the importance of critical thinking and how to improve it

Ryan, E. (2022, November 25). What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/critical-thinking/

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Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions

John Coleman

Six practices to sharpen your inquiry.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. For effective questioning, start by holding your hypotheses loosely. Be willing to fundamentally reconsider your initial conclusions — and do so without defensiveness. Second, listen more than you talk through active listening. Third, leave your queries open-ended, and avoid yes-or-no questions. Fourth, consider the counterintuitive to avoid falling into groupthink. Fifth, take the time to stew in a problem, rather than making decisions unnecessarily quickly. Last, ask thoughtful, even difficult, follow-ups.

Are you tackling a new and difficult problem at work? Recently promoted and trying to both understand your new role and bring a fresh perspective? Or are you new to the workforce and seeking ways to meaningfully contribute alongside your more experienced colleagues? If so, critical thinking — the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution — will be core to your success. And at the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions.

Consider this: Clayton M. Christensen was perhaps the greatest management thinker of the last 30 years. His “ How Will You Measure Your Life ” is a Harvard Business Review bestseller and one of the five best articles on personal development I’ve read, and his theories on innovation and disruption changed business. But my most memorable encounter with Christensen was a talk at Harvard Business School where he discussed his own approach to his time as an MBA student decades before.

He said HBS was where he learned to ask great questions. Impressed with his classmates, he would carry a notebook to class and write down the most insightful questions other students asked. He’d then go home and reflect on how and why the students had formulated them. Ever curious, Christensen laid the foundation for his future insights by first studying the process by which people formulated their best queries.

You can approach curiosity just as rigorously — and use that process to get a better view of a new situation or solve some of your toughest problems. Here are a few ways to enhance your ability to interrogate even the most difficult topics:

Hold your hypotheses loosely.

As a former analyst at McKinsey & Company, one of the first things I learned was “hypothesis-driven thinking.” Based on the scientific method, this process is what allows McKinsey teams to work through problems quickly and efficiently. It involves formulating an early answer to a problem and then digging into the data to seek to improve and refine it. Core to this approach, however, is holding your hypothesis loosely. If you are too attached to your initial answer, you may refuse to let it go, no matter where the data leads. But if you treat your own answer as a strawman, holding your assumptions loosely, you’ll be willing to totally abandon it if the situation calls for it.

In critical thinking exercises we often fall rapidly into an intuitive and jointly held “answer” or hypothesis — particularly in groups — and we ask questions that seek to prove rather than disprove our thoughts. Critical questions, however, may force us to fundamentally reconsider our initial conclusions, and we have to be willing to do so freely without defensiveness.

Listen more than you talk.

This sounds simple, but the key to great questions is active listening. Active listening is the process of understanding what another person is saying — both explicitly and implicitly — while showing then you are engaged and interested. Successful active listening allows you to fully grasp an argument, making it easier to question its logic.

Active listening also helps to override your brain’s “prediction engine” to ask better questions. Our brains are wired to generate efficient, intuitive answers, but that can limit your point of view. Deep listening is a way of overruling that function and opening ourselves to a wider array of answers. It also allows you to demonstrate to your counterpart that you care about what they are saying and take their perspective seriously, which keeps them engaged in the conversation and more open to your perspective.

Leave your queries open-ended.

When you begin your inquiry, avoid asking yes-or-no questions. Instead, pose queries that force the respondent to open up and pontificate at length. Rather than asking, “Is this business stable?” ask, “If this business were unstable, how or why would that be?” Rather than asking someone, “Are you happy in your job?” ask, “What do you love about your job and what could be better?” or “Talk to me about a time you found joy in your work and a time you felt unmotivated.” Then follow the dialogue that emerges with more questions. Open-ended questions encourage critical thinking in a group, offer an individual to expand on their viewpoints, and leave people the space to actively problem-solve.

Consider the counterintuitive.

When problem-solving, we often quickly fall into groupthink : The group converges on a path too rapidly, and rather than periodically assuring they are headed in the right direction, they continue further and further — even if it’s the wrong way. Be the person who poses the counterintuitive question, the one that challenges the group’s conventional thinking and reconsiders first principles. There’s a chance your question may be off-base and that the group is on the right track. And, yes, there’s a chance your colleagues who are interested in moving quickly will be annoyed. But every group has an obligation to consider the counterintuitive and needs someone unafraid to pose it, in case you need change course.

Stew in a problem.

In today’s rapid-fire world we try to make decisions too quickly. But the best questions are often formulated after consideration and a good night’s rest. Sleep can actually help your brain assimilate a problem and see it more clearly . And a deliberate process often leads to better conclusions . Research also shows that when we rush decision, we often regret them even if they end up being correct.

What I love about Christensen’s approach to learning from his classmates’ questions is that rather than diagnosing them in the moment, he’d take them home and carefully turn them over in his mind. I had a boss who referred to this as “stewing” in a problem. Just as a good stew takes time to simmer, a thoughtful conclusion or question may need space. Resist unnecessary urgency. Map a process that will allow you to solve a problem over several days or longer. Dig into it initially then reflect on what you learned and what you should have asked. The questions you formulate in quiet reflection may be more powerful than those posed in the moment.

Ask the hard follow-up questions.

It can be easy to put our brains on cruise control, to accept easy answers, or to yield to social pressures that push us to avoid interrogating others. But the kinds of deep questions that enable critical thinking are often delivered in chains of deeper and deeper follow-up inquiry. Every parent is familiar with the way children (nature’s most curious people) will ask “why” dozens of times when given an answer. And we parents often find ourselves stuck or reconsidering our own answers at the end of this train of questioning.

While we don’t need to ask a litany of “whys” to get to the heart of critical thinking, we should ask thoughtful, even hard, follow-ups questions. It requires energy to listen hard and formulate those follow-ups, and that’s often the only way to deepen your critical understanding of a topic.

Critical thinking is at the heart of solving complex problems in new and exciting ways. Building this key skill will help you as you navigate new roles, establish yourself in your organization, or simply face a conundrum. Learn to formulate and ask questions, rather than simply answering them.

JC John Coleman is the author of the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose . Subscribe to his free newsletter, On Purpose , follow him on Twitter @johnwcoleman, or contact him at johnwilliamcoleman.com.

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How to improve your critical thinking skills

Improve critical thinking skills by practicing problem solving, expanding knowledge, being open to new ideas, reflecting on thinking, engaging in active listening, questioning assumptions, and practicing analytical thinking.

Introduction

Critical thinking is an essential life skill that can help you to make informed and well-thought-out decisions. Whether you are facing a complex problem, evaluating new information, or making decisions that impact your life and the lives of others, critical thinking skills can help you to approach problems with a clear and analytical mind. In this blog post, we will explore several strategies for improving your critical thinking skills.

Practice Problem Solving

Practicing problem solving is one of the best ways to improve your critical thinking skills. You can practice problem solving by:

Expand Your Knowledge

Expanding your knowledge in a variety of subjects can help to improve your critical thinking skills. Consider:

Be Open to New Ideas

Being open to new ideas is critical to developing your critical thinking skills. Try to:

Reflect on Your Thinking

Reflecting on your thinking can help you to identify areas where you can improve your critical thinking skills. Consider:

Engage in Active Listening

Active listening is an important component of critical thinking. When you are actively listening, you are paying close attention to what others are saying and considering their perspective. To improve your active listening skills, try to:

Question Assumptions

Questioning assumptions is an important part of critical thinking. To question assumptions, try to:

Practice Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking is a key component of critical thinking. To improve your analytical thinking skills, try to:

Critical thinking is an essential life skill that can help you to make informed and well-thought-out decisions. By practicing problem solving, expanding your knowledge, being open to new ideas, reflecting on your thinking, engaging in active listening, questioning assumptions, and practicing analytical thinking, you can improve your critical thinking skills and become a more effective decision maker.

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College Info Geek

7 Ways to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

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When I was in 7th grade, my U.S. history teacher gave my class the following advice:

Your teachers in high school won’t expect you to remember every little fact about U.S. history. They can fill in the details you’ve forgotten. What they will expect, though, is for you to be able to think ; to know how to make connections between ideas and evaluate information critically.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but my teacher was giving a concise summary of critical thinking. My high school teachers gave similar speeches when describing what would be expected of us in college: it’s not about the facts you know, but rather about your ability to evaluate them.

And now that I’m in college, my professors often mention that the ability to think through and solve difficult problems matters more in the “real world” than specific content.

Despite hearing so much about critical thinking all these years, I realized that I still couldn’t give a concrete definition of it, and I certainly couldn’t explain how to do it. It seemed like something that my teachers just expected us to pick up in the course of our studies. While I venture that a lot of us did learn it, I prefer to approach learning deliberately, and so I decided to investigate critical thinking for myself.

What is it, how do we do it, why is it important, and how can we get better at it? This post is my attempt to answer those questions.

In addition to answering these questions, I’ll also offer seven ways that you can start thinking more critically today, both in and outside of class.

What Is Critical Thinking?

“Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.” – The Foundation for Critical Thinking

The above definition from the Foundation for Critical Thinking website is pretty wordy, but critical thinking, in essence, is not that complex.

Critical thinking is just deliberately and systematically processing information so that you can make better decisions and generally understand things better. The above definition includes so many words because critical thinking requires you to apply diverse intellectual tools to diverse information.

Ways to critically think about information include:

That information can come from sources such as:

And all this is meant to guide:

You can also define it this way:

Critical thinking is the opposite of regular, everyday thinking.

Moment to moment, most thinking happens automatically. When you think critically, you deliberately employ any of the above intellectual tools to reach more accurate conclusions than your brain automatically would (more on this in a bit).

This is what critical thinking is. But so what?

Why Does Critical Thinking Matter?

Most of our everyday thinking is uncritical.

If you think about it, this makes sense. If we had to think deliberately about every single action (such as breathing, for instance), we wouldn’t have any cognitive energy left for the important stuff like D&D. It’s good that much of our thinking is automatic.

We can run into problems, though, when we let our automatic mental processes govern important decisions. Without critical thinking, it’s easy for people to manipulate us and for all sorts of catastrophes to result. Anywhere that some form of fundamentalism led to tragedy (the Holocaust is a textbook example), critical thinking was sorely lacking.

Even day to day, it’s easy to get caught in pointless arguments or say stupid things just because you failed to stop and think deliberately.

But you’re reading College Info Geek, so I’m sure you’re interested to know why critical thinking matters in college.

Here’s why:

According to Andrew Roberts, author of The Thinking Student’s Guide to College , c ritical thinking matters in college because students often adopt the wrong attitude to thinking about difficult questions. These attitudes include:

Ignorant Certainty

Ignorant certainty is the belief that there are definite, correct answers to all questions–all you have to do is find the right source (102). It’s understandable that a lot of students come into college thinking this way–it’s enough to get you through most of your high school coursework.

In college and in life, however, the answers to most meaningful questions are rarely straightforward. To get anywhere in college classes (especially upper-level ones), you have to think critically about the material.

Naive Relativism

Naive relativism is the belief that there is no truth and all arguments are equal (102-103). According to Roberts, this is often a view that students adopt once they learn the error of ignorant certainty.

While it’s certainly a more “critical” approach than ignorant certainty, naive relativism is still inadequate since it misses the whole point of critical thinking: arriving at a more complete, “less wrong” answer.

Part of thinking critically is evaluating the validity of arguments (yours and others’). Therefore, to think critically you must accept that some arguments are better (and that some are just plain awful).

Critical thinking also matters in college because:

Doing college level work without critical is a lot like walking blindfolded: you’ll get somewhere , but it’s unlikely to be the place you desire.

The value of critical thinking doesn’t stop with college, however. Once you get out into the real world, critical thinking matters even more. This is because:

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7 Ways to Think More Critically

Now we come to the part that I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for: how the heck do we get better at critical thinking? Below, you’ll find seven ways to get started.

1. Ask Basic Questions

“The world is complicated. But does every problem require a complicated solution?” – Stephen J. Dubner

Sometimes an explanation becomes so complex that the original question get lost. To avoid this, continually go back to the basic questions you asked when you set out to solve the problem.

Here are a few key basic question you can ask when approaching any problem:

Some of the most breathtaking solutions to problems are astounding not because of their complexity, but because of their elegant simplicity. Seek the simple solution first.

2. Question Basic Assumptions

“When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.”

The above saying holds true when you’re thinking through a problem. it’s quite easy to make an ass of yourself simply by failing to question your basic assumptions.

Some of the greatest innovators in human history were those who simply looked up for a moment and wondered if one of everyone’s general assumptions was wrong. From Newton to Einstein to Yitang Zhang , questioning assumptions is where innovation happens.

You don’t even have to be an aspiring Einstein to benefit from questioning your assumptions. That trip you’ve wanted to take? That hobby you’ve wanted to try? That internship you’ve wanted to get? That attractive person in your World Civilizations class you’ve wanted to talk to?

All these things can be a reality if you just question your assumptions and critically evaluate your beliefs about what’s prudent, appropriate, or possible.

If you’re looking for some help with this process, then check out Oblique Strategies . It’s a tool that musician Brian Eno and artist Peter Schmidt created to aid creative problem solving . Some of the “cards” are specific to music, but most work for any time you’re stuck on a problem.

3. Be Aware of Your Mental Processes

Human thought is amazing, but the speed and automation with which it happens can be a disadvantage when we’re trying to think critically. Our brains naturally use heuristics (mental shortcuts) to explain what’s happening around us.

This was beneficial to humans when we were hunting large game and fighting off wild animals, but it can be disastrous when we’re trying to decide who to vote for.

A critical thinker is aware of their cognitive biases and personal prejudices and how they influence seemingly “objective” decisions and solutions.

All of us have biases in our thinking. Becoming aware of them is what makes critical thinking possible.

4. Try Reversing Things

A great way to get “unstuck” on a hard problem is to try reversing things. It may seem obvious that X causes Y, but what if Y caused X?

The “chicken and egg problem” a classic example of this. At first, it seems obvious that the chicken had to come first. The chicken lays the egg, after all. But then you quickly realize that the chicken had to come from somewhere, and since chickens come from eggs, the egg must have come first. Or did it?

Even if it turns out that the reverse isn’t true, considering it can set you on the path to finding a solution.

5. Evaluate the Existing Evidence

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

When you’re trying to solve a problem, it’s always helpful to look at other work that has been done in the same area. There’s no reason to start solving a problem from scratch when someone has already laid the groundwork.

It’s important, however, to evaluate this information critically, or else you can easily reach the wrong conclusion. Ask the following questions of any evidence you encounter:

Take, for example, a study showing the health benefits of a sugary cereal. On paper, the study sounds pretty convincing. That is, until you learn that a sugary cereal company funded it.

You can’t automatically assume that this invalidates the study’s results, but you should certainly question them when a conflict of interests is so apparent.

6. Remember to Think for Yourself

Don’t get so bogged down in research and reading that you forget to think for yourself –sometimes this can be your most powerful tool.

Writing about Einstein’s paper “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies” (the paper that contained the famous equation E=mc 2 ), C.P. Snow observed that “it was as if Einstein ‘had reached the conclusions by pure thought, unaided, without listening to the opinions of others. To a surprisingly large extent, that is precisely what he had done'”(121).

Don’t be overconfident, but recognize that thinking for yourself is essential to answering tough questions. I find this to be true when writing essays–it’s so easy to get lost in other people’s work that I forget to have my own thoughts. Don’t make this mistake.

For more on the importance of thinking for yourself, check out our article on mental laziness .

7. Understand That No One Thinks Critically 100% of the Time

“Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought.” – Michael Scriven and Richard Paul

You can’t think critically all the time, and that’s okay. Critical thinking is a tool that you should deploy when you need to make important decisions or solve difficult problems, but you don’t need to think critically about everything.

And even in important matters, you will experience lapses in your reasoning. What matters is that you recognize these lapses and try to avoid them in the future.

Even Isaac Newton, genius that he was, believed that alchemy was a legitimate pursuit .

As I hope you now see, learning to think critically will benefit you both in the classroom and beyond. I hope this post has given you some ideas about how you can think more critically in your own life. Remember: learning to think critically is a lifelong journey, and there’s always more to learn.

For a look at critical thinking principles in action, check out our guide to strategic thinking .

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Critical thinking is the one skillset you can't afford not to master

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What is critical thinking?

5 characteristics of critical thinking, what are critical thinking skills, and why are they important, 6 key critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking skills: a real-life example

13 ways to start thinking critically

Whether you’re aiming to improve your performance at work or simply trying to live a more fulfilling life , you’ll need a variety of hard and soft skills to move the needle. Some skills come naturally to some people, while others need to develop them actively.

One of these skills is critical thinking. But critical thinking itself is made up of several types of skills that contribute to solving problems more effectively.

Let’s explore the different types of critical thinking skills and how you can start improving them to level up your career.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze facts and form a judgment. It is a form of emotional intelligence .

Someone with critical thinking skills can think clearly and rationally when the situation demands it. It allows them to perform problem-solving and decision-making more effectively.

As a result, you can look further than what you see at face value. You’re able to analyze what you see from a situation and gain some insight that goes further than what’s obvious to anyone from the outside.

Critical thinking also requires being able to understand the logical connection between two or more ideas or concepts. For example, a team working on a company’s pricing strategy needs to think critically about several concepts.

Both the marketing and sales teams must work together. They need to analyze how to maximize sales. But they need to do so while also meeting profit goals. It’s important to understand the logical connection between sales strategy and marketing logistics. It’s the only way to get a good outcome.

Critical thinking is different from creative thinking . Creative thinking is the ability to generate brand new, innovative ideas. On the other hand, critical thinking requires you to carefully and logically analyze what information is given to you. Both are important to maximize results in any given situation.

woman-sitting-and-thinking-critical-thinking-skills

What defines critical thinking? How does it affect the decision-making process? Here are five characteristics that make up the ability to think critically.

1. Dispositions

Critical thinkers have specific traits that allow them to think the way they do. Some people are predisposed to these traits, while others need to develop them actively.

Some of these dispositions include:

2. Argument

Good critical thinkers need to make solid arguments.

An argument is making a statement aided by supporting evidence. It’s important to use well thought-out arguments when you’re in a constructive conflict . When analyzing a situation critically, you’ll need to make several arguments in your own mind to come to a judgment.

3. Reasoning

In addition to arguments, critical thinking also requires inferring conclusions. From the facts and arguments presented to you, you need to use reasoning skills to come to a logical conclusion.

This conclusion will determine the best course of action to take.

woman-thinking-at-computer-critical-thinking-skills

4. Criteria

Critical thinking is sometimes a matter of discerning truth from fiction. Not all facts presented to you may have the same level of truth. Certain conditions need to be met for something to be considered believable, and a critical thinker needs to be able to understand that.

5. Metacognition

Metacognition is the ability to think about your own thinking. Critical thinkers should be able to analyze their thoughts so that they can judge whether or not they’ve thought everything through. This helps them come up with better hypotheses.

The critical thinking skills definition is: soft skills that help you in the critical thinking process. Developing these skills can improve your ability to think critically.

Critical thinking skills are considered one of many durable skills in the workplace . Many of these are soft skills that are also useful in other situations.

According to research by America Succeeds, critical thinking is in the top five most requested durable skills in job postings. Those top five durable skills get requested 2.6x more often than the top five hard skills. This goes to show that soft skills like critical thinking skills are in demand in the workplace.

Critical thinking skills are important for several reasons. These include helping you work independently and solve problems . Not all positions require ongoing critical thinking. But, those skills definitely matter to anyone who wants to uplevel their career. And even the most easygoing positions require at least some level of critical thinking skills.

For example, working as an accountant can be straightforward in most cases. But it may require critical thinking skills. For instance, what if certain expenses aren’t easily distributed in simple categories? Without critical thinking skills, an accountant will struggle to work independently and solve problems on their own.

Critical thinking abilities also matter in everyday life. Having a foundation for critical thinking can help you analyze several possible solutions for problems that pop up in the home. It can also help you:

The key critical thinking skills are identifying biases, inference, research, identification, curiosity, and judging relevance.

Let’s explore these six critical thinking skills you should learn and why they’re so important to the critical thinking process.

1. Identifying biases

This critical thinking skill is necessary for metacognition, which is the fifth characteristic of critical thinking. It involves knowing when others have a cognitive bias and when you have one yourself.

Biases can influence how someone understands the facts presented to them. But when you’re aware of those biases, you can question yourself on those biases and consider other points of view.

Identifying biases is especially important for people who make hiring decisions. That’s because biases against groups of minorities can lead to inequalities in the workplace when not identified.

For example, imagine a hiring manager comparing two resumes. Their gut feeling could guide them to discount one of the resumes due to a bias against the opposite gender. But let’s say this hiring manager realizes they have this bias. They can then question themselves on whether or not this bias is influencing their judgment.

2. Inference

Inference is the ability to draw conclusions based on the information you have. Without inference, it can be difficult to take action once you’ve analyzed the facts presented to you. Processing information is key to coming up with a reasoned judgment.

For example, let’s go back to the accountant struggling to assign the correct category to a business expense. They can analyze other similar situations and infer the most logical category based on that information.

3. Research

Before you analyze facts and infer a conclusion, you need to find out what those facts are. Researching skills allow you to discover facts and figures to make an argument.

Not all situations will have the required information available to you. Researching skills are necessary to dig into a situation and gather the information you need to think critically.

Some situations don’t require further research. For example, a first responder who arrives on the scene of an automobile accident won’t perform further research. They’ll have to analyze what they see in front of them and decide which injuries are the most urgent to care for.

On the other hand, someone performing a market analysis will need to research competitors and gather information before coming up with an opinion.

4. Identification

Identification is different from inference and research. It involves being able to identify a problem but also what’s influencing that problem.

In short, identification is necessary for someone to realize that they need to think critically about something. Without proper identification skills, it will be difficult for someone to know when it’s time to analyze a situation.

For example, let’s say you’re entering numbers in a spreadsheet. The numbers aren’t coming out as they usually do. Without identification skills, you could easily keep going without realizing there’s an issue. But when you identify what’s going on, you can see that something is broken in the spreadsheet’s formula.

Only once you identify the fact that the formula is broken can you start analyzing what’s going on to solve the issue.

5. Curiosity

Don’t be afraid to question everything and explore what you’re curious about. That’s because intellectual curiosity is a valuable skill, especially when it comes to critical thinking.

One way to practice curiosity is to adopt a beginner’s mindset . When you come into every situation with the mindset of a beginner, you’re able to keep an open mind. You’ll be able to perceive things you may not have noticed when keeping your mind closed.

6. Judging relevance

Not all information is equally pertinent. In order to make a critical judgment, it’s important to be able to judge the relevance of the information you have.

Take, for instance, basic online researching skills. You have access to a plethora of information on virtually every topic imaginable. But performing online research requires you to constantly judge the relevance of what you see.

Without judging relevance, you’d spend too much time on details that don’t matter as much for the final desired outcome. But when you’re able to discern what’s most pertinent, you can give that information more weight as you’re thinking critically.

middle-aged-woman-at-computer-critical-thinking-skills

Critical thinking skills: a real-life example

So what would critical thinking skills look like in a real-life situation?

Let’s imagine you’re working in software quality assurance (QA) as a team lead. But every time your team needs to enter bug regression, everyone gets bottlenecked because you must manually populate the spreadsheet used for the regression. While you do this task, your team cannot be productive without you.

This process happens once a week and easily wastes half an hour for each team member.

First, you must identify what’s going on. The team gets bottlenecked because only you, as the team lead, can access the information required to fill in the regression spreadsheet.

Next, you can research information. You can inquire to higher-ups about the reason why only you have access to this information. You can also speak to other teams about what potential solutions they’ve come up with to solve this problem.

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to analyze the information and judge relevance. Some teams have solutions that don’t apply to you, so that information isn’t relevant anymore.

Figure out if there are any personal biases before you analyze your information.

For example, it’s possible that you don’t get along with one of the other team leads. As a result, you could discount the information they’ve given you. But by identifying this bias, you can look past your personal opinion of this person and see how valuable their solution is.

Based on what you’ve analyzed, it’s time to brainstorm and come up with a solution. You realize that creating a simple, automated script will save your team’s time. And it will do so without consuming too many resources from the engineering department.

Next, present your solution to your manager. Explain how you came to this conclusion.

Now, let’s say your spreadsheet automation solution is approved. It’s important to go back and analyze what happens after implementing the solution. But only do this once the spreadsheet has been in place for long enough to gather plenty of information.

Here’s an example. You could realize that the solution did solve the bottleneck. But, the script also slows down the spreadsheet and makes it difficult to work with. This would require you to go back to the drawing board and start the process all over again.

Want to start improving your own critical thinking skill sets? Here’s how you can improve critical thinking skills using 13 techniques:

young-woman-using-phone-and-laptop-critical-thinking-skills

How to improve your critical thinking skills

Critical thinking skills aren’t always easy to develop. But it’s much easier to start thinking critically when you have someone to work with. Try a custom BetterUp demo to see how a coach can help you develop your critical thinking skills today.

Maggie Wooll

Managing Editor

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Career Advice

Top 8 Critical Thinking Skills and Ways to Improve Them

As seen in:

Why is critical thinking essential? Firstly, that’s what almost every employer seeks.

Secondly, in the era of fake news, contrasting data, and so much information to process every day, critical thinking is the only way to make sense of this world. Good thing you came to the right place for everything you need to know about critical thinking skills!

This guide will show you:

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If you are looking for specific skills sets for your resume, check:

What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why You Need Them?

Before we jump into defining critical thinking skills, let’s run a quick experiment.

We’ll try to find out if drinking coffee is good for you.

First, google “reasons not to drink coffee.”

Wow! Decreased anxiety ( source ), healthier teeth ( source ), weight loss ( source ), and a healthier heart ( source )!

Oh God! I’ll never touch a cup of coffee again! How about “reasons to drink coffee?”

Lower rates of depression ( source ), memory boost ( source ), longevity ( source ), and, wait for it, a healthier heart ( source ).

Oh well. I’ll never trust the Internet again.

The twist? These are not some random unsupported online claims. There’s legit, peer-reviewed research that backs up EVERY single one of the above findings.

So how do you reconcile these contradictory claims?

By thinking critically .

What does that even mean, though?

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to think in an organized and rational manner in order to understand connections between ideas and/or facts. It helps you decide what to believe in. In other words, it’s “thinking about thinking”—identifying, analyzing, and then fixing flaws in the way we think.

How to Be a Critical Thinker?

To become one takes time, practice, and patience. But something you can start doing today to improve your critical thinking skills is apply the 7 steps of critical thinking to every problem you tackle—either at work or in your everyday life.

Plus, there are some critical thinking questions to help you out at each of the steps.

Steps of Critical Thinking

1. Identify the problem or question.

Be as precise as possible: the narrower the issue, the easier it is to find solutions or answers.

2. Gather data, opinions, and arguments.

Try to find several sources that present different ideas and points of view.

3. Analyze and evaluate the data.

Are the sources reliable? Are their conclusions data-backed or just argumentative? Is there enough information or data to support given hypotheses?

4. Identify assumptions.

Are you sure the sources you found are unbiased? Are you sure you weren’t biased in your search for answers?

5. Establish significance.

What piece of information is most important? Is the sample size sufficient? Are all opinions and arguments even relevant to the problem you’re trying to solve?

6. Make a decision/reach a conclusion.

Identify various conclusions that are possible and decide which (if any) of them are sufficiently supported. Weigh strengths and limitations of all possible options.

7. Present or communicate.

Once you’ve reached a conclusion, present it to all stakeholders.

Let’s go back to our coffee example and examine it critically, point-by-point.

1. The problem in question was: “is drinking coffee good for you?”

This approach is way to broad.

First of all, what does “good” even mean?

Secondly, we don’t know if we’re talking about long- or short-term effects of drinking coffee. It’s also possible that drinking coffee might benefit some aspects of your health while being detrimental to others.

So, let’s narrow down the problem to: “is drinking coffee good for your heart ?”

2. Listed above, there are only two pieces of research on the impact of drinking coffee on your heart.

The first one suggests that drinking coffee “could account for premature deaths in the region of 14% for coronary heart disease and 20% for stroke.”

According to the second one , “moderate coffee consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of the Coronary Artery Disease.”

We’ve made two other major mistakes in reasoning: first of all, two sources only are not enough.

Secondly, we haven’t taken into account that heart is a very complex organ: just like it is the case with the rest of our body, coffee might be good for some of its functions while bad for others.

3. Both articles cited have appeared in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals.

The first one has been based on literature review only; no original studies.

The second one, although conducted in a large (25.000 participants) sample of men and women, includes only Korean population—people whose hearts can be affected by other factors such as diet or climate.

4. While the two sources don’t appear biased, we were.

We based our initial Google searches on assumptions: “reasons not to drink coffee” (assuming: coffee is bad for our health) and “reasons to drink coffee” (assuming: coffee is worth drinking).

Google’s search algorithms made sure we found articles in line with our assumptions.

5. Considering all of the above, we can positively state that the information we gathered was not significant for solving the initially stated problem.

6. The only conclusion that can be reached is: according to the data we gathered, drinking coffee might or might not be good for our hearts, depending on many factors and variables we failed to take into account.

7. Even if the conclusion is “the question cannot be answered at this point,” it’s still worth presenting and communicating.

It’s good to know what the limitations of our knowledge on a given topic are.

The point is—

It’s really hard to be sure of something.

And critical thinking skills are necessary for us to accept the flaws in our reasoning and gaps in our knowledge, and take advantage of them!

Why Are Critical Thinking Skills Important?

When you think critically, you’ll constantly challenge what seems given. Say, in your job, even if something appears to be functioning properly, critical thinking will help you try and identify new, better solutions.

Critical thinking skills are the cornerstone of self-development and improvement. That’s why they’re so critical to have in today’s job market. Just think about this— A recent report by the AACU revealed that 93% of employers value critical thinking over the candidate’s undergraduate degree. So—

Let’s go through how you can showcase your critical thinking skills to boost your chances of landing a better job!

And if you want to learn more about other job-winning skills, we've got you covered! Check out our dedicated guides:

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Critical Thinking Skills List for Your Job Search

If you’re just looking for a list of the most important critical thinking skills, we’ve got you covered.

Top Critical Thinking Skills: Examples

Raw lists of skills are pretty useless.

Say, you’re applying for a job and the job description requires “critical thinking skills.” You can’t just dump random entries from the above list of examples on your resume.

You need to prove you can think critically by giving real-life examples of how you used your critical thinking skills.

How to Put Critical Thinking on a Resume: Examples

The best way to present and validate your critical thinking skills is to include examples of them in your past job description bullet points .

Like in these examples:

Critical Thinking Skills on a Resume—Nursing

Critical Thinking Skills on a Resume—Engineering

Identified 8 major hidden design defects with failed constructions.

Critical Thinking Skills on a Resume—Customer Service

Interpreted the results of phone surveys to develop a new strategy for handling customer complaints.

You get the drill, right? Show don’t tell.

Your critical thinking skills might also be evaluated during job interviews. Again, interviewers will want to see specific examples of how you put your critical thinking to use.

Pro Tip : Most of the interview questions that test critical thinking are situational interview questions. You can learn all about how to handle them from this guide: Toughest Situational Interview Questions and Best Answers

Critical Thinking Interview Questions and Answers: Examples

1. Describe a situation where you challenged the way you and your colleagues did their jobs?

Our online ordering page let clients order incompatible components, causing heavy complaints. I asked if we could put a product check in place. The software engineer added warnings when two products weren’t compatible. Complaints went down by 35%.

2. Describe a situation where you saw a problem and took steps to fix it.

Our rechargeable forklifts had two different plugs. If you used the wrong one, you could wreck a $3,500 battery. I added zip-ties as cord-shorteners so you could only reach the right outlet. We haven’t lost a battery since.

3. Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone to see your side of things.

The owner was convinced our gift shop was a moneymaker. I analyzed our cash flow and found it was running at a 10% deficit. I built data visualizations that showed we could increase store revenue 40% through focusing on more popular products.

Don’t feel like a good enough critical thinker? Not to worry. There are easy ways to improve your critical thinking. You can actually start today!

Because you'll need them—

Employers test your critical thinking skills in many different ways, including on the job interview stage when they ask you lots of different questions.

But these questions actually repeat so you can prepare best answers in advance. How? Read our guide: Most Common Job Interview Questions—And Answers to Impress Your Recruiter

If you came across critical thinking as a job requirement, to land that job interview you also have to list it on your resume and include it in your cover letter, too. Try Zety resume builder and get your resume and matching cover letter ready in a flash . Here’s a resume and cover letter sample made using our builder:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills

To start working on your critical thinking skills, begin with applying these simple strategies:

1. Ask Simple Critical Thinking Questions

2. Oppose “Common Sense”

The problem with common sense is that it’s so… common .

“No way this business idea can ever be profitable.”

Oh really? Why exactly not? Ramit Sethi is making a killing selling a $300 online course on how to choose a good personal assistant. If that’s profitable, think what else can be.

3. Be Aware of Your Biases

The most common types of cognitive bias you need to avoid are:

4. Read a Lot

This will not only help develop your critical thinking skills but actually most skills you can think of. To get a sound start on the theory and strategies behind critical thinking, check out:

Want to practice important skills even more? Check out these two guides: Situational Interview Questions [+20 Answers to Nail Your Interview] and Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers [STAR Method]

Key Takeaway

Here’s all you need to know about critical thinking skills in a nutshell:

Do you have any questions about critical thinking skills? Maybe you’d like to share some tips on how to think more critically everyday? Let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

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How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills

Last Updated: February 7, 2023 References Approved

This article was co-authored by Sandra Possing . Sandra Possing is a life coach, speaker, and entrepreneur based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sandra specializes in one-on-one coaching with a focus on mindset and leadership transformation. Sandra received her coaching training from The Coaches Training Institute and has seven years of life coaching experience. She holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 23 testimonials and 90% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 788,761 times.

Critical Thinking is the art of using reason to analyze ideas and dig deeper to get to our true potential. Critical thinking isn't about thinking more or thinking harder; it's about thinking better . Honing your critical thinking skills can open up a lifetime of intellectual curiosity. But the journey isn't all rosy. Critical thinking requires a lot of discipline. Staying on track takes a combination of steady growth, motivation, and the ability to take an honest look at yourself, even in the face of some uncomfortable facts.

Honing Your Questioning Skills

Image titled Improve Critical Thinking Skills Step 1

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Get in the habit of using your instinct to investigate questionable pieces of information. If your gut isn't satisfied with an explanation, ask the person to elaborate. If you don't question a fact, read about it or test it yourself . Soon enough, you'll build up a pretty good sense of what deserves more research and what you've determined to be true in your own judgment.

Image titled Improve Critical Thinking Skills Step 3

Adjusting Your Perspective

Image titled Improve Critical Thinking Skills Step 4

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, famously understood the benefits of thinking several steps ahead. He tired Wired Magazine in 2011: "If everything you do needs to work on a three-year time horizon, then you’re competing against a lot of people. But if you’re willing to invest on a seven-year time horizon, you’re now competing against a fraction of those people, because very few companies are willing to do that." When the Kindle first hit stores in 2007 it was more than three years in development, at a time when e-readers were on nobody's radar. [7] X Research source

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Putting It All Together

Image titled Improve Critical Thinking Skills Step 9

Expert Q&A Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

About This Article

You can improve your critical thinking skills by questioning information that you hear instead of taking it at face-value. Double-check facts that you hear, regardless of whether you get your information from other people, on TV, from a newspaper or online. Reading great books is another way to improve critical thinking, as books encourage you to think more deeply and independently about subjects. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask someone who’s knowledgeable about the subject to explain it to you. With practice, you'll become more and more comfortable with critical thinking! For tips on how the people you hang out with can improve your critical thinking, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills – 7 Techniques

“Let’s get more work done,” was the mantra I followed until a few years ago. I spent all my time completing one task after another.

Today, I have changed my approach completely. I spend a small portion of my time thinking.

“What difference does that make?” you ask. The answer is – a whole lot. A few minutes of deliberate thought has made my work more meaningful and focused. It has helped me complete tasks that add value and serve a bigger purpose.

Critical thinking is one of the most underused skills among human beings. Most people underestimate their thinking ability and take it for granted. I did too. You’ll even have myriad reasons to justify that assumption, like “I can’t think like successful people do”, “I don’t have exceptionally high IQ”, “All my time goes on work.”

Whatever your reason is, you can learn how to improve your critical thinking skills to make a difference in your goals and self-improvement. Also, you don’t have to beat the smartest people at the thinking game. If you make the best use of your thinking prowess, you’ll reap the rewards.

The importance of critical thinking skills

1. setting aside time every day:, 2. a few hours once a week, 3. a few days off every few months, 1. think of an improvement, 2. analyze failures and mistakes, 3. consider the pros and cons, 4. use mindmaps, tried and tested:, thinking out of the box:, 6. consider risk and reward, 7. think of new ideas.

Let’s begin with what critical thinking is in the first place. If you look up on the internet you’ll find sophisticated definitions that add more confusion than clarity.

In simple real life, critical thinking is using your knowledge, experience, and thoughts to make the best possible decision. It also includes learning from your past experiences to improve yourself, avoid mistakes, and make better choices in the future.

When you do not spend time thinking, you will find yourself pondering over things forever or making decisions on impulse.

In my case, I had an itch to get things done. I never paused to analyze if the task helped me achieve my goals or not. As per the Eisenhower matrix , the areas which were less urgent but important never got my attention.

When I set aside time to think I noticed the difference. I turned more conscious, self-aware, and thoughtful about where I spent my time and energy. I taught myself to prioritize the right tasks and say no to the fruitless jobs .

Different models of thinking

You cannot change into a critical thinker overnight. You’ll need practice to make critical thinking a part of your regular decision making and learning process. Until it becomes second nature, you’ll have to put in deliberate time and effort to sharpen the skill.

You can choose among 3 different methods of deliberate thinking.

One of the easiest methods to prompt your brain to think is to keep aside time every day. I follow the same method due to its simplicity and flexibility. If I get caught up with work, I can find a more convenient time later in the day. On super busy days, I use my breakfast or lunchtime for thinking.

Most people have no trouble accommodating 15 min on their weekdays for thinking. If you cannot even spare 15 min, that’s a compelling reason in itself to set aside time to pause and analyze.

Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn spends 90 minutes to 2 hours of uninterrupted time each day to think. He developed this habit when he realized he was entangled in a schedule so busy that he had no time to process what was going on around him.

While you don’t have to keep aside a few hours each day, 15 minutes will give you a good headstart.

A few people I know have a habit of setting aside an entire day(or half a day) a week for thinking alone. Such an approach suits people who like to think in a flow for hours instead of spending small chunks every day.

Writers and artists follow the interrupted model of continuous thinking. That said, you can use the method irrespective of your profession if you believe it works for you. But, setting aside continuous hours or an entire day a week isn’t feasible for everyone.

A harder but powerful way to clear your mind and focus is to take a few days off to explicitly think. Bill Gates was among the most notable people who followed such a methodology. He would take a week off, twice every year, and isolate himself from family, friends, and coworkers.

He spent the time in a cabin in the woods, reading, analyzing, and thinking. While he was away from the rest of the world, a cook brought him 2 meals a day.

Not every one of us has the privilege to lock ourselves amidst nature with a private chef. But, you can find a budget hotel to spend time by yourself if you want to. The practice helps you pause, slow down, and focus on the right things.

Many authors, actors, and musicians also isolate themselves for weeks or months until they finish what they intended to. A writer wraps his head around the first draft of a book, an actor gets into the character for a movie and a musician comes up with the songs for a new album.

One such example is Heath Ledger who locked himself in a room for a month before he played the iconic Joker in the Dark Knight.

How to improve your critical thinking skills

You can choose any of the above three methods based on your personality, circumstances, and thought process. What’s more important is how you spend the time you’ve set aside for thinking. Though a blueprint for successful thinking does not exist, here are a few ways to make the best use of the time.

Take any major area of your life you’re focusing on at the moment. You might want to skyrocket your career growth at work, improve the relationship with your partner, grow your business, or start a healthy lifestyle.

Take the time to think of an improvement that will take you one step closer to your goal. Do not focus only on massive game-changing ideas. Minor improvements tally up to exponential returns in the long run.

For example, if you’re thinking how to earn a promotion at your job, do not only focus on executing a gigantic project. Think how can you draft better emails and build better rapport. They might seem like tiny improvements, but when you implement many such changes day in and day out the results out shadow a single major idea.

Recall any mistake or failure and analyze what went wrong. Use your judgment to decide how to avoid a similar error the next time.

Your mistakes do not have to be as massive as the one which leaves you bankrupt or end your relationship with your partner. Ask yourself the reason behind simpler missteps like uttering the wrong words, gobbling unnecessary calories, or missing a deadline.

The petty mistakes have petty reasons which are easier to correct. In the long run, the compound effect of avoiding such errors pays handsome rewards. The technique applies to students, working professionals, entrepreneurs and in personal life alike.

It is easier to avoid stupidity than seek brilliance. Charlie Munger

Not every decision is straightforward. At times, you’re confused if you’re making the right choice or not. In such cases, list out all the pros and cons of each option that you can think of.

For the method to work, you have to jot down all the positives and negatives with utmost honesty without favoring one choice discreetly. Make sure you’re not under the influence of confirmation bias where the process turns into a sophisticated method of deceiving yourself.

Once you have the list of pros and cons, reconsider your choice. The right decision isn’t choosing the option with the longest set of positives and the least number of negatives. One single advantage or disadvantage can sway the judgment in any direction.

“Why list the pros and cons if one pointer can change the decision altogether?” you ask. That’s because when you have all the positives and negatives noted down, you’ll know what your opportunities, risks, and consequences are .

One of my favorite activities during my thinking time is creating mindmaps. They’re best suited when you’re in an early stage of an idea.

By using mindmaps, you can expand from a central theme and let your thoughts run wild. Do not worry about following the traditional rules used to create them. Mindmaps work best when you apply commonsense and capture ideas in a format that makes sense to you.

If you have never created a mindmap before, here is the process to create one . As a quick example, let’s say you have set yourself a target of losing weight.

To begin, you start with the central block, ‘I need to lose weight.’ For the first level of branching, you choose different ways you can achieve that goal. For example:

You can further break down those areas into different ways of working out, a dieting schedule, and the different outdoor games you can engage in.

5. Consider tried and tested method vs out of the box solutions

When you have an idea in mind, you’ll have to think of a method to execute it. When you have more than one method to implement a task, consider which path will you choose. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages.

For example, consider the goal of starting a business . You can choose any of the two routes:

In such businesses, you follow a conventional method which has worked before instead of building a new idea . For example, starting a restaurant business involves a standard procedure of chefs, inventory, storage, billing, and service.

The advantage of a known approach is you know what pitfalls to avoid. You’ll also have references and benchmarks from other people who delved into the same concept.

But, a tried and tested method isn’t a guaranteed recipe for triumph. Besides, because the method is well known, you’ll face competition. Also, old techniques fade out for different reasons, and replicating success isn’t an easy feat.

You can achieve the same goal by starting a disruptive business that the world has never seen before. For example, when Uber or Twitter first entered the market, nobody had heard about a similar idea.

A brand new product adds oomph and an element of surprise . Also, the first person to enter the market gains a slight edge over the competitors that follow.

But such shiny ideas come with challenges of their own. The most prominent problem is the uncertainty around it and the time required for growth. A few businesses work like a charm while the rest fade into darkness.

These two approaches do not only apply while starting a business. You can choose between the two methods when you’re planning a vacation(commercial spot or unknown place), picking a career(software or beatboxing), or impressing your crush(sunflowers or roses). In fact, you already do that subconsciously.

When you’re applying your critical thinking skills, decide which approach do you want to follow. The out of the box approach seems captivating in most cases, but you must apply your judgment to pick the most rational choice.

When you’re making a decision, measure the risk against the reward to determine if you’re making the right choice.

For example, let’s say you have a net worth of 500K dollars at the moment and you want to increase that figure to 10 million dollars within the next 10 years.

You can choose various methods to achieve your target.

As you can see, the gravity of risk in each method is significantly different . Investing in a high-risk stock or gambling at a casino can wipe out what you currently have or yield massive returns in a short time. An illegal business can make you a multi-millionaire and also throw you into prison. Diversifying the risk in different businesses takes boatloads of effort and patience.

I have provided contrasting examples to portray how risk and reward vary with each approach. Only you can decide which method works the best for the goal you’re targeting.

You can develop your own philosophy of risk-taking. For example, Donald Trump had explained his method of making a decision. He said “While taking a risk I think of what can be the worst possible outcome. If I can deal with it, I go ahead with the risk.”

While you’re thinking, decide what risk vs reward ratio are you comfortable with. How far do you want to go to achieve your goal? At what point will you call off your efforts and aim for a different target?

Research has time and again shown that the human brain works like a muscle. The more you put it to work, the stronger it gets.

Thinking of new ideas is one of the most interesting ways to stimulate your brain. Besides, it is also another way to sharpen your problem solving skills along with your critical thinking.

If you have no clue where to begin, start with the goal you’re trying to achieve.

Ask yourself what are the different ways to reach your target without worrying about implementation. Map your skills with the methods to find suitable tactics to accomplish your goals.

To illustrate that in practice, here is how I came up with the idea of starting Productive Club. I have a goal of running successful businesses. One of the businesses I had in mind was around blogging and self-publishing.

My skills lie in the technical knowledge of the web world and effectively managing time to get work done. So starting a blog on productivity and decision making worked as an amalgamation of my goals, skills, and knowledge.

Your goal will differ from mine. Whether you want to travel the world, win an Oscar, grow to the position of an executive at work or be the ideal parent for your children, you can think of a bazillion little ways to take a few baby steps towards your destination.

Critical thinking skills involve more common sense than exceptional talent or IQ. You do not need to learn complicated techniques to think better. You can craft the most appropriate decision-making rules for yourself using your own thinking ability.

When you approach critical thinking skills as a process to follow, you’ll steadily enhance your thought process. So, make it a practice to sharpen your brain and your mind will obey your command.

My goal is to help people 1 million people pursue their dreams. Share the article and help me with this mission.

You don't need a reward to join the Productive Club, do you?

Maxim Dsouza has spent over a decade experimenting and finding various time management techniques to improve his productivity. He strongly understands the fact that time is a limited commodity and tries to make every second count. He has extensive experience in leadership in startups, small businesses, and large corporations.

He has helped people of different professions and age groups gain clarity on their goals, improve focus, revise their time management skills and develop an awareness of their psychological cognitive biases.

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The Importance Of Critical Thinking And Attention To Detail For Electricians

Electricians are essential professionals in the world of construction, infrastructure, and maintenance. They are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of electrical systems in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. Electrician training programs teach aspiring electricians the knicks-knacks of becoming electricians. However, being an electrician is not just about knowing how to handle wires and circuits. It also requires critical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail.

What Electrician Programs Teach Students?

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, identify problems, and develop solutions. Electricians are often presented with complex electrical systems that require careful analysis and attention to detail. Electrician trade schools ensure that students think in an analytical manner. Critical thinking helps electricians to identify potential hazards, diagnose electrical problems, and develop effective solutions. It allows them to work efficiently and safely, ensuring that the electrical systems they work on are up to code and functioning properly.

Attention to detail is another crucial skill for electricians. Electrical systems are complex, and even a small mistake can lead to significant problems. Attention to detail ensures that electricians do not overlook any potential issues or make careless errors. It allows them to work methodically and carefully, ensuring that every wire is correctly placed, every connection is secure, and every system is functioning as it should be. Electrician training programs ensure that students learn the complexities of electrical circuits.

You can become an electrician if you have a knack for evaluative or critical thinking. Electricians use critical thinking and attention to detail in various situations, such as troubleshooting a malfunctioning electrical system, designing new electrical systems, and installing or repairing electrical equipment. For example, when troubleshooting a malfunctioning system, electricians must diagnose the problem, identify the cause, and develop an effective solution. They must use their knowledge of electrical systems gained during electrician programs and their critical thinking skills to determine which components are malfunctioning and how to fix them.

Finally, when installing or repairing electrical equipment, electricians must pay attention to detail to ensure that every component is correctly installed and functioning as it should be. Schooling for electricians not only ensures that students learn to fix electrical problems but also pay attention to minute details. They must use their knowledge of electrical systems and their attention to detail to ensure that every wire is correctly placed and every connection is secure.

Electrician trade schools produce electricians that become the problem solvers of the electrical industry. In conclusion, electricians are problem-solvers who rely on critical thinking and attention to detail to ensure that electrical systems are functioning safely and efficiently. These skills are essential for ensuring that electrical systems are up to code, functioning correctly, and meeting the needs of clients. As a result, electricians play a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of communities and industries worldwide. Electrician training programs at PTTI provide necessary training and knowledge to future electricians. It ensures that students are ready to deal with any electrical problem.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected] Read more from this blog.

Eight Instructional Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking

(This is the first post in a three-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is critical thinking and how can we integrate it into the classroom?

This three-part series will explore what critical thinking is, if it can be specifically taught and, if so, how can teachers do so in their classrooms.

Today’s guests are Dara Laws Savage, Patrick Brown, Meg Riordan, Ph.D., and Dr. PJ Caposey. Dara, Patrick, and Meg were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show . You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

You might also be interested in The Best Resources On Teaching & Learning Critical Thinking In The Classroom .

Current Events

Dara Laws Savage is an English teacher at the Early College High School at Delaware State University, where she serves as a teacher and instructional coach and lead mentor. Dara has been teaching for 25 years (career preparation, English, photography, yearbook, newspaper, and graphic design) and has presented nationally on project-based learning and technology integration:

There is so much going on right now and there is an overload of information for us to process. Did you ever stop to think how our students are processing current events? They see news feeds, hear news reports, and scan photos and posts, but are they truly thinking about what they are hearing and seeing?

I tell my students that my job is not to give them answers but to teach them how to think about what they read and hear. So what is critical thinking and how can we integrate it into the classroom? There are just as many definitions of critical thinking as there are people trying to define it. However, the Critical Think Consortium focuses on the tools to create a thinking-based classroom rather than a definition: “Shape the climate to support thinking, create opportunities for thinking, build capacity to think, provide guidance to inform thinking.” Using these four criteria and pairing them with current events, teachers easily create learning spaces that thrive on thinking and keep students engaged.

One successful technique I use is the FIRE Write. Students are given a quote, a paragraph, an excerpt, or a photo from the headlines. Students are asked to F ocus and respond to the selection for three minutes. Next, students are asked to I dentify a phrase or section of the photo and write for two minutes. Third, students are asked to R eframe their response around a specific word, phrase, or section within their previous selection. Finally, students E xchange their thoughts with a classmate. Within the exchange, students also talk about how the selection connects to what we are covering in class.

There was a controversial Pepsi ad in 2017 involving Kylie Jenner and a protest with a police presence. The imagery in the photo was strikingly similar to a photo that went viral with a young lady standing opposite a police line. Using that image from a current event engaged my students and gave them the opportunity to critically think about events of the time.

Here are the two photos and a student response:

F - Focus on both photos and respond for three minutes

In the first picture, you see a strong and courageous black female, bravely standing in front of two officers in protest. She is risking her life to do so. Iesha Evans is simply proving to the world she does NOT mean less because she is black … and yet officers are there to stop her. She did not step down. In the picture below, you see Kendall Jenner handing a police officer a Pepsi. Maybe this wouldn’t be a big deal, except this was Pepsi’s weak, pathetic, and outrageous excuse of a commercial that belittles the whole movement of people fighting for their lives.

I - Identify a word or phrase, underline it, then write about it for two minutes

A white, privileged female in place of a fighting black woman was asking for trouble. A struggle we are continuously fighting every day, and they make a mockery of it. “I know what will work! Here Mr. Police Officer! Drink some Pepsi!” As if. Pepsi made a fool of themselves, and now their already dwindling fan base continues to ever shrink smaller.

R - Reframe your thoughts by choosing a different word, then write about that for one minute

You don’t know privilege until it’s gone. You don’t know privilege while it’s there—but you can and will be made accountable and aware. Don’t use it for evil. You are not stupid. Use it to do something. Kendall could’ve NOT done the commercial. Kendall could’ve released another commercial standing behind a black woman. Anything!

Exchange - Remember to discuss how this connects to our school song project and our previous discussions?

This connects two ways - 1) We want to convey a strong message. Be powerful. Show who we are. And Pepsi definitely tried. … Which leads to the second connection. 2) Not mess up and offend anyone, as had the one alma mater had been linked to black minstrels. We want to be amazing, but we have to be smart and careful and make sure we include everyone who goes to our school and everyone who may go to our school.

As a final step, students read and annotate the full article and compare it to their initial response.

Using current events and critical-thinking strategies like FIRE writing helps create a learning space where thinking is the goal rather than a score on a multiple-choice assessment. Critical-thinking skills can cross over to any of students’ other courses and into life outside the classroom. After all, we as teachers want to help the whole student be successful, and critical thinking is an important part of navigating life after they leave our classrooms.

‘Before-Explore-Explain’

Patrick Brown is the executive director of STEM and CTE for the Fort Zumwalt school district in Missouri and an experienced educator and author :

Planning for critical thinking focuses on teaching the most crucial science concepts, practices, and logical-thinking skills as well as the best use of instructional time. One way to ensure that lessons maintain a focus on critical thinking is to focus on the instructional sequence used to teach.

Explore-before-explain teaching is all about promoting critical thinking for learners to better prepare students for the reality of their world. What having an explore-before-explain mindset means is that in our planning, we prioritize giving students firsthand experiences with data, allow students to construct evidence-based claims that focus on conceptual understanding, and challenge students to discuss and think about the why behind phenomena.

Just think of the critical thinking that has to occur for students to construct a scientific claim. 1) They need the opportunity to collect data, analyze it, and determine how to make sense of what the data may mean. 2) With data in hand, students can begin thinking about the validity and reliability of their experience and information collected. 3) They can consider what differences, if any, they might have if they completed the investigation again. 4) They can scrutinize outlying data points for they may be an artifact of a true difference that merits further exploration of a misstep in the procedure, measuring device, or measurement. All of these intellectual activities help them form more robust understanding and are evidence of their critical thinking.

In explore-before-explain teaching, all of these hard critical-thinking tasks come before teacher explanations of content. Whether we use discovery experiences, problem-based learning, and or inquiry-based activities, strategies that are geared toward helping students construct understanding promote critical thinking because students learn content by doing the practices valued in the field to generate knowledge.

An Issue of Equity

Meg Riordan, Ph.D., is the chief learning officer at The Possible Project, an out-of-school program that collaborates with youth to build entrepreneurial skills and mindsets and provides pathways to careers and long-term economic prosperity. She has been in the field of education for over 25 years as a middle and high school teacher, school coach, college professor, regional director of N.Y.C. Outward Bound Schools, and director of external research with EL Education:

Although critical thinking often defies straightforward definition, most in the education field agree it consists of several components: reasoning, problem-solving, and decisionmaking, plus analysis and evaluation of information, such that multiple sides of an issue can be explored. It also includes dispositions and “the willingness to apply critical-thinking principles, rather than fall back on existing unexamined beliefs, or simply believe what you’re told by authority figures.”

Despite variation in definitions, critical thinking is nonetheless promoted as an essential outcome of students’ learning—we want to see students and adults demonstrate it across all fields, professions, and in their personal lives. Yet there is simultaneously a rationing of opportunities in schools for students of color, students from under-resourced communities, and other historically marginalized groups to deeply learn and practice critical thinking.

For example, many of our most underserved students often spend class time filling out worksheets, promoting high compliance but low engagement, inquiry, critical thinking, or creation of new ideas. At a time in our world when college and careers are critical for participation in society and the global, knowledge-based economy, far too many students struggle within classrooms and schools that reinforce low-expectations and inequity.

If educators aim to prepare all students for an ever-evolving marketplace and develop skills that will be valued no matter what tomorrow’s jobs are, then we must move critical thinking to the forefront of classroom experiences. And educators must design learning to cultivate it.

So, what does that really look like?

Unpack and define critical thinking

To understand critical thinking, educators need to first unpack and define its components. What exactly are we looking for when we speak about reasoning or exploring multiple perspectives on an issue? How does problem-solving show up in English, math, science, art, or other disciplines—and how is it assessed? At Two Rivers, an EL Education school, the faculty identified five constructs of critical thinking, defined each, and created rubrics to generate a shared picture of quality for teachers and students. The rubrics were then adapted across grade levels to indicate students’ learning progressions.

At Avenues World School, critical thinking is one of the Avenues World Elements and is an enduring outcome embedded in students’ early experiences through 12th grade. For instance, a kindergarten student may be expected to “identify cause and effect in familiar contexts,” while an 8th grader should demonstrate the ability to “seek out sufficient evidence before accepting a claim as true,” “identify bias in claims and evidence,” and “reconsider strongly held points of view in light of new evidence.”

When faculty and students embrace a common vision of what critical thinking looks and sounds like and how it is assessed, educators can then explicitly design learning experiences that call for students to employ critical-thinking skills. This kind of work must occur across all schools and programs, especially those serving large numbers of students of color. As Linda Darling-Hammond asserts , “Schools that serve large numbers of students of color are least likely to offer the kind of curriculum needed to ... help students attain the [critical-thinking] skills needed in a knowledge work economy. ”

So, what can it look like to create those kinds of learning experiences?

Designing experiences for critical thinking

After defining a shared understanding of “what” critical thinking is and “how” it shows up across multiple disciplines and grade levels, it is essential to create learning experiences that impel students to cultivate, practice, and apply these skills. There are several levers that offer pathways for teachers to promote critical thinking in lessons:

1.Choose Compelling Topics: Keep it relevant

A key Common Core State Standard asks for students to “write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.” That might not sound exciting or culturally relevant. But a learning experience designed for a 12th grade humanities class engaged learners in a compelling topic— policing in America —to analyze and evaluate multiple texts (including primary sources) and share the reasoning for their perspectives through discussion and writing. Students grappled with ideas and their beliefs and employed deep critical-thinking skills to develop arguments for their claims. Embedding critical-thinking skills in curriculum that students care about and connect with can ignite powerful learning experiences.

2. Make Local Connections: Keep it real

At The Possible Project , an out-of-school-time program designed to promote entrepreneurial skills and mindsets, students in a recent summer online program (modified from in-person due to COVID-19) explored the impact of COVID-19 on their communities and local BIPOC-owned businesses. They learned interviewing skills through a partnership with Everyday Boston , conducted virtual interviews with entrepreneurs, evaluated information from their interviews and local data, and examined their previously held beliefs. They created blog posts and videos to reflect on their learning and consider how their mindsets had changed as a result of the experience. In this way, we can design powerful community-based learning and invite students into productive struggle with multiple perspectives.

3. Create Authentic Projects: Keep it rigorous

At Big Picture Learning schools, students engage in internship-based learning experiences as a central part of their schooling. Their school-based adviser and internship-based mentor support them in developing real-world projects that promote deeper learning and critical-thinking skills. Such authentic experiences teach “young people to be thinkers, to be curious, to get from curiosity to creation … and it helps students design a learning experience that answers their questions, [providing an] opportunity to communicate it to a larger audience—a major indicator of postsecondary success.” Even in a remote environment, we can design projects that ask more of students than rote memorization and that spark critical thinking.

Our call to action is this: As educators, we need to make opportunities for critical thinking available not only to the affluent or those fortunate enough to be placed in advanced courses. The tools are available, let’s use them. Let’s interrogate our current curriculum and design learning experiences that engage all students in real, relevant, and rigorous experiences that require critical thinking and prepare them for promising postsecondary pathways.

Critical Thinking & Student Engagement

Dr. PJ Caposey is an award-winning educator, keynote speaker, consultant, and author of seven books who currently serves as the superintendent of schools for the award-winning Meridian CUSD 223 in northwest Illinois. You can find PJ on most social-media platforms as MCUSDSupe:

When I start my keynote on student engagement, I invite two people up on stage and give them each five paper balls to shoot at a garbage can also conveniently placed on stage. Contestant One shoots their shot, and the audience gives approval. Four out of 5 is a heckuva score. Then just before Contestant Two shoots, I blindfold them and start moving the garbage can back and forth. I usually try to ensure that they can at least make one of their shots. Nobody is successful in this unfair environment.

I thank them and send them back to their seats and then explain that this little activity was akin to student engagement. While we all know we want student engagement, we are shooting at different targets. More importantly, for teachers, it is near impossible for them to hit a target that is moving and that they cannot see.

Within the world of education and particularly as educational leaders, we have failed to simplify what student engagement looks like, and it is impossible to define or articulate what student engagement looks like if we cannot clearly articulate what critical thinking is and looks like in a classroom. Because, simply, without critical thought, there is no engagement.

The good news here is that critical thought has been defined and placed into taxonomies for decades already. This is not something new and not something that needs to be redefined. I am a Bloom’s person, but there is nothing wrong with DOK or some of the other taxonomies, either. To be precise, I am a huge fan of Daggett’s Rigor and Relevance Framework. I have used that as a core element of my practice for years, and it has shaped who I am as an instructional leader.

So, in order to explain critical thought, a teacher or a leader must familiarize themselves with these tried and true taxonomies. Easy, right? Yes, sort of. The issue is not understanding what critical thought is; it is the ability to integrate it into the classrooms. In order to do so, there are a four key steps every educator must take.

QUESTIONING

TALK TIME / CONTROL

To increase rigor, the teacher must DO LESS. This feels counterintuitive but is accurate. Rigorous lessons involving tons of critical thought must allow for students to work on their own, collaborate with peers, and connect their ideas. This cannot happen in a silent room except for the teacher talking. In order to increase rigor, decrease talk time and become comfortable with less control. Asking questions and giving prompts that lead to no true correct answer also means less control. This is a tough ask for some teachers. Explained differently, if you assign one assignment and get 30 very similar products, you have most likely assigned a low-rigor recipe. If you assign one assignment and get multiple varied products, then the students have had a chance to think deeply, and you have successfully integrated critical thought into your classroom.

Thanks to Dara, Patrick, Meg, and PJ for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email (The RSS feed for this blog, and for all Ed Week articles, has been changed by the new redesign—new ones won’t be available until February). And if you missed any of the highlights from the first nine years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below.

I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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The Importance Of Critical Thinking, and how to improve it
Critical thinking can help you better understand yourself, and in turn, help you avoid any kind of negative or limiting beliefs, and focus more on your strengths. Being able to share your thoughts can increase your quality of life. 4. Form Well-Informed Opinions There is no shortage of information coming at us from all angles.
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You can always improve your critical thinking skills through practice and extended educational opportunities. To further improve your critical thinking skills, consider taking some of the following steps: Expand your industry-specific or technical skills to help you more easily identify problems.
Why Critical Thinking Is Important (& How to Improve It)
Critical thinking is an excellent tool to help you better understand yourself and to learn to master your thoughts. You can use critical thinking to free yourself from cognitive biases, negative thinking, and limiting beliefs that are holding you back in any area of your life.
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Critical thinking helps people better understand themselves, their motivations and goals. When you can deduce information to find the most important parts and apply those to your life, you can change your situation and promote personal growth and overall happiness. Being well-informed is a bonus
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Critical Thinking is important because companies require people who can analyze problems based on evidence and facts and make well-informed decisions and backed by logic. It helps you make decisions based on facts and figures and not just self-perception. It lets you validate your argument with data and logic.
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Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment. To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources. Critical thinking skills help you to: Identify credible sources. Evaluate and respond to arguments.
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