Critical, creative, and caring thinking

The paper contributes to the study of correlation between critical and creative thinking as the twenty-first century skills vital to succeed and stay competitive in the modern Information Age. The aim of the research is to ground a possibility of facilitating creativity with the help of critical thinking. The concepts of creative thinking and critical thinking are analysed. A synergetic correlation of creativity and critical thinking, with mutual reinforcement of both, is argued. Critical thinking is getting more innovative character, while creativity is raising to a higher level with more realistic results. To investigate the mechanism of reaching a creative result through critical thinking, original Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives and learning behaviours was compared with its revised version of 2001. It was highlighted that both versions of the taxonomy presuppose that critical thinking skills complement and reliably enable the creation of innovative ideas and new realities. The revised version recognizes and emphasises the creativeness of the critical thinking and, vice versa, the necessity of critical judgments in creating new products. The relevance of critical thinking skills for the development of creativity was considered with the help of an integrative model of critical and creative thinking proposed by L. Combs, K. Cennamo, and P. Newbill. It illustrates that critical and creative thinking overlap when it goes about the generation and refinement of ideas – at the level of high-order thinking processes, according to B. Bloom’s taxonomy. The article argues that collaboration of critical and creative thinking starts even earlier – namely, at the stage of setting a target for innovation, collecting information, interpreting and applying it – and continues throughout the entire path of constructing an innovative idea, its reflective evaluation and practical implementation. That is, critical thinking ensures self-regulation of creative thinking at all stages of creative activity and serves as a methodological tool of the creative process. It is concluded that application of critical thinking to creativity leads to better-grounded decisions, unbiased attitudes, more innovative solutions and higher quality deliverables.

Critical and creative thinking skills are the core of 21st century skills that learners must have to face global challenges. The ability to interpret, analyze, evaluate, inference, explanation, self regulation, think fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration can shows the level of their critical and creative thinking ability. The research aims to develop e-portofolio for enchancing the critical and creative thinking ability of 8th level students at Junior High School by soil pollution and waste management education. The research used a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design. The validity of e-portfolios consists of construct and content validity. The practicality of e-portfolios was assessed based on student response questionnaires. The effectiveness of the e-portfolio was assessed through a test designed to measure their critical and creative thinking skills. After the e-portfolio trial, a test was conducted to enable the improvement of critical and creative thinking skills. This study used the Research and Development (R&D) method with the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) which is limited to three stages namely analysis, product design and development. The validity assessment used expert judgement. The design of e-portfolio learning media involves elements that are in accordance with the indicators of critical and creative thinking by providing feedback, self-assessment, peer assessment, self-reflection. The data generated in this study is the validity of e-portfolios to measure critical and creative thinking skills. Based on the profile analysis of critical and creative thinking skills of SMP Negeri 8 Purwosari students, it was found that there was an increase in the percentage of critical thinking skills of grade VIII students from 73.08% in the very low category (19 students) to 88.46% in the very high category (21 students). It was also found that the percentage of creative thinking ability of the largest VIII grade students was 69.23% in the very low category (18 students) to 46.15% in the very high category (12 students) after using e-portfolios. This research developed e-portfolios as an innovative instrument that not only measures critical or creative thinking ability separately, but also learns both critical and creative thinking ability . In its implementation, the e-portfolio is designed to integrate various learning components, such as problem-based assignments, case studies, experiments and self-reflection that are relevant to practising critical and creative thinking skills. Keywords: critical thinking ability, creative thinking ability, e-portfolio, pancasila student profile.

Guiding students how to think critically and creatively is a crucial part of the educational process in order to meet the required skills to face the 21st century. In addition, attention to the local culture especially that is closely related to the scientific concepts needs to be strongly emphasized. Due to those two aspects i.e. creative and critical thinking as well as attention to local culture, the ethno-STEM project-based learning for high school students has been implemented and its impact to students’ critical and creative thinking skills has been investigated. This study involved 230 students from seven high schools in Central Java Indonesia. The data collection was carried out through a set of instruments to reveal the students’ critical and creative thinking skills. The instruments were declared as valid based on the experts’ judgment and showed an Alpha Cronbach score of 0.79 prior to use. The results showed that the ethno-STEM project-based learning was able to improve the average critical and creative thinking skills of students in all indicators varying from low to medium categories. The improvement of students' critical thinking skills was observed by the achievement of the N-gain score, i.e. 52 students (22.6%) achieved a high category, 102 students (44.4%) achieved a medium category, and 76 students (33.0%) achieved a low category. Moreover, an increase in the creative thinking skills was also observed, indicated by the N-gain score, i.e. 63 students (27.4%) were at a high category, 109 students (47.4%) were at a medium category, and 58 students (25.2%) were at a low category. In conclusion, the ethno-STEM project-based learning showed a significant effect on the improvement of students' critical and creative thinking skills.

What stands and develops between creative and critical thinking? Argumentation?

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between (1) critical and creative thinking skills; (2) critical thinking skills and learning achievement; (3) creative thinking skills and learning achievement; and (4) critical thinking, creative thinking, and learning achievement. The current study was conducted in April 2019 and employed a correlational research design. The participants of this study consisted of 30 fourth-semester students from the Department of Biology Education of IKIP Mataram, Indonesia, who were currently studying Plant Physiology. Data were collected using a test that contained 19 essay questions on photosynthesis. The critical thinking instrument was composed of five aspects, whereas the creative thinking instrument comprised of eight aspects. Besides, the instrument used to determine learning achievement incorporated six aspects. Each of the elements was represented by one test item. The results of the data analysis indicated correlations between (1) critical and creative thinking skills; (2) critical thinking skills and learning achievement; (3) creative thinking skills and learning achievement; (4) creative thinking, critical thinking, and learning achievement. Since critical and creative thinking skills affect learning achievement, the empowerment of these skills may lead to the enhancement of learning achievement.

The 21st century as the information age implies that everyone, including students, must be literate in the development and advancement of knowledge-based information and communication technology. That is, students in schools as early as possible must be invited to build 21stcentury knowledge and skills, namely 4C skills. To accommodate this, the learning model must accommodate student centered learning models, one of which is quantum flipped learning (QFL) as a substitute for direct flipped learning (DFL). The aims of this study were 1) to analyze the main and interactive effect between the QFL model vs. the DFL model and students' cognitive involvement on their critical and creative thinking in learning physics. To achieve this goal, experimental research was conducted using a post test only control group design. The population of this research is high school students of class XI SMAN 4 Singaraja, and the sample is 4 classes selected by class random technique. The research data were collected with critical thinking tests, creative thinking tests, and cognitive engagement questionnaires. The research data were analyzed using two-way multivariate analysis of variance. Hypothesis testing was carried out at a significance level of 5%. The results showed that 1) critical thinking and creative thinking of students who studied with the QFL model were higher than students who studied with the DFL model, 2) students who had high cognitive engagement showed critical thinking and creative thinking skills that were not different from students who had low cognitive engagement, 3) there is no interactive effect between the learning model and students' cognitive involvement on critical thinking and creative thinking. The implication of this research is that to achieve optimal critical thinking and creative thinking, physics learning will be better if using the QFL model, students who have low cognitive engagement to be guided and motivated in learning to be able to increase their cognitive engagement in learning, both levels of cognitive involvement students are accommodated by both models.

With technological innovations happening at workplaces, 21st century organizations demand competencies in thinking creatively and critically. These two skills will potentially help prospective employees become confident individuals, concerned citizens, self-directed learners, and active professionals. In this context, it becomes imperative to overhaul the lecture-based and banking model of the traditional pedagogical approach in order to impart such skills among undergraduate and graduate students. To address this issue, a lab-based teaching-learning method focused on problem-solving and design thinking was introduced at OAMK Labs in Finland. This study assesses the efficacy of lab-based learning in enhancing creativity and critical thinking among students from engineering, management, and science backgrounds of Kathmandu University, Nepal. The study was conducted in a workshop setting using a randomized control trial (RCT) where participants were divided into control and treatment groups. Participants in treatment group took part in a design thinking workshop that applied lab-based learning pedagogy, while those in the control group were given some reading material on improving creativity and critical thinking. Standard tests on both critical and creative thinking in a pre- and post-stages were administered to both groups. Data was analyzed using standard Difference-in-Differences technique. The results showed that while the level of critical thinking improved significantly, among the learners in treatment group alone, the creativity level in the post-stage increased significantly among learners in both groups. Results validated the efficacy of lab-based teaching-learning in addressing the need for critical and creative thinking skills among learners. Keywords: critical thinking, creativity, lab based learning, innovation, higher education, Difference-in-Differences

Proficiency in critical and creative thinking are fundamental skills that students must have to face the challenges of the 21st century. This study compared the effectiveness of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and CRT based on Sasambo education in improving students' critical and creative thinking skills in elementary schools. This study used a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design and a pre-test-post-test control group. A total of 31 students participated in this study and were divided into two experimental groups. The first experiment used the STEM approach, while the second experiment used CRT based on Sasambo culture. Data was collected through an essay test that evaluated students' critical thinking (10 questions) and creative thinking (4 questions). In addition, descriptive statistics, homogeneity, normality, paired sample t-test, and N-Gain scores were used to evaluate students' improvement. This study shows that different learning approaches can have diverse impacts on students' cognitive skill development. STEM education proved to be more effective in improving critical thinking, while culture-based CRT was superior in encouraging students' creativity. The findings showed that STEM-based education significantly improved students' critical thinking skills more than CRT-based education. Conversely, CRT was more effective in improving students' creative thinking skills. This highlights the importance of integrating educational innovations with local customs to support the growth of students' critical thinking and creativity.

Nurturing critical thinking skills in the classroom is considered an important educational activity. It is believed that critical thinking skills are transferable and that they can be applied in practice when appraising, evaluating and implementing research. That more nurses than ever before have been judged academically knowledgeable in research has not guaranteed the transfer of such knowledge to practice. This paper discusses some of the reasons for the failure to narrow the gap between research and practice. In particular we argue that, if nurses are encouraged to develop creative and generative thinking alongside their critical thinking skills, then the art of nursing will have fuller representation in education, research and practice. The successful development of critical thinking skills for academic purposes does not necessarily mean that these skills are used in practice in relation either to research or clinical decision-making. This suggests that the transferability of critical thinking skills is less than straightforward. Indeed, there has been little narrowing of the research-practice gap since students started to learn critical thinking for academic purposes. However, we propose that thinking skills can be encouraged in the context of practice and that regular educational events, such as journal clubs, can contribute to developing critical thinking in the practice environment. The research-practice gap will reduce only if research becomes part of practitioners' ideology, which includes the art and science of nursing. Critical and creative thinking are prerequisites to narrowing the disjuncture between research and practice, and we suggest that educators and practitioners explore structured ways of meeting together to appraise literature as a possible means of making use of their thinking and knowledge in clinical practice.

21st-century skills demand that learners have critical thinking and creative thinking skills, which can be used in solving problems in everyday life in chemistry learning activities. The Scientific Critical Creative Thinking (SCCrT) model is one of the constructivist learning models that can train students' critical thinking and creative thinking skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference between the critical thinking skills and creative thinking skills of students with the SCCrT model (experimental class) and the Direct Instruction (DI) model (control class) in learning salt hydrolysis material. Quasi-experimental research method with nonequivalent control group design, research sample class XI MIPA SMAN 10 Banjarmasin. The research data were obtained from the test results of learners' critical and creative thinking skills, then analyzed descriptively, qualitatively, and inferentially (with the SPSS program version 25). The results showed that the average critical thinking skills with the SCCrT model were higher than those of the DI model (significance value 0.001 < 0.05). The average creative thinking skills with the SCCrT model are also higher than those of the DI model (significance value 0.002 < 0.05). Thus, the SCCrT model is better than the DI model in training learners' critical thinking and creative thinking skills in learning salt hydrolysis material.

Tinkering has been recognized as an informal method to engage students with STEM disciplines. It can be defined as an open-ended process of designing and constructing objects or installations, generally using both high- and low-tech tools (Bevan et al., 2015). Tinkering has been adopted not only to develop scientific knowledge but also to support thinking processes such as Critical and Creative Thinking. Indeed participants in Tinkering activities are constantly involved in the inquiry, collaborative process, during while scientific and aesthetic insights could be combined. Despite these theoretical assumptions, there is still a lack of empirical studies concerning the impact of Tinkering on the development of Creativity and Critical Thinking. The Centre for Museum Studies - University of Roma Tre has been trying to solve this gap, by investigating the impact of Tinkering activities on Critical and Creative thinking skills enhancement in museum educators and teachers involved in STEM education. The Centre for Museum Studies conducted a study with about 60 participants at Citta della Scienza - Science centre (Naples) and Palaexpo (Rome), where museum educators and STEM teachers participated in a two-day workshop on collaborative Tinkering activities. Data about Creative (Guilford et al., 1978) and Critical Thinking (Poce, 2017) were collected through a pre-post test methodology. In addition, different kinds of qualitative data were collected during the two days such as groups’ interactions, presentations, and final objects’ pictures. From preliminary results, a significant correlation was detected between Critical and Creative Thinking (r = 0,39) at the beginning of the course. Participants showed significant higher Creative Thinking level after the Tinkering Activity (sign. < 0,001). On the other hand, despite there were no statistical differences concerning Critical Thinking assessment, a slight improvement in the post-test could be quantified. In final objects and installations, it was possible to detect the process through which participants combined the scientific and the aesthetic dimension. Indeed, scientific knowledge was often explicitly interconnected to objects' historical, anthropological, and literary elements. In conclusion, Tinkering seems to have a positive impact on thinking functions because it allows combining scientific and humanistic knowledge through an open-ended creative process. Follow up research is required, where it will be necessary to expand the sample of the study and use different measures for Critical and Creative Thinking assessment.

This research focused on the factors that affect the instruction of creative and critical thinking at the upper elementary level, using the Lesson Study professional development approach as a tool in preparing teachers to create and foster a learning environment that promotes creative thinking, and critical thinking and problem solving skills in students. This research identified and analyzed emerging instructional practices that promote creative and critical thinking in students. This research was a case study that used qualitative and quantitative methods. Eighteen elementary teachers in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade in one rural/suburban school district were divided into a control group and an experimental lesson study group, each with three teachers from each grade level. All participants took part in semi-structured interviews, which provided qualitative data about how teachers definitions of and experiences with creativity relate to their teaching of creative and critical thinking skills, and the strategies and interactions teachers employ to foster students creative and critical thinking. All participants completed a Teacher Checklist for Creative and Critical Thinking Instruction (TC-C2TI), which provided quantitative data about how frequently teachers engage in practices that foster students creative and critical thinking. All participants attended an introductory training lecture on the topic of teaching for creative and critical thinking. The experimental Lesson Study group designed an exemplary lesson to promote creative and critical thinking, observed each other teach the lesson, and collaborated to revise and re-teach the lesson. Teacher feedback and observations provided further qualitative and quantitative information about the effectiveness of the Lesson Study approach. All participants completed the TC-C2TI and took part in an interview again at the end of the study. Findings showed no quantitative difference in frequency of practices between teachers in the control group and the lesson study group either before or after the Lesson Study. Lesson Study Observation Checklists indicated an impact of the lesson study discussion process on instruction within the Lesson Study group. Interviews revealed homogeneity in the methods, strategies, and climates teachers employ to foster creative and critical thinking. Findings revealed climates that promote creative and critical thinking are supportive of collaboration, trusting, and valuing of creativity. This study concluded that the instruction of creative and critical thinking is primarily influenced by four factors: the use of research-proven strategies that foster students creative and critical thinking, teachers own definitions of and experiences with creativity, participation in professional development activities that include dialogue and reflection such as the Lesson Study approach, and a school atmosphere that values, supports, and encourages collaboration and teacher-designed, student-centered instructional methods. This research recommends that educational practice includes building teachers background knowledge about creative and critical thinking, giving teachers practical, proven ideas that are easily implemented within the existing curriculum, and employing the Lesson Study approach as a professional development tool. This study also recommends further investigation of the stages of development of creative thinking for students, the stages of development in teaching for creativity and critical thinking, and differences between how creativity can be used by individual teachers and teams of teachers

This study aims to see the effect of hots oriented job sheets with barcode assistance in online learning to the students' critical and creative thinking on heat and the kinetic theory of gases learning topic in grade xi of 1st harau district senior high school. This type of research is a quasi-experiment with a randomized only control group design. This study involved two classes, the first class as the experimental class using hots-oriented job sheets with barcode assistance and the second class as the control class. Data collection techniques in the form of a written test with a graded essay question model. The assessment is based on observable indicators of critical and creative thinking skills. data analysis using qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. The results showed that there was an increase in the ability to think critically and creatively. the experimental class was 57% and the control class was 12%. Based on the research results it can be concluded that: First, after implementing HOTS-oriented worksheets assisted by barcodes in online learning, there was an increase in students' critical thinking skills and creative skills in the experimental class. Second, there is a significant difference in the improvement of students' critical and creative thinking skills in the experimental class after implementing HOTS-oriented job sheets assisted with barcodes in online learning compared to the control class that did not apply the job sheets. Third, HOTS-oriented worksheets assisted with barcodes are very suitable to be applied in schools with an online learning system because they can improve students' critical thinking skills and creative thinking skills on heat material and the kinetic theory of gases.

In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, equipping students with critical and creative thinking skills within the framework of Education for Sustainable Development is essential but remains insufficiently explored, particularly in relation to nutrition concepts. This study evaluates the critical and creative thinking skills of eighth-grade students at a private junior high school and examines the relationship between these skills in the context of Education for Sustainable Development and nutrition. A total of 62 students participated in the study, which employed a correlational design to analyze data from a written test comprising fifteen multiple-choice questions on critical thinking and eight essay questions on creative thinking. To minimize guessing, the critical thinking test included well-designed distractors. Descriptive analysis was followed by the application of the Spearman test to determine the correlation between critical and creative thinking skills. The results indicated low performance in both areas, with average scores of 31.61 for critical thinking and 43.34 for creative thinking. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between the two skills, as the significance value of 0.126 exceeded the threshold of 0.05. The findings suggest that systematic planning and continuous learning are necessary to enhance these skills and improve academic performance. The study emphasizes the need for structured educational strategies to develop critical and creative thinking concurrently, thereby informing curriculum development to support Education for Sustainable Development goals and prepare students to address future sustainability challenges.

The 21st-century skills are critical thinking skills and creative thinking skills. These skills are needed by someone to be successful in facing challenges, an increasingly complex and uncertain life, and to be successful in life and career in the world of work. This study aims to analyze critical and creative thinking skills in terms of the inquiry component in science learning in elementary schools. The research sample is elementary school students, with a total of 31 students. Data collection techniques used in this study were observation, tests, interviews, and documentation. The experimental research method used in this research is quasi-experimental. Quasi-experimental is used so that researchers can analyze the differences between the two treatments in the control class and the experimental class. The research design used was a non-equivalent control group design. The results of the analysis of critical and creative thinking skills for the control class inquiry model were 45.3% and 54.7%. In comparison, the experimental class obtained 65.5%, so the influence of the inquiry model on experimental class students is greater than the control class. The inquiry model has a positive effect on critical and creative thinking skills. With this research, the inquiry model can improve the critical thinking skills and creative thinking of fifth-grade elementary school students in science learning.