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Critical thinking

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What critical thinking means and why it matters

The chances are, that as a student, you have been asked to ‘think critically’ about something at some point in your academic career. This might have been in a seminar or tutorial, or this might have been in assignment. It’s possible you’ve even been told to be ‘more critical’ in your thinking in a piece of feedback. It’s also possible that this instruction or advice has not been explained in any more detail than suggested above.

Critical thinking is a core component in all areas of academic study and applicable to all forms of academic endeavour: one might even say that, regardless of your subject area or level of study, critical thinking is of critical importance! And yet, at the same time, it’s also one of the most difficult academic concepts to define. However, that is precisely my task here.

This is the first blog post in a series focusing on all aspects of critical thinking, including:

·       What critical thinking means and why it matters (this post!)

·       Critical thinking in practice, including:

·       Critically analysing someone else’s argument

·       Development of your own critical argument

·       Thinking critically about yourself (also known as critical reflection)

·       Barriers to critical thinking and how to overcome them

Make sure to keep an eye on the blog or subscribe  for these and other useful upcoming posts. But for now, back to subject of this post: what critical thinking means and why it matters.

 

What critical thinking means

So, what is critical thinking?  

Well, one of the reasons that critical thinking is so hard to define and why there is often so much uncertainty about what it mean exactly is that there is no single, universally agreed definition critical thinking. Instead, critical thinking is best thought of as a complex process of deliberation that involves a wide range of skills and attitudes.

So, what sorts of skills and attitudes does critical involve?

Stella Cottrell (2011) suggests that critical thinking involves:

  • Attention to detail: taking the time to note small clues that throw light on the overall issue

  • Identifying trends and patterns: e.g. through careful mapping of information, analysis of data, or identifying repetition and similarity

  • Repetition: going back over the same ground several times to check that nothing has been missed

  • Taking different perspectives: looking at the same information from several points of view

  • Objectivity: putting your own likes, beliefs, and interests to one side with the aim of gaining the most accurate outcome or a deeper understanding

  • Considering implications and distant consequences: e.g. what appears to be a good idea in the short term might have long-term implications that are less desirable

So, essentially, if we distil critical thinking into four key skills/attitudes that act as a practical checklist to remember when you have been asked to ‘think critically’ about something, we might suggest:

  1. Slowing down (Paying close attention to detail and looking for patterns)

  2. Repeating (Going over the same ground or doing something more than once)

  3. Stepping back (Being aware of your own biases and avoiding rushing to conclusions)

  4. Asking ‘why?’ (Why do you agree or disagree with something? Why is this important? Etc.)

 

And remember: as a process, critical thinking can be applied to your own work (e.g. when writing or proof-reading an essay) or the work of others (e.g. when reading an article or a text to potentially use as evidence in your work); and as a set of skills and attitudes, you can develop and improve your critical thinking.

 

 

Why critical thinking matters

So, why does critical thinking matter?

Well, as suggested earlier, critical thinking is central to and is included in qualification descriptors and learning outcomes throughout higher levels of education, regardless of what subject(s) you study. In other words, critical thinking is something you must demonstrate and you will be assessed upon during the course of your study.

In short, check your Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs): critical thinking will appear in some form within these learning outcomes at both a course and degree level!

But, more than this, critical thinking routinely appears at the top of lists of skills most valued by employers. And not only is critical thinking a skill valued in the workplace, it is also important in describing and demonstrating your skills in job interviews.

 

Further reading

 So, hopefully this has given you a better understanding of what critical thinking means and why it matters, but don’t worry if you still feel a bit uncertain about any aspects – we’ll be going into more detail and looking at some more practical examples in the weeks to come, so once again, keep an eye out for future posts.

You can also find more information on critical thinking via the below resources:

 

In the meantime, do leave a comment below if you have any questions.

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