Critical Thinking A key academic skill

Required for successful study

As opposed to everyday thinking...

Crucial for everyday personal survival.

Instinctive.

e.g. when you

receive the correct change at the shops

or stop at traffic lights

“Everyday” ThinkingIn everyday interactions, people tend to:

believe what they are told to believe

rely on others to think for them

rely on personal opinions and feelings

These strategies are UNCRITICAL

“Uncritical” thinkers make

AssumptionsTake the meaning of something for granted (e.g. assume it is true just because they happen to agree with it)ANDGeneralisationsMake a conclusion or express an opinion from only a few facts (e.g. see something happening once & assume it always happens that way)

The opposite of critical thinking…

EmotionalismArguing from personal experienceSomething is true because you wish, hope or feel it to be true.Intellectual lazinessReceives information without questioning itHears something said and suspects it will do‘Closed-mindedness’Not open to the opinions of othersChallenges others without listening

Critical thinking involves:

asking questionsthinking for yourselfusing higher order thinking skillsproblem solvingsuspending judgmentbeing skeptical

Critical thinking :Identifies complex ideas

Recognises that all information is presented in an edited form

Analyses other points of viewLooks for evidence

Expresses ideas in your own wordsReferences the work of others

Critical thinking…Considers an issue carefully from different angles

Evaluates evidence given

Considers implications: where would this lead to?

Recognises alternatives: are there other points of view that need consideration?

Barriers to critical thinking

Family background

Cultural background

Education

Personality

A pen is a pen, isn’t it?

Practice:

Critically Thinking about a pen

Asking questions…

Which questions should I ask?

Are some questions better to ask than others?

How do I ask the right questions?

Should I question the answers to the questions that I ask?

Should I question the question?

Ask questions of the text…

What was the point of producing this text? What is the main message I am supposed to take from this? What does the author/producer want me

to believe/accept? What reasons have they offered to support

their position?

Summary of critical thinker:Considers many viewpoints;Considers motives and biases;Considers unpopular views;Considers own prejudices;

Critical thinking helps you decide:

What to believe about an issue

How to defend what you believe

How to evaluate the beliefs of others

Critical Thinking Strategies who says so? is this fact? is this opinion? how can I apply it to my studies?

Who says so?

I say so – my experience is the authority for the truth.

They say so – cultural consensus or common sense is the authority.

Science says so – some aspect of the scientific method is the authority.

We say so – some already established rule is the authority.

God says so – a sacred text or tradition is the authority.

Identifying Facts

Things that you can definitely prove?

Things that have happened in the past?

Definite words such as is, was, has….

Specific measurements?

Statements made by reputable authorities…?

Judging Opinions

Does this statement contain indefinite words such as could, possibly, might and should?

Does this statement refer only to the feelings of a person?

Would it be difficult to find evidence to support this statement?

What made A reach that conclusion when B decided this? Did B carry our a different approach to her research? Why are their conclusions different? Why are their explanations different?

A critical approach asks questions…

English and Maori are both spoken in New Zealand.Fact

If someone lives in New Zealand, that means they can speak English and Maori.

Assumption.

All people who live in New Zealand should speak English and Maori. Opinion.

Can you think critically?

Critical thinking will help you…

identify other people’s positions evaluate the evidence weigh up opposing arguments identify flaws in arguments read between the lines recognise persuasive techniques live in the 21st century!

In nursing, critical thinking includes…

•cultural safety•making sound decisions •coping with unfamiliar cultures and situations•improving patient care•applying nursing practice, nursing theory to individual situations

References

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: an introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: Macmillan.

Simpson, E., & Courtney, M. (2002). Critical thinking in nursing education: literature review. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 8, 89 – 98.

Critical thinking…

ReasonArgues from solid evidence

Intellectual honestyReceives information and seeks to understand where

it came from

Open-mindednessAssumes that other points of view are possible and

valid

Critical Thinking is about using:

reason, intellectual honesty, and open-mindedness

(Kurland, 1995).