? Am Iregularly improving my ability to think critically from day-to-day in everydimension of my life? Can I give examples from every dimension of my lifewhere I am thinking critically? Where is it working best? Where is it workingleast well? What can I do to further improve the quality of my thinking in allareas of my life? How can I approach thinking so that high quality thinking

becomes highly intuitive to me?



18

S tage

S ix: The Master Thinker

Qu estions : Am I living my basic values? Have I integrated my thoughts,feelings, emotions, and actions so that I am fundamentally in charge of how I

think, how I feel, and how I value and act? Where have I failed to achievethese ends? What am I doing to work on these failures? How can I learn moreabout the deepest levels of my thought, feeling, and action so as to achievegreater consistency and integration in my life? Am I regularly and comfortablyimproving my plan to bringing critical thinking into my life? Am I regularlyand successfully recognizing and correcting my native defensiveness andrationalizing powers on a day-to-day basis? Am I regularly improving myability to think critically from day-to-day in every dimension of my life? Can I

speak articulately about the problems inherent in living an examined life?Have I mastered the language of critical thinking? Am I a student of thehistory of critical thinking? Am I interested in all ideas, including ideas thatseriously conflict with my own? Am I comfortable with people who think verydifferently from myself? Can I present their points of view to them in a waythat satisfies them?

critical thinking-with questions (2)

Documents