The development of critical thinking : part one

Abstract

One of school’s purposes is to help students develop critical thinking. Do schools fulfill this role adequately? Some of us will say yes and others will say no. However, all of us will agree that advancing intelligence has always constituted both an objective and a challenge for educators. Over the past few decades, this education goal has crystallised around the development or strengthening of critical thinking, particularly in the United States. There are several reasons why we should focus on enhancing greater intellectual rigor in students, notably to make them better learners. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide teachers with the tools they need in order to help their students become critical thinkers. Following a short introduction, the first part defines what we call “critical thinking”. The second part (to be published) will be devoted to the principles and practice of critical pedagogy while providing examples of critical thinking used in pedagogy.