Analytical And Critical Thinking Skills Of Cadets And Post-Graduate Students

Abstract

Cognitive skills such as analytical and critical thinking are important components of professional culture of the military personnel. Clear thinking, reasoning, problem solving and the military decision-making process are a cornerstone of military education. Advanced skills in counterterrorist analysis, threat assessment and preparation of tactics, techniques and procedures - all of these skills may help military professionals bring peace and stability to different groups of people and function effectively during peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. Contemporary military education undergoes significant changes and presupposes developing creative personality of the future officer. Nevertheless, educating a creative thinker takes time and effort. The authors advocate the ideas of R. Paul, L. Elder, and D. Halpern on analytical and critical thinking and focus attention on the learners’ awareness of their cognitive skills. For this purpose a questionnaire, with descriptors of the levels of analytical and critical thinking skills taken from Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, was offered to cadets and post-graduate students of Ryazan Guard Higher Airborne Command School. The results of the study proved the hypothesis that post-graduate students have a higher level of analytical and critical thinking than the cadets of the 5th year of study. The collected data gave evidence of positive dynamics in the development of the studied skills. Naturally, in the course of study post graduate students have a specially designed curriculum, do their research and develop their cognitive skills and abilities to a higher level.