Study Skills (BCGE 004)

Preview

1. Definition of Critical Thinking

2. Prominent Features of Critical Thinking
3. Characteristics of Critical Thinkers
What is Critical Thinking? (Some Definitions of
Critical Thinking)
• Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking
that is focused on deciding (Robert Ennis).
• Critical thinking is skillful, responsible thinking
that is conducive to good judgment (Matthew
Lipman).
• Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking,
while you’re thinking, in order to make your
thinking better (Richard Paul, 2006).
 What is Critical Thinking?
• Critical thinking
• is that mode of thinking—about any subject, content,
or problem—in which the thinker improves the
quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing,
assessing, and reconstructing it.
• It is the ability to make careful observation about a
topic.
• It is more than memorizing and recalling information.
• It is the evaluation of others argument systematically.
 What is Critical Thinking?

• Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a

claim is:
- always true,
- sometimes true,
- partly true, or false.
Some Prominent Features (Characteristics)
of Critical Thinking
1. Critical Thinking is Reflective
• For example in a social studies course: conformity
Thinking Critical Thinking
what it is, Critical thinking starts once I reflect
how prevalent it is, on my thinking: Why do I have
what influences people to these views about conformity?
conform or not conform. What evidence are they based on?
How do other people look at
conformity differently?
What are their views based on?
How can I tell which are more
accurate, their views or mine?
Some Prominent Features (Characteristics)
of Critical Thinking
2. Critical Thinking Involves Standards
• Critical thinking involves many standards or criteria
such as
1. Accuracy (I can think about something accurately or
inaccurately.),
2. Relevance (I can use evidence that is relevant to an
issue or irrelevant, or somewhere in between.), and
3. Depth (I can do so on a superficial level or I can try
to understand them deeply, trying to get at the heart
of the matter.)
Some Prominent Features (Characteristics)
of Critical Thinking

3. Critical Thinking is Authentic

Critical thinking, at its heart, is thinking about
real problems and questions rather than artificial
ones.
Some Prominent Features (Characteristics)
of Critical Thinking

4. Critical Thinking Involves Being Reasonable

• For thinking to be critical thinking, it must be
reasonable thinking.
• We must use our reasoning to evaluate rules,
rather than vice versa.
 Characteristics of Critical Thinkers
1. Make hypothesis.
2. Do inductive reasoning.
3. Do deductive reasoning.
4. Make judgments.
5. Argue and persuade others.
6. Provide your own solutions.
 Questions

1. Define critical thinking.

2.What are the prominent features of critical
thinking?
3. What are the characteristics of critical
thinkers?
 Reference

• Memering, D., & Palmer, W. (2005). Discovering arguments: An

introduction to critical thinking and writing with readings. Prentice Hall.
• Valeri-Gold, M. & Pintozzi, F. (2000). Taking Charge of your Reading:
Reading and Study strategies for College success. New York; Longman.
• Browne, M., & Keeley, S. (2013). Asking the right questions: A guide to
critical thinking (pp. 1-10). Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.