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INTRODUCTION 4
MAIN BODY 5
1. Concept and importance of critical thinking 5
1.1. The concept of critical thinking
1.2. The importance of critical thinking
1.3. Characteristics of a critical thinker
1.4. Practice critical thinking
1.5. Six thinking hats (6 thinking hats)
2. Benefits of critical thinking 5
2.1. Increase your chances of career success 6
2.2. Improve decision making 6
2.3. Increase happiness 7
2.4. Strengthen relationships 8
2.5. Help you increase your creativity
2.6. Develop problem solving skills
2.7. Help you become independent
CONCLUSION 10
REFERENCES 11
 INTRODUCTION
One of the skills that are highly valued in academia is critical thinking, also
known as “critical thinking”, and this is not limited to academic scope only; even
governments, companies, corporations. Global business groups are looking for
people who possess this ability. Especially in the context of the current information
age, the importance of critical thinking is emphasized more than ever at a time that
people seem to be drowning in the sea of knowledge but dry a correct way of
thinking. Therefore, it is not surprising that a series of self-help books. The force
surrounding this issue is written down and published every year – which one also
seem to include a promise that will help the reader gain “critical thinking” skill –
as a final reward revealed after reading. The university system is no exception
trying to meet this need, with courses designed for specifically for the formation
and improvement of students' thinking ability.
Ken Robinson once said in a great TED Talk presentation his great work and
has shaken the global education system that is "School learning has killed
creativity.” The whole great global educational apparatus has operated behave in
such a way and are so deeply rooted that it is difficult to change. Finland is a
country that has untied education to develop employment. Learning takes place in
the most active and natural way. However also there are many opinions that the
way they exploit children's brains is both beneficial and detrimental advantage: it
will be difficult for peaks of academic knowledge to be formed professionalism
decreases and so the world's leading businesses will decline.
 MAIN BODY
1. CONCEPT AND IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL THINKING
1.1. The concept of critical thinking
There are many different interpretations of critical thinking. Here are some
typical definitions:
“Critical thinking is the ability and action to understand and evaluate data
gathered through observation, communication, communication, and debate”
(Michael Scriven).
“Critical thinking is a type of thinking that attempts to make a judgment
after having found a reliable way to evaluate all aspects of evidence and arguments
substantively” (Hatcher).
“Critical thinking is: (1) an attitude of willingness to think carefully about
issues and topics that arise in personal life; (2) understanding of investigative
methods and rational inference; and (3) some skills in applying those methods.
Critical thinking requires a sustained effort to examine any belief or hypothesis
taking into account the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions
aimed.”
“Critical thinking is a dialectical thinking process that involves analyzing
and evaluating existing information from different perspectives on a given problem
in order to clarify and confirm the accuracy of the problem. Critical arguments
must be clear, logical, full of evidence, meticulous and fair” (Training document
on Life Skills of World Vision Vietnam).
Thus, critical thinking is not just "critical" opinions as the name suggests.
Activities in the critical thinking process often include: stating and defending
opinions, using appropriate evidence, making connections between ideas,
evaluating, analyzing, synthesizing, and classifying compare, point out difficulties
and ways to overcome. A critical thinking process is considered good when it
achieves the following criteria: clarity, coherence, accuracy, consistency, brevity,
relevance, appropriate explanations and reasons, objectivity, completeness, and
completeness. area and depth.
Critical thinking involves many skills such as: the ability to listen and read
carefully; the ability to evaluate arguments; the ability to find and detect
underlying assumptions, and the ability to map out the consequences of a
statement, the ability to express one's point of view convincingly.
Since ancient times, the ancient Greek sage Socrates asked learners to think,
find information for themselves, explore new ideas and debate in the learning
environment. He teaches by asking questions according to the criteria: clarity,
reliability, correctness, accuracy, reasonableness, unbiased.
1.2. The importance of critical thinking
Critical thinking helps us to look at problems from different perspectives,
both profound and comprehensive. facts, ideas, hypotheses... from observations,
experiences, evidences, information, and reasons to make judgments about things,
make decisions, and form individual responses. Therefore, n is not simply a human
quality, but also a skill that needs to be learned, practiced and developed. The
ability to think critically is so important, in fact, that our lives depend on it.
According to Olver & Utermohlen (1995), students need to “develop and
effectively apply critical thinking skills to their academic research, to the complex
problems they face, and to critical choices they will be forced to make due to the
information explosion and other rapid technological changes.” Therefore, some
authors argue that the teaching of critical thinking is important for the state of the
nation itself. In particular, to succeed in a modern-democratic society, people must
be able to think critically to make informed decisions about their own affairs and
society.
For students, possessing the ability to master critical thinking means that you
already have an important essential baggage to succeed at foreign universities.
Critical thinking skills not only help you to understand the deep and broad lessons
in books and materials, but also help you while writing essays, listening to lectures,
and taking exams. If students learn how to think critically effectively, they can use
good thinking as a guidebook for their lives.
1.3. Characteristics of a critical thinker
Author K. B. Beyer (1995) states the essential characteristics of a critical
thinker, which are:
No prejudice: a person who has a critical thinker is someone who is curious,
knows how to listen and can accept opinions that are contrary to his/her own,
upholds the value of fairness, respects evidence and arguments, likes clear, precise,
able to consider different points of view, and will change his mind when reasoning
dictates to do so.
Know how to apply criteria: certain conditions must be satisfied for a
statement to be reliable. Although different fields may have different standards,
there are several standards that can be universally applied to many problems, for
example: “Any assertion must… be based on facts. relevant facts, from reliable,
unambiguous, unbiased sources, free from fallacious logic, logical, solid
argument” - Arguable: making arguments with evidence supporting evidence.
Critical thinking includes identifying, evaluating, and constructing arguments.
Ability to infer: the ability to draw conclusions from one or more details. To
do this, it is necessary to see the logical relationship between the data
Look at problems from different perspectives: critical thinkers need to
approach the phenomenon from many different points of view.
Apply thinking tricks: Critical thinking uses a variety of thinking techniques,
including asking questions, making judgments, and making assumptions.
1.4. Practice critical thinking
Practicing critical thinking requires us to build and nurture a sense of self-
change, to have patience when performing thinking manipulations. Possible
example: Suppose there is a belief that: “Only high education is the only way to
success”. The critical thinking manipulation conventions would be:
Step 1: Ask the question “Is it true?”. So people who don't go to college all
fail? Has anyone gone to college and still didn't succeed? Is there a way to be
successful without going to college?
Step 2: Observe. Observation is looking ahead, looking back to see if there
are people who don't go to university and are still happy, there are people who go
to college (even a doctorate) and are still unhappy. Let's show a few practical
examples:
Mr. T is a doctor, but until now still long, hard life, difficult family
economy, despised by his wife and children.
After finishing high school, she went to work immediately. Now she is the
president of a large economic group.
Bill Gates is a billionaire but not a doctor.
 Mr. H has not even stepped foot to the university gate for a day, but he is
still the inventor of the seeding machine.
Step 3: Look for arguments and arguments.
What is success depends on each person's point of view, there is no concept
of success (or happiness, unhappiness, famous, rich...) for everyone.
High education is a “good start”, but not necessarily a decisive condition for
success. There are many paths to success through individual efforts to find the
right direction.
Less education will cause certain difficulties in some areas of expertise, but
does not mean failure in all areas of life. (My grandmother is illiterate, but she is
an “expert” in behavioral culture…).
Step 4: Recognize and explain the problem.
What is this issue raised for? - Who believes this matter? Why do people say
and believe that? - What does the above statement mean, leading to what
consequences?
Step 5: Affirm personal values. I think: "Success is when...", "Not a lot of
money, having a position is success", "Success is when we try our best, promote
our abilities and forte, and achieve it." great achievements in their chosen field”.
Step 6: Confirm again. So not every high education is sure to succeed!
1.5. Six thinking hats (6 thinking hats)
Overview of the method "6 thinking hats"
This was the discovery of Dr. Edward de Bono in 1980. In 1985 it was
described in detail in De Bono's book "Six thinking Hats".
This method has been applied in many schools and large organizations in the
world such as: IBM, Federal Express, British Airways, Pepsi, Polaroid, Prudential,
Dupont...
The six thinking hats are a technique designed to help individuals get
multiple views of an object that would be vastly different from what the average
person can see. This is a pattern for thinking that can be incorporated into lateral
thinking. In this approach valid judgments will have their place, but they will not
be allowed to dominate as is often the case with conventional thinking.
 * This technique has many great applications:
Stimulate parallel thinking
Stimulating holistic thinking
Separation of personality (such as ego, biases...) and quality
Training on creativity, meeting coordination, meeting management
Increase work productivity and communication in the group
Product and project management process improvement
Develop analytical thinking and decision making (which this color
represents only one form of thinking).
* Everyone will participate in comments
Depending on the type of opinion, the person will suggest what color hat to
wear. Hats are not used to classify individuals even though the individual's
behavior or habits "seem" or "seem" to belong to a certain category. It only has the
effect of guiding thoughts while team members give their opinions.
* The characteristics of color cones:
White hat: carries the image of a white sheet of paper, information, data.
When we imagine wearing a white hat, we only need to think about the
information and data related to the problem to be solved, focusing on the
information extracted, the evidence and the facts. things needed, how to get them.
Some questions you can use:
What information do we have on this issue?
What information do we need regarding the issue at hand?
What information and data are we missing?
Red Hat: carries the image of fire burning in the furnace, heart, warm blood,
warmth.
When we imagine wearing the red hat, we simply present our feelings,
emotions, intuitions, opinions, opinions without proof or explanation. His
reasoning about the problem being solved. Just give those outbursts, no
explanation needed. Some questions you can use:
 What am I feeling right now?
What does my intuition tell me about this?
Do I like or dislike this issue? - Yellow hat: carries the image of sunshine,
optimism, values, interests. When you imagine wearing the yellow hat, you will
present optimistic, logical opinions, the positives, the benefits of the problem.
Some questions you can use:
What are the benefits of doing this work?
What is the positive side of this?
Black hat: bring the image of dark night, mud. The person in the black hat
will criticize, comment, refer to weaknesses, errors, irrationalities, failures,
objections, pessimistic attitudes. The role of the black hat is to help point out
weaknesses in our thought processes. The black hat is used for "caution", it
indicates errors, points of interest, weaknesses, disadvantages of the problem or
project in dispute. The black hat plays a very important role, it ensures our project
avoids risks, it prevents us from doing anything wrong, illegal or dangerous. Some
questions you can use:
What troubles and dangers can happen?
What difficulties might arise in doing this?
What are the potential risks?
Green hat:
Think of green plants, germination, sprouting, growth. The green hat
symbolizes fertility and creativity. When we wear this hat, we will come up with
new solutions and ideas for the problem we are discussing. Some questions you
can use:
Are there other ways to do this?
What else can we do in this case?
What are the explanations for this problem?
Blue hat: The blue hat will have the same function as the conductor, it will
organize other hats - organize thinking: Controlling, governing the process,
conventions, organizing leadership.
 2. BENEFITS OF CRITICAL THINKING
2.1. Increase your chances of career success
To be precise, critical thinking affects your career path. This skill is closely
related to fields, such as law, engineering or computer science. However, these are
not the only professions that require critical thinking. Today, any situation is
possible, fraught with challenges. Gone are the days when everything used to be
planned second by second. Today, every profession is equally demanding. You'll
need some skills on hand to be successful. Critical thinking is one of them.
In the 21st century, when every employee is involved in analyzing
information and fixing problems. Your need to systematically plan; must be
thought through and critiqued. If you are thinking of joining an organization, then
start applying critical thinking skills while trading professionally. Don't forget to
add this to your resume.
2.2. Improve decision making
Decision making is something that should be part of the skill set you
possess. Critical thinkers can make the best decisions. Because life is inherently
full of problems; so dealing with them will require you to think critically; Because
after that decision, there will be many consequences and you will be the one to
confront and solve it. At one point; Critical thinking will become part of your
independent thinking. critical thinking will gradually enter this process
subconsciously and form a good habit.
You can familiarize yourself with this soft skill by practicing thinking about
the situation you are in right now. Make your own assumptions for the situation,
the possible scenarios if you make the decision. Then choose the most optimal
solution.
2.3. Increase happiness
Once you integrate critical thinking into your lifestyle and make informed
decisions, you'll be happy to do it. This is because you will be constantly in touch
with yourself. With this mindset, your daily life will be much more fun and
productive. There is no place for hasty decisions that will get you in trouble for a
long time.
Your thought process will be more accurate and positive. Critical thinking
method not only helps an individual but also has a positive impact on the people
around. Not only will you feel better, but those around you will also feel happier;
happier because problems and difficulties are solved logically and rationally.
2.4. Strengthen relationships
Once you become a critical thinker, you will respect the views of individuals
while working in groups. Most people are not open to and accepting of different
points of view. This is because you are limited in your own beliefs and opinions.
Now, when you look at things differently; so you will see multiple dimensions and
understand other people's perspectives to make informed decisions. This will
improve relationships as you will build relationships with people you have
distanced from and have always been important to.
2.5. Help you increase your creativity
Want to increase your creativity? One of the benefits of being a critical
thinker is finding creative solutions. You are always expanding your horizons
because you will be stretching and discovering beyond the solutions available on
the table. The field of creativity is limitless, and many fields today have been and
are asking for creativity while working. This is one of the top skills employers are
looking for. They want their workforce to be filled with innovative thinkers
constantly trying to push boundaries.
Never skip morning walks because they have a great effect on your health.
Similarly, critical thinking must be practiced every day as it improves brain
functions. It is best if you challenge your mind. You may be wondering what
improved the most? Well, you'll be a lot more open-minded. Every decision you
make will be the result of logical thinking.
2.6. Develop problem solving skills
Solving the problem will be a piece of cake for you. When presented with a
confusing situation that is somewhat representative of a maze, you will not make
an immediate decision. As a critical thinker, you take things in a systematic way.
You will unravel the whole problem and find the root cause. It's not smart to solve
problems in a flash. You have to reflect, get opinions from experts, and spend time
on issues.
Yes, you have to understand them better to turn the situation around and fix
the situation. With time, you will become patient and fully committed to solving
problems instead of covering them up until they are discovered with much larger
problems. Don't let things accumulate. Problems that are left unresolved or
resolved without critical thinking will pile up. After a while, you will find yourself
or your organization in a much worse position. So by regularly engaging in critical
thinking; you can become the best problem solver.
2.7. Help you become independent
Critical thinking will help you believe in your abilities. You will no longer
completely rely on others to do all your work. Gone are the days; When you are
faced with a difficult situation and you need someone to help you solve the
problem. You depend on others; unable to make decisions on their own. Then
when you form your own critical thinking skills, you can completely analyze and
evaluate the situation; thereby making the right decisions. You will be much more
confident in handling adverse situations completely independently.
REFERENCES