Critical Thinking

Over the ten years that I’ve been teaching in nursing programs, I’ve observed variations in the ability of students to think critically. Some seem to come by it naturally and others struggle to demonstrate progress in this area. Critical thinking is a core competency in the analytic rubric for the program, yet I don’t think there is enough direct instruction paid to this important area. The requirements are vague and not always consistent across different areas of the program. In LRNT 502, a resource was provided for us that I feel is an excellent guideline for understanding and promoting critical thinking skills. Linda Elder and Richard Paul define critical thinking as “the ability and disposition to improve one’s thinking by systematically subjecting it to intellectual self-assessment” (para. 5). They believe that in order for a person to think critically, they need to be able to demonstrate this ability and disposition in most areas of their life, not just one dimension. I think this is a missing piece within my program; stepping back from the profession and looking at other areas of life to demonstrate critical thinking. The authors present a stage theory for the development of critical thinking consisting of six stages ranging from “The Unreflective Thinker” to “The Accomplished Thinker” with defining features and implications for teaching in the various stages. A key message that I took away from this resource is “that significant gains in the intellectual quality of student work will not be achieved except to the degree that teachers recognize that skilled critical thinking develops, only when properly cultivated, and only through predictable stages” (para. 1).

Resource:

Elder, L. & Paul, R. (1996) Critical thinking development: A stage theory. Retrieved from The Critical Thinking Web site: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/critical-thinking-development-a-stage-theory/483