Can Critical Thinking be Taught?
Can Critical Thinking be Taught? So reads the catchy cover page of American Educator’s most recent issue. I answered the question: "Of course!" But inside, the focus article’s subtitle read, “Why Is It So Hard to Teach?” Huh?
Relying on lots of statistical studies that indicate the nation’s students are not learning critical thinking skills, the author, a professor of cognitive psychology, argues that cognitive thinking is hard to do and harder to teach. But of course! Otherwise, why else would the nation’s schools be failing? The article reminded me of a back-and-forth at an American Historical Association conference a few years ago. Panelists complained that high schools were increasingly scaling back courses in history to which an audience member said, “I’m glad my students aren’t taught history in high school.” That history professor and many others believe that high school history classes do a disservice to the discipline of history, to the humanities in general, and to the students. High schools are failing to adequately teach high school students the humanities where critical thinking is best learned, but not because critical thinking is hard. Rather high school teachers are failing.
Teaching critical thinking is easy. Actually it might be the easiest skill of all to teach. But first I'll try to explain why I think students aren’t learning critical thinking: 1) teachers spoon-feed their students and hold their hands through problem solving; 2) teachers allow students to make factual or logical errors in papers, presentations, and in class participation; and 3) teachers don’t challenge students to research, reflect, and argue well. So how can critical thinking be taught? Simple: challenge students. Tell them when they are wrong. Demand that they argue well, reveal their sources, and support their claims. And don’t provide answers; provide questions.
I remember a conversation that Thesaurus and I had with a professor who regretted a class she taught that she did not think “went well” when in fact it was the best class I ever took (and I took two grad classes with the great Larry Levine). I suspect that some students were disappointed because the teacher did not do 1, 2, and 3 above because as students we are accustomed to being coddled. Why was it such a good class for me and for Thesaurus? Because the teacher provided the three elements most important to critical thinking: A) a healthy intellectual environment; B) good texts and discussions that provided both context and theories; and C) unanswered questions. As it turns out, I am still learning from that class.
Answers, as I explain to my students, are antithetical to argument. And to this I could add critical thinking. As Lao Tse taught thousands of years ago, “the point of the journey is not to arrive” (from a translation by Neil Peart). Similarly, the point of learning is not to stop learning. Answers end arguments, learning, and critical thinking. If you want to teach critical thinking ask unanswerable questions, then sit back and watch the students think. Oh, and when the students are wrong or they think they've got the answer, tell them the're wrong.
Relying on lots of statistical studies that indicate the nation’s students are not learning critical thinking skills, the author, a professor of cognitive psychology, argues that cognitive thinking is hard to do and harder to teach. But of course! Otherwise, why else would the nation’s schools be failing? The article reminded me of a back-and-forth at an American Historical Association conference a few years ago. Panelists complained that high schools were increasingly scaling back courses in history to which an audience member said, “I’m glad my students aren’t taught history in high school.” That history professor and many others believe that high school history classes do a disservice to the discipline of history, to the humanities in general, and to the students. High schools are failing to adequately teach high school students the humanities where critical thinking is best learned, but not because critical thinking is hard. Rather high school teachers are failing.
Teaching critical thinking is easy. Actually it might be the easiest skill of all to teach. But first I'll try to explain why I think students aren’t learning critical thinking: 1) teachers spoon-feed their students and hold their hands through problem solving; 2) teachers allow students to make factual or logical errors in papers, presentations, and in class participation; and 3) teachers don’t challenge students to research, reflect, and argue well. So how can critical thinking be taught? Simple: challenge students. Tell them when they are wrong. Demand that they argue well, reveal their sources, and support their claims. And don’t provide answers; provide questions.
I remember a conversation that Thesaurus and I had with a professor who regretted a class she taught that she did not think “went well” when in fact it was the best class I ever took (and I took two grad classes with the great Larry Levine). I suspect that some students were disappointed because the teacher did not do 1, 2, and 3 above because as students we are accustomed to being coddled. Why was it such a good class for me and for Thesaurus? Because the teacher provided the three elements most important to critical thinking: A) a healthy intellectual environment; B) good texts and discussions that provided both context and theories; and C) unanswered questions. As it turns out, I am still learning from that class.
Answers, as I explain to my students, are antithetical to argument. And to this I could add critical thinking. As Lao Tse taught thousands of years ago, “the point of the journey is not to arrive” (from a translation by Neil Peart). Similarly, the point of learning is not to stop learning. Answers end arguments, learning, and critical thinking. If you want to teach critical thinking ask unanswerable questions, then sit back and watch the students think. Oh, and when the students are wrong or they think they've got the answer, tell them the're wrong.
posted by Definer at 11:56 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home