Components Of Critical Thinking Research Articles

Enhancing Argumentation and Decision-Making of Preservice Early Childhood Education Teachers Through Role-Playing on Animal Experimentation

AbstractThis study explores the socio-scientific issue of the relevance of animal experimentation using a role-playing game to develop argumentation and decision-making skills as key components of critical thinking. The activity was conducted with two cohorts, each consisting of 30 pre-service early childhood education teachers at the University of Málaga (Málaga, Spain). The study analyzes the arguments provided by the participants to justify their decisions and perceptions on the issue before and after engaging in the role-playing. The findings reveal a progression of participants from the initial rejection of animal experimentation to recognizing its imperative role in shaping scientific knowledge. Additionally, an enhancement in the understanding of rational aspects of the issue is detected, as observed through the evolution of the types of arguments employed in justifications before and after the intervention. Furthermore, emotionally charged arguments related to ethical and moral aspects of the issue are also observed.

An Investigation into Habits of Mind Prospective Teacher: Do They Have it?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to obtain a profile of habits of mind among prospective teacher students in the PMIPA (Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education) Department in Pontianak, Indonesia. Recognizing the importance of habits of mind in shaping learning outcomes and life skills, the research aims to assess the prevalence and distribution of self-regulation, critical thinking, and creative thinking among teacher education students. Methods: The research utilizes a quantitative descriptive approach, conducted across three study programs: Biology Education, Chemistry Education, and Mathematics Education. Purposive sampling is employed to select a sample of 100 prospective teacher students. Data collection involves the administration of a questionnaire comprising three aspects: self-regulation, critical thinking, and creative thinking. The collected data are analyzed using quantitative methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of the habits of mind among PMIPA students. Results and Discussion: The research findings reveal that the habits of mind among PMIPA students are generally categorized as good, with 84% exhibiting favorable habits. Among the three study programs, Biology Education students exhibit the highest percentage of favorable habits, followed by Chemistry Education and Mathematics Education. Self-regulation emerges as the predominant habitual component of the mind, followed by critical thinking, with creative thinking ranking lowest in prevalence. These findings suggest that while PMIPA students demonstrate strengths in self-regulation and critical thinking, there may be opportunities for further development of creative thinking skills. Implications of the Research: The results of this research hold significant implications for universities and lecturers involved in teacher education programs. By providing insights into the habits of mind prevalent among prospective teacher students, the findings can inform the design of appropriate teaching and learning strategies tailored to the needs and strengths of PMIPA students. Additionally, the research outcomes may contribute to the enhancement of teacher education curricula, emphasizing the cultivation of critical thinking and creative thinking skills alongside self-regulation. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the existing literature by offering a detailed examination of habits of mind among prospective teacher students in the PMIPA Department, particularly in the context of teacher education in Pontianak, Indonesia. By focusing on the components of self-regulation, critical thinking, and creative thinking, the research provides valuable insights into the cognitive and metacognitive skills prevalent among PMIPA students. The findings offer a basis for enhancing teacher education programs and fostering the development of well-rounded educators equipped with essential habits of mind for success in teaching and lifelong learning.

Challenges and Strategies for Cultivating Critical Thinking in Chinese Art Education

The evolution of the educational landscape in China has brought heightened recognition to the significance of art education within the country. Nonetheless, the framework of domestic art education remains entrenched in a broader educational paradigm that predominantly emphasizes standardized testing. Consequently, this paper delves into the complex issues impeding the development of critical thinking skills through art education. By examining the current state of domestic art education through the lens of three fundamental components of critical thinking, this study underscores the formidable challenges that hinder the fostering of critical thinking skills within this domain. Drawing from a comprehensive analysis of teaching methodologies and educational practices in art education, this research presents a series of targeted strategies to propel the advancement of domestic art education by prioritizing the cultivation of critical thinking skills. Through the identification of key obstacles and the proposal of strategic interventions, this paper contributes to the discourse surrounding the enhancement of critical thinking abilities within the context of Chinese art education.

Exploring the Underlying Ways of Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills in the present dynamic and rapidly changing world are crucial skills that enable individuals to engage in rational and independent thinking to make decent and consistent decisions. This article aims at exploring multifarious underlying ways of enhancing critical thinking skills. It provides readers with definitions of critical thinking and critical thinking skills. It pinpoints key components of critical thinking, barriers to critical thinking, and the major strategies for enhancing these skills. Qualitative data related to critical thinking skills were gathered in the forms of lexes and lexical expressions through a scrupulous review of journal articles, website documents and relevant books published between 1984 and 2023. They served as secondary sources of qualitative data that were explored and analyzed through instances that led to broader concepts regarding critical thinking skills. It is concluded that both acquisition and application of these skills were imperative for individuals to adeptly formulate their fair decisions. Teachers, students, researchers and critics will find this article highly valuable as it equips them with the necessary skills to think critically and make well-versed decisions about a given subject matter.

Fortalecimiento de la competencia para el desarrollo sostenible análisis crítico: Aplicación de un ambiente virtual de aprendizaje.

Education for Sustainable Development provides students with values, attitudes and knowledge in order to provide alternative solutions to the social, environmental and economic challenges that may be occurring in the present and in the future. The objective of this article is to illustrate the process of strengthening the competence for sustainable development Critical Analysis, which is made up of the components of critical thinking, ethical and intellectual commitment; this development was carried out through the implementation of a Virtual Learning Environment, which consisted of three modules related to: the pollution of the Tunjuelo River, the Tannery Industry in San Benito and the Hybrid Method (which involves the use of chemical precipitation with Magnesium Oxide and the use of a solid residue from the Wet-Blue tannery industry for the removal of chromium in wastewater from the tanning stage). The type of research paradigm was qualitative, with a descriptive scope, which was developed with a group of Initial Teacher Training, belonging to the Bachelor's Degree in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education of the Public Pedagogical University of Kennedy; to evaluate the strengthening of this competence, three indicators are presented (1- Understands that knowledge is incomplete and is tinged with subjectivity; 2- Understands that every system (economic, social and environmental) presents dysfunctions that can be identified and corrected 3- Recognizes the social, economic and environmental dysfunctions that oppose sustainable development, Proposes alternatives for improvement) and their respective levels, according to the answers provided by the participating population. Within the results obtained there is evidence of a progression in the levels from passing to outstanding, which make up the indicators.

Development and validation of a critical thinking measurement instrument based on Megapodidae reinwardt bird ecotourism

Critical thinking skills are important in sharing aspects of life in the current and future era of globalization and information. An important aspect of critical thinking is literacy. Literacy abilities within the scope of Natural Sciences refer to scientific literacy. The critical thinking test results show that students' critical thinking components must still be developed. This paper discusses developing and validating a critical thinking measurement instrument for prospective science-biology teacher students based on Megapodidae bird ecotourism. The aim is to develop and assess the validity, reliability, and characteristics of critical thinking skills instruments so that they can be used to measure critical thinking skills in Science-Biology prospective teacher students. Product development in the form of critical thinking skills test instruments in Biology learning for prospective teacher students at FKIP Unram. Instrument development is carried out in four steps: identifying indicators, developing collection items, making validity checks, and improving item quality. Instrument validation is by a learning expert from FKIP Unram. Essay form questions consist of 21 items with difficulty levels at medium and high levels. The results of expert validation analysis using Aiken's V method for each aspect are classified as valid with a value of 0.79. The instrument developed can be used as a valid and reliable measure of critical thinking ability.

Relationships between metacognition, creativity, and critical thinking in self-reported teaching performances in project-based learning settings

The integration of 21st-century skills (e.g., critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and metacognition) in teaching is essential for the quality of education and to prepare students for the challenges of 21st-century skills. One teaching method that can improve these skills among students is project-based learning (PBL). However, teachers themselves should be proficient in these skills to achieve this goal. The present study focuses on three skills: metacognition, creativity, and critical thinking, which are considered cognition-related 21st-century skills; integrating them in PBL settings may improve teaching and learning performances. This study aims to examine whether and in what way there are relationships between components of metacognition, creativity, and critical thinking in self-reported teaching performance (SRTP) in PBL settings. To examine the research questions, we analyzed 29 journals in which teachers described a project they had planned, which was carried out by students using a mixed-method design model. All participants were home-room teachers who teach various subjects. Their years of experience ranged from one to thirty-two years. We used an SRTP index we developed for this study. The index measures meta-cognition, creativity, and critical thinking of teaching in PBL settings. The results show significant associations between metacognition, creativity, and critical thinking and revealed that these correlations are reflected the most in projects engaging in environmental issues. These results emphasize the importance of metacognition, creativity, and critical thinking combinations in PBL settings and underpin the connection between 21st-century skills and environmental education.

Critical Thinking, Intelligence, and Unsubstantiated Beliefs: An Integrative Review.

A review of the research shows that critical thinking is a more inclusive construct than intelligence, going beyond what general cognitive ability can account for. For instance, critical thinking can more completely account for many everyday outcomes, such as how thinkers reject false conspiracy theories, paranormal and pseudoscientific claims, psychological misconceptions, and other unsubstantiated claims. Deficiencies in the components of critical thinking (in specific reasoning skills, dispositions, and relevant knowledge) contribute to unsubstantiated belief endorsement in ways that go beyond what standardized intelligence tests test. Specifically, people who endorse unsubstantiated claims less tend to show better critical thinking skills, possess more relevant knowledge, and are more disposed to think critically. They tend to be more scientifically skeptical and possess a more rational-analytic cognitive style, while those who accept unsubstantiated claims more tend to be more cynical and adopt a more intuitive-experiential cognitive style. These findings suggest that for a fuller understanding of unsubstantiated beliefs, researchers and instructors should also assess specific reasoning skills, relevant knowledge, and dispositions which go beyond what intelligence tests test.

Role of Teaching Strategies in Promoting Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills and Critical Thinking Dispositions

One of the causes of students' low higher level thinking abilities is the use of teaching strategies. This research aims to investigate the role of higher order thinking skills teaching strategies to improve students' critical thinking skills in science learning. The research design used was quasi-experimental by dividing students into three groups, namely the experimental class which received teaching strategy intervention that encouraged higher level thinking skills, while the other two groups were students majoring in science and non-science who received traditional teaching intervention. The participants involved were 300 vocational school students. The instruments used in this research are critical thinking skills assessment instruments, dispositions observation sheet of teaching strategies used by the teacher, and question sheets that reveal the teacher's perspective on higher order thinking skills. Quantitative analysis was applied to the data and included descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests and was strengthened by qualitative data analysis using analysis of interview results. Research findings show that students in the experimental group showed significant improvements in all components of critical thinking and dispositional aspects. The increase in critical thinking skills appears significant in all aspects, namely evaluative, identification and inference. Improvements in the disposition aspect can be seen in the ability to seek the truth, the ability to open one's mind, self-confidence, and maturity in facing problems. In addition, teaching designed to improve high-level thinking skills has intensity in several activities such as always presenting problems in context, open discussions, encouraging students to experiment, being inquiry-oriented, and providing many opportunities to develop critical thinking skills. This research means that students' critical thinking abilities can be improved by designing teaching that integrates several methods that encourage them to think critically. Researchers recommend the need for teacher professional development programs, especially in the use of teaching strategies that encourage higher order thinking skills in the teaching process.

Формирование компонентов критического мышления курсантов в процессе изучения русского языка как иностранного

Introduction. One of the tasks of modern education is the formation of the competencies of the «Systemic and Critical Thinking» group. Theoretical analysis. The article reveals the meaning of the concept of critical thinking, highlights its components and substantiates the significance of the development of this thinking in the cadets of the preparatory course, since it is during this period that the skills of working with scientific literature written in Russian are laid. Empirical analysis. These methods and techniques of working with didactic material based on the texts of the disciplines of the professional cycle made it possible to increase not only interest in learning the Russian language, but also to prepare students for the analytical reading of textbooks, which contributes to the development of critical thinking. Conclusion. The article presents arguments proving the importance of the development of critical thinking in military personnel, since the study of scientific and methodological literature led to the conclusion that, first of all, grammatical skills are formed in the process of learning a language as a foreign one. Examples of tasks that form and develop the components of critical thinking are given, the methods used in the process of studying Russian as a foreign language are briefly substantiated, the purpose and objectives of studying this discipline are indicated. The article is advisory in nature, and its relevance is justified by the requirements of the educational standard of the specialty “Flight Operation and Application of Aviation Complexes”.

Evaluation of STEM students' critical thinking in terms of cognitive style through problem-based distance learning

The advent of digital technology has brought about a transformation in the field of education, from traditional face-to-face learning to distance learning. Despite this shift, it is important to prioritize the development of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students' critical thinking (CT) abilities as an essential skill for success in the 21st century. The objective of this study is to assess the critical thinking (CT) skills of students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by considering their cognitive styles, namely field-independent and field-dependent, through the implementation of Problem-Based Distance Learning (PBDL). The research follows an evaluative and experimental approach based on the Kirkpatrick four-level model, which was conducted at one of the universities providing STEM education in eastern Indonesia. To evaluate different components of learning, cognitive style, and critical thinking (CT), a wide range of tools with tested psychometric features (validity and reliability) were used. A comprehensive examination using both descriptive and statistical analyses was undertaken to evaluate the outcomes. The results of this study indicate that Problem-Based Distance Learning (PBDL) is a successful approach in enhancing the Critical Thinking (CT) skills of STEM students, irrespective of their cognitive types. The paper provides a detailed discussion of the thorough examination of input, process, output, and outcome factors. This study is very valuable and will contribute to a lot of literature, especially related to the development of distance pedagogy in STEM learning.

Teaching Spatial Data Analysis: A Case Study with Recommendations

Abstract Learning from data is a valuable skill for nonprofit professionals and researchers. Often, data have a spatial component, and data relevant to the nonprofit sector are no exception. Understanding spatial aspects of the nonprofit sector may provide immense value to social entrepreneurs, funders, and policy makers, by guiding programmatic decisions, facilitating resource allocation, and development policy. As a result, spatial thinking has become an essential component of critical thinking and decision making among nonprofit professionals. The goal of this case study is to support and encourage instruction of spatial data analysis and spatial thinking in nonprofit studies. The case study presents a local nonprofit data set, along with open data and code, to assist the instructors teaching spatial aspects of the nonprofit sector. Pedagogical approaches are discussed.

Change in students' critical thinking over the course of dental education.

The purpose of this study was to test whether critical thinking changes over the course of dental education by assessing dental students at the beginning and toward the end of their training. Dental student participants completed a survey at the beginning of their first year (August 2019) and at the start of their last year of dental school (August 2022). The survey consisted of two instruments designed to measure the disposition and metacognition components of critical thinking. The study used a pretest-posttest design. Paired t tests were used to determine whether critical thinking scores changed over the 3-year period. Surveys were completed by 85 of 94 students (90%) on the pretest and 63 of 93 students (68%) on the posttest. Of the 92 students who were members of the class at both testing periods, data were available for 59 students (64%). There were significant mean decreases in disposition and its tolerance for cognitive complexity subscale, as well as in metacognition and its metacognitive strategies subscale (p < .05). There was no significant mean change in either open-mindedness or metacognitive thinking. Results of this study suggest that some aspects of critical thinking (metacognition and disposition) decrease over the course of dental education. Future research should investigate why this is the case, and explore different instructional methods designed to improve critical thinking.

Influence of Collaborative Learning on the Conceptualization of Ideas, Application of Acquired Ideas, and Academic Performance of Undergraduates

An active engagement involving undergraduates working together to solve problems is unrestrained nowadays. This study presents the influence of collaborative learning on the first two cognitive components of critical thinking (i.e. conceptualization of ideas and application of acquired ideas) and the academic performance of undergraduates in three Departments at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. A reliable and valid instrument was developed and presented in this report to measure the first two cognitive components of critical thinking (CT), a major innovation agent. A random selection of 318 students from the Departments of Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Statistics were considered to respond to the instrument. Kruskal-Wallis H test, Independent t-test, and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were adopted to analyse information extracted from the questionnaires. It is worth concluding that male students applied acquired ideas/knowledge more than their female counterparts. In contrast, their ability to conceptualize ideas and academic performance is the same. Better ability to apply acquired ideas and improvement in the academic performance of the undergraduates are guaranteed at average participation in collaborative learning.

Development of critical thinking of students – future biotechnologists in the process of teaching mathematics

Introduction. In the context of the availability of information containing misleading arguments, the prevalence of electronic devices and the Internet, there is the increasing demand for the ability to effectively navigate the information field, to establish cause-and-effect relationships, to formulate one’s own conclusions and to make informed decisions. Consequently, one of a modern university graduate’s key competencies is critical thinking, which influences students’ adaptation in society and their professional realisation. Critical thinking development is an urgent task in the process of mathematical education of students, who plan to work in areas directly related to the well-being of future generations.Aim. The current research aims to identify and test the methodological conditions that ensure the development of critical thinking of students – future biotechnologists in the process of teaching mathematics at the university. An additional task was the development of diagnostic tools aimed at assessing critical thinking skills.Methodology and research methods. The research involved 81 students of the Vyatka State University majoring in 19.03.01 Biotechnology training programme. The main methods for measuring critical thinking, presented by the UF/EMI Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument and the Critical Thinking Barriers Scale (CTBS), were supplemented with diagnostic tools from specially designed tasks, taking into account the specifics of teaching mathematics to future biotechnologists. Statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test.Results and scientific novelty. For the first time, on the basis of modern research, the features of the formation and evaluation of critical thinking of students – future biotechnologists in the process of teaching mathematics are presented. A number of methodological conditions, which ensure the development of this type of thinking, are formulated. The conditions clarify and expand the ideas about the system of mathematical training of bachelors-biotechnologists. Diagnostic tools were developed and tested. Its key feature is that the student does not work in a simulated environment, but on real problems. The intervention effectiveness based on the described conditions was confirmed by significant differences (Uemp.= 128 &lt; Ucr.= 142; p &lt; 0,01).Practical significance. The identified methodological conditions and the proposed diagnostic tools can be used to improve the mathematical training of future biotechnologists, as well as to optimise the process of teaching mathematics in order to develop the main components of critical thinking.

Analisis Tingkat Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Mahasiswa pada Mata Kuliah Graf Materi Pewarnaan Simpul

The top three levels in Bloom's taxonomy of learning objectives, which includes analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, are critical thinking skills. Critical thinking abilities among students range widely. Based on aspects of critical thinking and universal intellectual standards, this research seeks to investigate the level of critical thinking competencies of tadris mathematics students in the topic of node coloring graph material. Descriptive analysis is the method of research used in this qualitative research technique. 14 fourth-semester students served as the research subjects for this study, which was carried out at the Mathematics Tadris Study Program at Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Takengon. The tools employed include validation sheets, interview sheets, and critical thinking skills. Tests and interviews are used to acquire data. There are five stages in the critical thinking level (TBK). According to the study's findings, no pupils met the criteria for critical (TBK 3) and very critical performance (TBK 4). The subject level of students' critical thinking is based on critical thinking components, with 3 students (TBK 2) being quite critical, 10 students (TBK 1) being less critical, and 1 student (TBK 1) not being critical (TBK 0). This research demonstrates that students' critical thinking skills are still very low, hence enhancements to teaching strategies and learning activities are required.

Критическое мышление в системе высшего образования за рубежом

The article defines the features of understanding critical thinking and the features of its formation. The need for its formation is determined by the requirements of the labor market, the demand for a new type of ‘knowledge’ worker, as well as the criteria and goals of higher education. Successful formation of critical thinking involves specifying its understanding and highlighting its main characteristics. The main lines of understanding critical thinking are defined: critical thinking in the broad and narrow senses; critical thinking in accordance with ‘frontier’ publications; critical thinking depending on the professional field of study and application. Based on a critical analysis of English-language literature, including review articles, the main approaches to understanding critical thinking are identified and systematized: philosophical, psychological, pedagogical, media. The features of each of the approaches are determined. The philosophical approach is focused on the dominance of the logical component of critical thinking. Within the framework of the philosophical approach, the ideal image of a critical thinker is considered. Accordingly, the specific circumstances of solving the problem, the essence of the problem, and the participants are not taken into account. The psychological approach concentrates on identifying specific operations of critical thinking. It takes into account circumstances, behavior, participants, motives, etc. The pedagogical approach is based on empirical data. It aims to address issues related to the definition of specific methods for teaching critical thinking and ways to check the results. In recent decades, the media approach to understanding and the development of critical thinking has been actively developing. It emphasizes such a component of critical thinking as working with information. It has been determined that the best option for understanding critical thinking is the so-called ‘compromise options’, including the ‘Delphi’ report. It integrates cognitive skills and dispositions. The former includes: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, conclusion, explanation, self-reflection and self-examination. The second: the desire for truth, openness of thinking, analytic, systematic thinking.

Revealing students' critical thinking ability according to facione's theory

The importance of critical thinking ability in solving mathematical problems can improve the quality of thinking and make thinkers better understand the content that has been studied. This research aims to reveal students' critical thinking ability using Facione's theory to solve comparative problems. The research method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The subjects of this study consisted of 2 students taken from 20 participants based on data saturation. Data collection techniques used in this study were tests, interviews, validation sheets, and documentation. The data analysis technique of the research results was carried out through three stages: data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Based on the discussion results, the researcher revealed students' critical thinking skills through six components of critical thinking based on Facione's theory, namely Interpretation, Analysis, Evaluation, Inference, Explanation, and Self-Regulation. Significant differences between the two subjects appear at the explanation stage. At this stage, subject 1 uses the procedure in the concept scheme, and the explanation of the argument of subject 1 is very logical. This can be seen in clarifying the evaluation and inference stages, where the subject performs calculations correctly and logically. Meanwhile, subject 2 uses detailed procedures in its planning, indicated by notes at the analysis stage.

Supporting critical thinking skills needed for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: A content analysis of a national and two international education programs in Turkey

Students need well developed critical thinking skills for future employment and to deal with real life problems. These skills involve reviewing, comprehending and analyzing sources of data to make informed decisions and to reflect on possible outcomes and consequences of these decisions. Fortunately, many education programs provide learners with activities and experiences to foster and develop their critical thinking skills. One well-known program is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program for upper high school students. Given the challenges of this program, it is important to ensure that students are prepared before they enroll. Therefore, this study examined educational programs offered to Turkish students in grades 9 and 10 to learn about the objectives and learning experiences they receive to develop their critical thinking. A content analysis of three education programs was conducted, guided by a framework identifying dimensions of critical thinking. The three programs were the national program, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and Cambridge's International General Certificate of Secondary Education. For each program, four different subject areas were analyzed. The subject areas that addressed all the critical thinking components most thoroughly were the language courses (Turkish and English). The study also found that Approaches to Learning skills outlined by the International Baccalaureate provide strong guidance to ensuring critical thinking are integrated throughout the curriculum.

Explaining a Model of Applying Critical Thinking Components in High School Curriculum Development: A Qualitative Approach

Explaining a Model of Applying Critical Thinking Components in High School Curriculum Development: A Qualitative Approach