Critical Thinking Strategies

Since the mid1980s, there has been an increased emphasis on the application of critical thinking strategies in the classroom (Wilkosz, 1986). Critical thinking strategies, however, are influenced by teacher perceptions of what these strategies are and how they may be introduced into the classroom. How critical thinking strategies are perceived is largely a function of how critical thinking is defined.

Generally, the definition of critical thinking "has shifted from the ability to recognize certain patterns of thought in the work of others to the more active demonstration of critical thinking of one's own" (Cromwell, 1992, p. 38). Cromwell (1992, p. 38) noted, however, that the definition of critical thinking also "depends both on one's notion of what it means to think critically and one's views of the reasons for critical thought."

Nickerson, Perkins, and Smith (1985, pp. 45) stated that critical thinking is a "rational way . . . to judge the plausibility of specific assertions, to weight the evidence, to assess the logical soundness of inferences, to construct counter arguments and alternative hypotheses," as a means of knowing "what to believe, in a wide variety of contexts." Glaser (1985, p. 24) argued that critical thinking is an "attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful, perceptive manner the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experience." Glaser (1985) also held that critical thinking encompassed a knowledge of

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will be to determine the effects of the use of critical thinking strategies in the classroom on the acquisition of basic skills and the application of critical thinking strategies by secondary students. Therefore, answers to the following question will be sought. What effect does the use of critical thinking strategies have on the acquisition/application of language and mathematics skills by secondary school students? REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The development and application of critical thinking skills are a part of human development. Various theories of human development often tend to view people as either active or passive in interactions with their environments (Cohen, 1987). A passive concept of human development is behaviorism (Sugarman, 1986). Behaviorism emphasizes the critical significance of one's environment to the overall development of the individual (Turner and Helms, 1991). Active concepts of human development, by contrast, hold that individuals are not passive beings, but, rather, are capable of actively governing their own development An active concept of human development is the cognitive development theory (Lidz, 1968). There exist a number of protocols for dividing, or staging, the human life cycl

Category: Psychology - C