RESEARCH CONTEXTUALISING CRITICAL THINKING RESEARCH IN PRACTICE
Encouraging students to think about the world and challenge assumptions
Critical Thinking is about going beyond the nuts and bolts of gaining qualifications and enabling learners to be more analytical so that they can become well-rounded members of society. By Katya Kitchingman
The need for Critical Thinking (CT) in further education (FE) cannot be underestimated. Students need to be equipped not just with good qualifications but the ability to understand and challenge the world they live in, so that they have a well-rounded role in society. There are, not surprisingly, various definitions but a useful starting point is provided by Brookield (1995), who sees CT as the “consistent focus on unearthing and scrutinising” two kinds of assumptions. The first are those which have a potential to mask how power “affects and distorts” learning. The second are those which appear “congenial” but are, in fact, assumptions which replicate hegemony, and could be deemed to “work against our own best interests”.
Why is Critical Thinking important? As the gap between socio-economic groups widens (OECD 2015, online), so too does the gulf between empowerment and disempowerment and apathy. This can reduce the degree to which those who are disempowered feel in control of their own destinies and connected to the political systems in which they function. This disconnect from popular mainstream politics, manifested in recent political shifts, including Brexit (McCloskey, 2017), demands a response by educators. While the development of criticality is the focus of our universities, it has too often been deemed tangential to the aims of further education (Avis, 1997). This is at odds with Paulo Freire’s egalitarian Critical
REFERENCES
• Apple, M. (2004). Ideology and Curriculum. • Avis, J. (1997). ‘What’s this got to do with what I do?’ Contradictory views: students in further education, Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 49:1.
• Barton, D., Hamilton, M., & Ivanic, R. (2000). Situated Literacies: Reading and Writing in
20 ISSUE 39 • SUMMER 2020 inTUITION Context. Routledge.
• Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. Jossey Bass
• Cook-Hirai, D.L., Borrego, I., Garza, E & Kloock, C.T. (2010). Academic Language/Literacy Strategies for Adolescents.
• Education and Training Foundation (2014). Using the 2014 Professional Standards.
• Maslow A.H. (1943) A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review 50(4).
• Scriven, M, and Paul, R.W. (1987). Defining Critical Thinking.
growing need to ‘guard the sense doors’ and challenge input, including our own beliefs as teachers. Educators choose to respond, or not respond, to the broader context in which they teach, and these are in turn a challenge to, or endorsement of, the status quo (Apple, 2004). The Professional Standards for
Teachers and Trainers, standard 5, remind us that FE practitioners should “value and promote social and cultural diversity, equality of opportunity and inclusion” (ETF, 2014). This acts to reaffirm the broader aspect to our professional skills, expertise and practice.
Pedagogy which is concerned with social justice for all, and the potential for CT to encourage students to think for themselves, evaluate information and engage more fully in their private and professional lives. Further education has become distanced from the tenet that learning can be the ‘great equaliser’ (Weis et al 2006, p.39). The personal journey towards self-actualisation (Maslow, 1943) is devalued as FE focuses on measurable technical skills related to particular specialisms and employability. While learners may leave qualified for the job, a narrow focus on skills risks squeezing out the Critical Thinking skills that enable people to engage fully in wider society. They may lack the skills with which to recognise, and therefore challenge, the bombardment of ‘alternative facts’ (McCloskey, 2017). It may be argued, therefore, that there is a
Nurturing Critical Thinking Scriven & Paul (1987) consider that the focus on Critical Thinking should be conscious and consistent in our teaching. Here are some practical approaches: • Students should be asked to distinguish between ‘information’ and ‘belief’ in order to nurture good critical processing skills. This can be contextualised to any specialism as misconceptions are uncovered, evaluated and resolved.
• Teachers who wish to embed Critical Thinking skills need to formulate the habit in students and reinforce it. Consider having one focused CT activity in every session.
• Welcome and encourage critique of all reading materials. In FE, where previous attainment may be low, ‘power relations’ are central (Barton et al, 2000). Students often enter the class intimidated by the printed word (Cook-Hirai et al, 2010), and
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