The Importance of Critical Thinking in Our Lives
Often, critical reasoning skills are thought out to be the aspect, which helps to withstand issues people face in their lives.
Though what is the notion of critical reasoning in reality? In which way is it applied?
Can any ordinary people do that or are only Spock-like abilities demanded?
From time to time, people think that critical reasoning can be even something mystical, which can exercise the untapped sections of your brains. The expected advantages of critical reasoning may sound half-fantastic. Pitifully, the reality can turn out to be a bit commonplace.
Everything you should know about critical reasoning is that it introduces a deliberate process of thoughts. Within the frames of this procedure you apply a string of critical reasoning abilities to take the given issue into consideration. At summary, you will need to reach opinion or accept a decision concerning what to perform further.
There exist a great number of critical reasoning abilities. In case you want to find out how critical thinking helps students and all other people, then mentioned below is the major set, which comprises the next elements:
- Making judgment in order to test the feasibility of an idea or activity
- Considering various perspectives and aspects
- Considering results and effects of an action
- Making use of reason and facts to tackle difficult and unclear situations
- Re-estimating an opinion in light of brand new facts or informational sources
One can say that critical reasoning is considered neither understandable to everyone nor magical. Today, beyond the given critical reasoning abilities, knowledge regarding the peculiar subject within reach plays a significant part in the qualitative estimation of thoughts provided by you.
You cannot easily tackle such issues as change of climate, not possessing some knowledge regarding procedures and those methods applied by weather men. Critical reasoning abilities are not substitute for peculiar knowledge. However, they may assist you in elaborating a stronger comprehension of the sphere.
How may you possess critical reasoning abilities?
A scientist Nicos Valanides and a researcher Charoula Angeli from the University of Cyprus checked the version that critical reasoning abilities can be most learnt when they are included in a particular topic. They labeled this particular version as the “method of infusion” in comparison with a few other aspects for studying critical reasoning abilities. Their report, “Instructional Effects on Critical Thinking,” has been printed in Learning and Instruction Journal.
The scientists applied two original issues for the examination of the infusion process of critical thinking:
- Are values of Americans formed by means of mass media?
- What can one say about drug legalization issue?
Learners were provided with the points together with the expert arguments towards each one. An equal quantity of arguments was provided that backed up or refused each point. The major assignment given to learners laid in working groups to produce a plan of their stance regarding the point.
Those learners who were in the section of ‘method of infusion’ have been studied how to use possibilities of critical thinking. At the same time, they receive direct approval to apply abilities of critical reasoning regarding the topic of values of Americans.
A number of questions applied to provoke critical reasoning abilities are mentioned below:
- Can you state your opinion or stance?
- What can you state to back up the given opinion?
- Why do you consider issues in the given way?
- Can you call a few more perspectives on the matter?
It is always possible to ask yourself the given questions in order to elaborate your personal abilities of critical reasoning. One can say that there exist a lot of different questions you may ask and several types of critical thinking you may use, such as those which may become helpful when evaluating facts.
After the training program has been passed, Valanides and Angeli made learners think over the second point and scored all answers provided. Additionally, the scientists defined how well learners comprehended abilities of critical reasoning with the usage of standard tests.
A major finding was that learners practiced with the method of infusion outperformed those learners in test panel in coping with the second matter. Additionally, learners who got the critical reasoning abilities training came away comprehending the significance of estimating various perspectives.
Also, learners relayed a few difficult situations they experienced when using skills of critical reasoning to the matters. One had been that the discovered it tough to reject their wisdom. It is only difficult to set personal convictions to take the other side of the matter under consideration.
All findings suppose that the efficient way to advance the abilities of critical reasoning consists of another individual to object beliefs and compete with the procedure of thinking. Therefore, our instructors, peers, and parents will more likely to assist us with this type of help with critical thinking.