CHAPTER 13:

CRITICAL THINKING
AND HOW TO TEACH
CRITICAL THINKING
SKILLS
Grace Elizabeth Blenzelwise (2012150006)
Nina Ruht Cristhabel Ritonga (2012150012)
Greacia Novi Mayo Sianipar (2012150009)
Jovandi (2012150004)
 Critical Thinking
What is it?
Critical thinking it has been observed that concepts such as problem solving,
decision making, deduction, informal logic, simple thinking, reflective thinking,
high-level thinking skills (analysis, synthesis and evaluation) are deemed to have
synonymous meanings with critical thin king among educators when critical
thinking has not been put forth yet.

"Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous."

Critical thinking begins when you question

beyond what is given.
You want to know more:
• how something happens,
• why it happens, and further
• what will happen if something changes.
 Critical thinking therefore requires a conscious level of processing, analysis,
creation and evaluation of possible outcomes, and reflection.
Types of Thinking Purposes Thinkings Skills Relations between them

Critical Thinking Evaluating the Defining states or ideas, Critical thinking is needed
opposite states or analyzing opposite for all thinking skills.
clarity of ideas views, evaluating
evidences
Creative Thinking Producing new ideas Determining ideas, The newly-created product
and products restructuring the which has been produced
problem, determining through creative thinking is
the possibilites evaluated by means of
critical thinking.
Making a Decision Making an Thinking the Critical thinking is one of
informed decision information, defining the basic processes
the alternatives and necessary for making a
making a decision decision
Problem Solving Finding one or more Defining, explaining, While problem solving
solutions for a problem choosing, implementing starts with a problem,
and evaluating a critical thinking
strategy encompasses evaluation of
all information, ideas and
events that one comes
across.
 Critical thinkers listen carefully

If you’re a critical thinker, you listen carefully to what others are saying and are able to give
feedback. You are able to suspend judgment until all the facts have been gathered and considered.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Clearing Up Skills Supporting Inference Skills High-level Strategy and
Skills Clearing up technical skills
Skills
• Focusing on a • Judging the • Being able to • Being able to • Deciding on a
question reliability of make define the terms movement
a source inferences and judge the
• Anaylzing
discussions from the definitions • Interaction
• Jugding current data with others
• Asking various observation • Being able to
questions at reports • Being able to determine the
various levels in think premises
order to clear up deductively
the states
• Being able to
create value
judgements
Being openminded is an important attitude in terms
of critical thinking. Fisher explains how to be open-
minded as below:

• Making decisions taking the evidences and evaluating evidences

as the basis.
• Considering the thoughts that contrast with one’s own decisions
and thoughts.
• Being open to others’ producing thoughts that contrast with one’s
own thoughts.
• Always keeping in mind the possibility of being wrong.
Paul and Elder state that the elements of critical
thinking guide us about this. The elements of critical
thinking and how these elements guide learning are
explained as below:

• All thinkings have a goal.

• All thinkings focus on at least one question.
• All thinkings require information.
• All thinkings require concepts.
• All thinkings include inferences.
• All thinkings include some premises.
• All thinkings include perspectives.
• All thinkings include a point of view.
 HOW TO TEACHING CRITICAL
THINKING
• analyze analogies
• create categories and classify items appropriately
• identify relevant information
• construct and recognize valid deductive arguments
• test hypotheses
• recognize common reasoning fallacies
• distinguish between evidence and interpretations of evidence
 The American Philosophical Association's
tips for teaching critical thinking

• Start early. Young children might not be ready for lessons in

formal logic. But they can be taught to give reasons for their
conclusions. And they can be taught to evaluate the reasons
given by others. Wondering where to begin? If you have young
child, check out these research-based tips for teaching critical
thinking and scientific reasoning to preschoolers.
• Avoid pushing dogma. When we tell kids to do things in a
certain way, we should give reasons
• Encourage kids to ask questions. Parents and teachers should foster
curiosity in children. If a rationale doesn’t make sense to a child, she
should be encouraged to voice her objection or difficulty.

• Ask kids to consider alternative explanations and solutions. It’s

nice to get the right answer. But many problems yield themselves to
more than one solution. When kids consider multiple solutions, they
may become more flexible thinkers.

• Get kids to clarify meaning. Kids should practice putting things in

their own words (while keeping the meaning intact). And kids should
be encouraged to make meaningful distinctions.

• Talk about biases. Even grade school students can understand how

emotions, motives--even our cravings--can influence our judgments.
• Talk about biases. Even grade school students can
understand how emotions, motives--even our cravings--can
influence our judgments

• Don’t confine critical thinking to purely factual or academic

matters. Encourage kids to reason about ethical, moral, and
public policy issues.

• Get kids to write. This last recommendation doesn’t come from

Facione or the APA, but it makes good sense. As many teachers
know, the process of writing helps students clarify their
explanations and sharpen their arguments. In a recent study,
researchers assigned college biology students to one of two
groups. The writing group had to turn in written explanations of
their laboratory work. The control group had to answer brief
quizzes instead. At the end of the term, the students in the
writing group had increased their analytical skills significantly.
Students in the control group had not (Quitadamo and Kurtz
2007).
DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS?

THANK
YOU