Critical thinking: implications for instruction
Craig Gibson1995, Rq
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Abstract
The critical thinking movement is now at the forefront of educational reform in the United States and elsewhere. This major initiative seeks to transform education in all disciplines and at all levels. Although not new, the movement has gathered strength in recent years as a result of increasing concerns among employers, educators, and public officials that students are not learning the thinking and reasoning skills needed to manage the complexity of contemporary life. Indeed, many feel critical thinking ability (along with creative thinking) may well be the most important characteristic of the successful individual in the next century Interest in critical thinking is not new among librarians. Even though library literature abounds with references to critical thinking, such references often lead only to brief discussions with imprecise definitions of the term. In part, this is due to the complexity and difficulty of understanding the controversies within the movement. These controversies center on three issues: the differences between the conceptions of critical thinking held by psychologists and philosophers; the confusion of critical thinking with an entire cluster of related thinking processes; and the extent to which critical thinking is generic or discipline specific. This column will review these controversies and then analyze their impact in the field of instruction.
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