Critical Thinking

Analysis(interpretation or the process of

separating something into its constituent
elements). and assessment(quality, or ability of
someone or something) of thinking
 Analysis and assessment of
thinking
1. All reasoning has a PURPOSE:
• Take time to state your purpose clearly
• Distinguish your purpose from related purposes
• Check periodically to be sure you are still on target
• Choose significant and realistic purposes 
•  
2. All reasoning is an attempt to FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, TO SETTLE
SOME QUESTION, TO SOLVE SOME PROBLEM:
• Take time to clearly and precisely(in exact term) state the question at issue
• Express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning and scope
• Break the question into sub questions
• Identify if the question has one right answer, is a matter of opinion, or
requires reasoning from more than one point of view 
3. All reasoning is based on ASSUMPTIONS(without proof):
• Clearly identify your assumptions and determine whether they are justifiable
• Consider how your assumptions are shaping your point of view 
 Analysis and assessment of
thinking
4. All reasoning is done from some POINT OF VIEW:
• Identify your point of view
• Seek other points of view and identify their strengths as well as weaknesses
• Strive(make great efforts to achieve) to be fair-minded in evaluating all
points of view 
5. All reasoning is based on DATA, INFORMATION and EVIDENCE:
• Restrict your claims to those supported by the data you have
• Search for information that opposes your position as well as information that
supports it
• Make sure that all information used is clear, accurate, and relevant to the
question at issue
• Make sure you have gathered sufficient information 
6. All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped
by, CONCEPTS and IDEAS:
• Identify key concepts and explain them clearly
• Consider alternative concepts or alternative definitions to concepts
• Make sure you are using concepts with care and precision 
 Analysis and assessment of
thinking
7. All reasoning contains INFERENCES or INTERPRETATIONS by
which we draw CONCLUSIONS and give meaning to data:
• Infer only what the evidence implies
• Check inferences for their consistency with each other
• Identify assumptions which lead you to your inferences 
8. All reasoning leads somewhere or
has IMPLICATIONS and CONSEQUENCES(result or effect of an
action or condition.):
• Trace the implications(the conclusion that can be drawn from
something) and consequences that follow from your reasoning
• Search for negative as well as positive implications
• Consider all possible consequence
 Intellectual standards
• clarity
• accuracy
• precission
• relevance
• depth
• breadth
• logic
• fairness
stage theory for critical thinking
The stages we will lay out are as follows:
• Stage One: The Unreflective Thinker
• Stage Two: The Challenged Thinker
• Stage Three: The Beginning Thinker
• Stage Four: The Practicing Thinker
• Stage Five: The Advanced Thinker
• Stage Six: The Accomplished Thinker
 Assessing your thinking
• assumptions
• bias
• critical receptiveness
• dogmatism
• expertise
• fallibility
• gullibility
• humility
• indoctrination
• judgement
• knowlege
• listening
• manner
• neutrality
• propoganda
• questions
• relativism
• surprise
• tolerence
• uncertainity
• veracity
• wonder
• xenophobia
• you are obstinate he is pigheaded
• zealotry
 Advantages of CT for teachers
When teachers become advocates of quality thinking and learning, in keeping with this stage theory,
they teach in such a way that students are regularly required to:
• 1) state and explain goals and purposes,
• 2) clarify the questions they need to answer and the problems they need to solve,
• 3) gather and organize information and data,
• 4) explicitly assess the meaning and significance of information you give them,
• 5) demonstrate that they understand concepts,
• 6) identify assumptions,
• 7) consider implications and consequences,
• 8) examine things from more than one point of view,
• 9) state what they say clearly,
• 10) test and check for accuracy,
• 11) stick to questions, issues, or problems; and not wander in their thinking,
• 12) express themselves precisely and exactly,
• 13) deal with complexities in problems and issues,
• 14) consider the point of view of others,
• 15) express their thinking logically,
• 16) distinguish significant matters from insignificant ones,
 Advantages of CT for students
And as a result of such instruction, the students (in general):
• 1) learn content at a deeper and more permanent level
• 2) are better able to explain and apply what they learn,
• 3) are better able to connect what they are learning in one class with
what they are learning in other classes,
• 4) ask more and better questions in class,
• 5) understand the textbook better,
• 6) follow directions better,
• 7) understand more of what you present in class,
• 8) write better,
• 9) apply more of what they are learning to their everyday life,
• 10) become more motivated learners in general,
• 11) become progressively easier to teach.