Implicit Theories of Critical Thinking in Teachers and Future Teachers

Abstract

Research is focused on finding the implicit theories of teachers and students in the teaching field in relation to the issue of critical thinking in education. The research purpose is to determine respondents’ subjective opinions on what the concept of critical thinking include and how we can imagine a critically thinking child. The aim is also to discover whether Czech teachers and future teachers consider development of critical thinking in schools as desirable. Our own questionnaire and interview were used. Data was processed by a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Conclusions are that the critical thinking concept raises different ideas and opinions among respondents. These opinions also reflect whether the respondent was a student teacher or a teacher with experience, and also whether the respondent completed critical thinking course. Other findings are regarding the relationship between the length of teaching experience and teachers’ opinions on the need to develop critical thinking.