CRITICAL THINKING AND REFLECTIVE

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Critical Thinking is the ability to analyze the way you think and present evidence for your ideas, rather than
simply accepting your personal reasoning as sufficient proof. You can gain numerous benefits from
mastering critical thinking skills, such as better control of your own learning and empathy for other points
of view. Critical Thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective
thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It
entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native
egocentrism and sociocentrism. From solving problems in class assignments to facing real world
situations, Critical Thinking is a valuable skill for students to master. Critical Thinking skills teach a variety
of skills that can be applied to any situation in life that calls for reflection, analysis and planning. Critical
Thinking is a domain-general thinking skill. The ability to think clearly and rationally is important whatever
we choose to do. If you work in education, research, finance, management or the legal profession,
then critical thinking is obviously important. But critical thinking skills are not restricted to a particular
subject area. Being able to think well and solve problems systematically is an asset for any career. Critical
Thinking is very important in the new knowledge economy. The global knowledge economy is driven by
information and technology. One has to be able to deal with changes quickly and effectively. The new
economy places increasing demands on flexible intellectual skills, and the ability to analyse information
and integrate diverse sources of knowledge in solving problems. Good critical thinking promotes such
thinking skills, and is very important in the fast-changing workplace. Critical Thinking enhances language
and presentation skills. Thinking clearly and systematically can improve the way we express our ideas. In
learning how to analyse the logical structure of texts, critical thinking also improves comprehension
abilities. Critical Thinking promotes creativity. To come up with a creative solution to a problem involves
not just having new ideas. It must also be the case that the new ideas being generated are useful and relevant
to the task at hand. Critical thinking plays a crucial role in evaluating new ideas, selecting the best ones and
modifying them if necessary. Critical Thinking is crucial for self-reflection. In order to live a meaningful
life and to structure our lives accordingly, we need to justify and reflect on our values and decisions. Critical
thinking provides the tools for this process of self-evaluation. Good Critical Thinking is the foundation of
science and a liberal democratic society. Science requires the critical use of reason in experimentation and
theory confirmation. The proper functioning of a liberal democracy requires citizens who can think
critically about social issues to inform their judgments about proper governance and to overcome biases
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and prejudice. Critical Thinking is something that is valued both in the university setting and in the
professional situations you will find yourselves in after you graduate, and is part of lifelong
learning. Critical Thinking is important in life. It helps you to think creatively – ‘outside the box’. It keeps
you from becoming narrow. Critical Thinking is expected of you in higher education. It can lead to
developing your judgement, evaluation and problem solving abilities.
Wade (1995) identifies eight characteristics of critical thinking. Critical thinking involves asking questions,
defining a problem, examining evidence, analyzing assumptions and biases, avoiding emotional reasoning,
avoiding oversimplification, considering other interpretations, and tolerating ambiguity. Dealing with
ambiguity is also seen as an essential part of critical thinking, "Ambiguity and doubt serve a critical-thinking
function and are a necessary and even a productive part of the process".
Another characteristic of critical thinking identified by many sources is metacognition. Metacognition is
thinking about one's own thinking. More specifically, "metacognition is being aware of one's thinking as
one performs specific tasks and then using this awareness to control what one is doing".
In the book, Critical Thinking, Beyer elaborately explains what he sees as essential aspects of critical
thinking. These are:
o Dispositions: Critical thinkers are skeptical, open-minded, value fair-mindedness, respect
evidence and reasoning, respect clarity and precision, look at different points of view, and will
change positions when reason leads them to do so.
o Criteria: To think critically, must apply criteria. Need to have conditions that must be met for
something to be judged as believable. Although the argument can be made that each subject
area has different criteria, some standards apply to all subjects. "... an assertion must... be based
on relevant, accurate facts; based on credible sources; precise; unbiased; free from logical
fallacies; logically consistent; and strongly reasoned".
o Argument: Is a statement or proposition with supporting evidence. Critical thinking involves
identifying, evaluating, and constructing arguments.
o Reasoning: The ability to infer a conclusion from one or multiple premises. To do so requires
examining logical relationships among statements or data.
o Point of View: The way one views the world, which shapes one's construction of meaning. In
a search for understanding, critical thinkers view phenomena from many different points of
view.
o Procedures for Applying Criteria: Other types of thinking use a general procedure. Critical
thinking makes use of many procedures. These procedures include asking questions, making
judgments, and identifying assumptions.
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Effective learning is seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages: of (1) having a concrete
experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation
of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalizations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test a hypothesis
in future situations, resulting in new experiences.
Kolb (1974) views learning as an integrated process with each stage being mutually supportive of and
feeding into the next. It is possible to enter the cycle at any stage and follow it through its logical sequence.

However, effective learning only occurs when a learner can execute all four stages of the model. Therefore,
no one stage of the cycle is effective as a learning procedure on its own.
Kolb's learning theory (1974) sets out four distinct learning styles, which are based on a four-stage learning
cycle (see above). Kolb explains that different people naturally prefer a certain single different learning
style.
Various factors influence a person's preferred style. For example, social environment, educational
experiences, or the basic cognitive structure of the individual.
Whatever influences the choice of style, the learning style preference itself is actually the product of two
pairs of variables, or two separate 'choices' that we make, which Kolb presented as lines of an axis, each
with 'conflicting' modes at either end.
A typical presentation of Kolb's two continuums is that the east-west axis is called the Processing
Continuum (how we approach a task), and the north-south axis is called the Perception Continuum (our
emotional response, or how we think or feel about it).
Kolb believed that we cannot perform both variables on a single axis at the same time (e.g., think and feel).
Our learning style is a product of these two choice decisions.
It's often easier to see the construction of Kolb's learning styles in terms of a two-by-two matrix. Each
learning style represents a combination of two preferred styles.
The matrix also highlights Kolb's terminology for the four learning styles; diverging, assimilating, and
converging, accommodating:
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Having developed the model over many years prior, David Kolb published his learning styles model in
1984. The model gave rise to related terms such as Kolb's experiential learning theory (ELT), and
Kolb's learning styles inventory (LSI). In his publications - notably his 1984 book 'Experiential Learning:
Experience As The Source Of Learning And Development' Kolb acknowledges the early work on
experiential learning by others in the 1900's, including Rogers, Jung, and Piaget. In turn, Kolb's learning
styles model and experiential learning theory are today acknowledged by academics, teachers, managers
and trainers as truly seminal works; fundamental concepts towards our understanding and explaining human
learning behaviour, and towards helping others to learn. See also Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and VAK
learnings styles models, which assist in understanding and using Kolb's learning styles concepts.
In addition to personal business interests (Kolb is founder and chairman of Experience Based Learning
Systems), David Kolb is still (at the time of writing, 2005) Professor of Organizational Development at
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, where he teaches and researches in the fields of
learning and development, adult development, experiential learning, learning style, and notably 'learning
focused institutional development in higher education'.
A note about Learning Styles in young people's education: Towards the end of the first decade of the 2000s
a lobby seems to have grown among certain educationalists and educational researchers, which I summarise
very briefly as follows: that in terms of substantial large-scale scientific research into young people's
education, 'Learning Styles' theories, models, instruments, etc., remain largely unproven methodologies.
Moreover Learning Styles objectors and opponents assert that heavy relience upon Learning Styles theory
in developing and conducting young people's education, is of questionable benefit, and may in some cases
be counter-productive.
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Despite this, (and this is my personal view, not the view of the 'anti-Learning Styles lobby'), many teachers
and educators continue to find value and benefit by using Learning Styles theory in one way or another,
and as often applies in such situations, there is likely to be usage which is appropriate, and other usage
which is not.
Accordingly - especially if you are working with young people - use systems and methods with care. It is
wrong to apply any methodology blindly and unquestioningly, and wrong not to review and assess
effectiveness of methods used.
Kolb's learning theory sets out four distinct learning styles (or preferences), which are based on a four-stage
learning cycle. (which might also be interpreted as a 'training cycle'). In this respect, Kolb's model is
particularly elegant, since it offers both a way to understand individual people's different learning styles,
and also an explanation of a cycle of experiential learning that applies to us all.
Kolb includes this 'cycle of learning' as a central principle his experiential learning theory, typically
expressed as four-stage cycle of learning, in which 'immediate or concrete experiences' provide a basis
for 'observations and reflections'. These 'observations and reflections' are assimilated and distilled
into 'abstract concepts' producing new implications for action which can be 'actively tested' in turn creating
new experiences.
Kolb says that ideally (and by inference not always) this process represents a learning cycle or spiral where
the learner 'touches all the bases', ie., a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Immediate
or concrete experiences lead to observations and reflections. These reflections are then assimilated
(absorbed and translated) into abstract concepts with implications for action, which the person can actively
test and experiment with, which in turn enable the creation of new experiences.
Kolb's model, therefore, works on two levels - a four-stage cycle:
1. Concrete Experience - (CE)
2. Reflective Observation - (RO)
3. Abstract Conceptualization - (AC)
4. Active Experimentation - (AE)
and a four-type definition of learning styles, (each representing the combination of two preferred styles,
rather like a two-by-two matrix of the four-stage cycle styles, as illustrated below), for which Kolb used
the terms:
1. Diverging (CE/RO)
2. Assimilating (AC/RO)
3. Converging (AC/AE)
4. Accommodating (CE/AE)
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Kolb explains that different people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style. Various factors
influence a person's preferred style: notably in his experiential learning theory model (ELT) Kolb defined
three stages of a person's development, and suggests that our propensity to reconcile and successfully
integrate the four different learning styles improves as we mature through our development stages. The
development stages that Kolb identified are:
1. Acquisition - birth to adolescence - development of basic abilities and 'cognitive structures'
2. Specialization - schooling, early work and personal experiences of adulthood - the development of
a particular 'specialized learning style' shaped by 'social, educational, and organizational
socialization'
3. Integration - mid-career through to later life - expression of non-dominant learning style in work
and personal life.
Whatever influences the choice of style, the learning style preference itself is actually the product of two
pairs of variables, or two separate 'choices' that we make, which Kolb presented as lines of axis, each with
'conflicting' modes at either end:
Concrete Experience - CE (feeling) -----V-----Abstract Conceptualization - AC (thinking)
Active Experimentation - AE (doing)-----V----- Reflective Observation - RO (watching)
A typical presentation of Kolb's two continuums is that the east-west axis is called the Processing
Continuum (how we approach a task), and the north-south axis is called the Perception Continuum (our
emotional response, or how we think or feel about it).
These learning styles are the combination of two lines of axis (continuums) each formed between what
Kolb calls 'dialectically related modes' of 'grasping experience' (doing or watching), and 'transforming
experience' (feeling or thinking):

The word 'dialectically' is not widely understood, and yet carries an essential meaning, namely 'conflicting'
(its ancient Greek root means 'debate' - and I thank P Stern for helping clarify this precise meaning). Kolb
meant by this that we cannot do both at the same time, and to an extent our urge to want to do both creates
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conflict, which we resolve through choice when confronted with a new learning situation. We internally
decide whether we wish to do or watch, and at the same time we decide whether to think or feel.

Action research competence is a crucial component of teacher’s professionalism. This competence not
only includes the mastery of knowledge of action research but also many skills and especially certain
attitudes in successfully doing the research. To help students develop this competence, a research
course presented in a specific strategy is needed. Project based learning completed with portfolio
assessment is considered effective for this purpose. Project based learning enables the students to
actively search for the information they need, practice expressing ideas and arranging them in good
written English, working collaboratively with other people, being open and critical. Portfolio assessment
enables the teacher to see students’ work and progress from time to time and give necessary feed
backs to direct students’ learning. Self assessment, which is a part of portfolio assessment, enables the
students to reflect their learning to see what they have got and what they haven’t, so that they can
strive to reach the learning goals. At the end of the semester, the students are ready with their action
research proposals. The ability to conduct reflective teaching is a must for teachers in order to improve their
teaching.
Action research is a research done by teachers in which they reflect their teaching. He define action research
as a form of collective self-reflective enquiry undertaken by
participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own social or
educational practices, as well as their understanding of these practices and the situations in which these
practices are carried out. Language teachers are encouraged to conduct action research, which is a
research in their own classroom, so that they can generate new understanding and knowledge of their
own workplaces. Reflective teaching in action research is one form of teacher professional
development. In order to equip its students with this ability, a teacher training institution provides
action research subjects in its curriculum. They can answer questions in their exam and they
may get a very good grade in the subject. However, good grades do not guaranty success in completing
skipsi writing in time. There are so many factors affecting it. English writing Skills and positive attitude in
completing study in time need emphasizing. Due to this fact, ETLR course assumes a very strategic
position both for preparing students to be professional teachers in the future and also for helping them
with their final project. To achieve this aims, this course must be presented in a certain way in which
students get clear understanding of what and how to conduct an English Teaching and learning research,
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develop skills in communicating with other people, skill in expressing the ideas in good written English,
as well as develop positive attitude needed in scientific jobs, such as being critical, democratic,
collaborative, reflective, disciplined, and so on. Project work accompanied with certain technique of
assessment, portfolio assessment, is considered effective to reach the aims. This paper is a reflection of
what I have done to help my students learn action research in my ETLR class. Project work is a piece of
work assigned to students to accomplish in a period of time. It can be done in
a classroom setting in which students learn by doing to produce a piece of work. Wang Ge (2006) states
that project-based learning is learning activities in which students are given a project, either problems to
solve, questions to answer, task to perform, or product to develop. Project-based learning is based on
purposeful learning (Dewey, 1938), social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978), and discovery learning (Bruner,
1996). According to the constructivists, people construct knowledge on the basis of their experience.
Therefore, students need opportunities in the classroom to learn through experience and
experimentation.

He also mentions some advantages of using project-based learning such as that: 1) it can motivate
students by engaging them in their learning. It provide opportunity for students to pursue their own
interests and questions and to make decisions about how they will find answers and solve problems; 2)
It also provides opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Students apply and integrate the contents of
different subject areas at authentic moments in the production process instead of in isolation or in an
artificial setting; 3) It makes learning relevant and useful to students by establishing connections to life
outside the classroom, addressing real world concerns, and developing marketable skills.
A portfolio is a collection of a student’s work. Portfolios used in a classroom setting have the
basic purpose that is to collect a series of student performances or products that is intended to show
the student’s accomplishment or improvement over time. Portfolios are more than folders that hold all
of a student’s work. They contain a consciously selected sample of a student’s work that is intended to
show growth and development toward some important curriculum goal (Airasian, 1994).

There are many advantages of the use of portfolios for learning assessment, i.e. making students
part of the assessment process, giving students and teachers a perspective on student progress or
improvement, providing concrete examples of students work, focusing instruction on important
performance activities, helping assess curriculum needs, showing students the importance of
performance, providing specific products that can be used for diagnosis, and assembling cumulative
evidence and perspective on student’s learning. The most valuable aspect of portfolio
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assessment is that it links assessment with instruction.
1. Setting a clear purpose

The purpose of the portfolio is to assess the student learning and achievement in the subject. It
is to see whether the students have acquired the knowledge and theory how to conduct a research on
English Teaching and Learning Research, whether they are able to formulate a research title, identifying
existing problems in an English classroom setting, formulating research problems, stating research
objectives and defining significances of their research result. It is also to see whether they are able to
review literatures related to their topics and presenting their review in written forms, and to plan the
method how to do their research. And it is also to see whether they are rational, objective, critical,
skeptical, cooperative, and responsible in doing their tasks.

2. Matching the portfolio contents with the purpose

To show that students have followed and are reaching the qualities stated in the curriculum
objectives, each student of the class is required to prepare a portfolio containing a collection of student
work related to the tasks given, students reflection in following the learning activities and producing the
work, student self assessment in the form of checklist, and also teacher assessment. A collection of
student work related to the tasks includes the seven pieces of writing having been stated previously: 1)
a summary showing the differences of some research approaches: positivistic, naturalistic, and action
research, 2) Examples of research titles commonly proposed in researches from various approaches, 3)
definitions of action research proposed by many experts, 4) steps in conducting action research
proposed by many experts, 5) ways to conduct action research: how to collect, analyze, and validate the
data in action research, and how to report the action research, 6) a description of an English teaching
learning process in a classroom that a student has observed completed with problem identification, and
7) a research project proposal.

3. Identifying criteria for Assessment

Each entry of student work will be assessed based on the content, coverage, language used, and style.
The content of student work must be conceptually and theoretically correct. Coverage here means that
each student writing must include all aspects or elements of the topic being discussed. Language used
means that each student writing must be written in good English, no grammar mistakes, no misspelling,
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and no wrong punctuation. While style here means how or in what form of writing the students present
their work.

4. Determining standards of Student Performance

Student performance will be assessed through the following: the completeness, punctuality, and
the quality of student writing. Completeness means that the collection of each student’s work must
include all tasks given by the teacher. There are seven tasks altogether (see no.2, Contents of student
portfolio). Punctuality means that the students should submit their work on time, not later than the
date having been decided. And the last one is the quality of student writing. The Student writing will be
assessed based on certain criteria (see no. 3, Criteria for Assessment).

5. Preparing scoring instruments for student work and performance

Once criteria for assessment and standards of performance have been determined, we can
prepare instruments to evaluate student performance. The instruments include a check list for student
self-assessment, rating scales to assess student work, and a scoring rubric to categorize student
performance.

6. Getting Students involved

Students will be involved in the portfolio assessment since the first meeting of the term. When
the teacher meets the students in the class at the first meeting of the semester, he/ she inform the
students what they are going to do during the semester. The teacher discusses with the students what
pieces of writing they have to produce, what books they have to read, when or on what date they
should submit their writing. He/she also informs the criteria on which their work will be assessed, and
how to meet the standards of performance to get the grade they want in this subject.

Pakistan has been facing different challenges regarding its economy. The economic situation of Pakistan is
very critical and people are looking towards the solution of these challenges. Pakistan has different
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opportunities which can help it to solve its economic problem. But without tackling long term challenges
and problems decisively, the country will no longer be able to take advantages of opportunities. Increase in
debt and import and decrease in export, saving, investment, tax collection and lack of policy
implementation, excessive taxation are some of the challenges faced by Pakistan’s economy.
Decentralization is one of the factors which can help increase the economy of the country. Local
government should report to the provincial government about its activities and the provincial government
should report to the federal government. If our government does this, we can do more by the same resources
which are being wasted today by its direct involvement.
Interest rate is one of the factors which can increase the economy of the country. The government can offer
low-interest rate to the public so that it becomes easier for the investors to borrow money from the banks
and invest it in their business. Borrowing at a low-interest rate and investing money will increase the level
of demand in the economy. It will increase the demand for the labor force to meet the high production level.
GDP and living standard of people will improve.
Tax collection can play a vital role to improve the economy of Pakistan. The government should allow the
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to work impartially, independently and transparently which will make
FBR an efficient and effective tax administration. This will increase the confidence of taxpayers in FBR
and increase tax collection in a fair manner. This higher collection of tax can be used for the development
of infrastructure. It will help to create jobs by reducing unemployment and generate income for the millions.
While there is a crucial need to fix persistent challenges, more innate reforms are required to improve and
attract talent to serve in the businesses and public sector. Instead of politicians, the academics, intellectuals
and community leaders should come forward and play their role in social revolution.
"Pakistan is facing significant economic challenges on the back of large fiscal and financial needs and weak
and unbalanced growth," David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair of
the IMF Executive Board said.
Last week, the IMF approved the 13th bailout package for Pakistan since the late 1980s.
The latest bailout package is worth $6 billion, of which $1 billion is to be disbursed immediately and the
rest in the next three years.
A decisive fiscal consolidation is key to reducing the large public debt and building resilience, and the
adoption of the fiscal year 2020 budget is an important initial step, Lipton said.
Achieving the fiscal objectives will require a multi-year revenue mobilisation strategy to broaden the tax
base and raise tax revenue in a well-balanced and equitable manner, he said.
It will also require a strong commitment by the provinces to support the consolidation effort and effective
public financial management to improve the quality and efficiency of public spending, he said.
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Observing that protecting the most vulnerable from the impact of adjustment policies will be an important
priority, Lipton said that this will be achieved by a significant increase in resources allocated to key social
assistance programmes, supporting measures for the economic empowerment of women and investment in
areas where poverty is high.
A flexible market-determined exchange rate and an adequately tight monetary policy will be key to
correcting imbalances, rebuilding reserves and keeping inflation low, he said, adding that an ambitious
agenda to strengthen institutions and remove impediments to growth will allow Pakistan to reach its full
economic potential.
In an accompanying report, the IMF said that Pakistan's economy is at a critical juncture.
The legacy of misaligned economic policies, including large fiscal deficits, loose monetary policy and
defence of an overvalued exchange rate, fuelled consumption and short-term growth in recent years, but
steadily eroded macroeconomic buffers, increased external and public debt, and
depleted international reserves.
Structural weaknesses remained largely unaddressed, including a chronically weak tax administration, a
difficult business environment, inefficient and loss making state-owned enterprises, amid a large
informal economy.
"Without urgent policy action, economic and financial stability could be at risk, and growth prospects will
be insufficient to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population," the IMF said.
The Fund-supported programme is expected to coalesce broader support from multilateral and bilateral
creditors in excess of USD 38 billion, which is crucial for Pakistan to meet its large financing needs in the
coming years, it added.
References:
1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-importance-benefits-critical-thinking-skills-islam/
2. Bean, J. C. (1996). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking,
& active learning in the classroom. Jossey-Bass
3. https://infed.org/mobi/david-a-kolb-on-experiential-learning/
4. https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/pakistan-facing-significant-economic-
challenges-economy-at-critical-juncture-imf-119070900205_1.html