Thinking:

Thinking is a complex process involving manipulation of

information. Without clear thinking we cannot communicate clearly. Some of the
definitions of thinking are:
Ross: Thinking is a mental activity in its cognitive aspect.
Kolinski: Thinking is reorganization of concepts.
Woodworth: Thinking is mental exploration for finding out the solution of a
problem.
Thinking is the base of all cognitive activities or processes and is unique to human
beings. It involves manipulation and analysis of information received from the
environment. For example, while seeing a painting, you are not simply focusing on
the color of the painting or the lines and strokes, rather you are going beyond the
given text in interpreting its meaning and you are trying to relate the information to
your existing knowledge. Understanding of the painting involves creation of new
meaning that is added to your knowledge. Thinking, therefore, is a higher mental
process through which we manipulate and analyze the acquired or existing
information. Such manipulation and analysis occur by means of abstracting,
reasoning, imagining, problem solving, judging, and decision making. Thinking is
mostly organized and goal directed.
All day-to-day activities, ranging from cooking to solving a math problem have a
goal. One desires to reach the goal by planning, recalling the steps that one has
already followed in the past if the task is familiar or inferring strategies if the task is
new. Thinking is an internal mental process, which can be inferred from overt
behavior. If you see a chess player engrossed in thinking for several minutes before

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making a move, you cannot observe what he is thinking. You can simply infer what
he was thinking or what strategies he was trying to evaluate, from his next move.

Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a
view to improving it. Critical thinking is the sum of activities. These
activities are consist of mental processes, strategies, and methods people
use to solve problems, make decisions, and learn new concepts
(Sternberg, 1986, p. 3).
Critical thinking is reflective and reasonable thinking that is focused on
deciding what to believe or do (Ennis, 1985, p. 45).
Critical thinking is goal-directed and purposive thinking (Bailin et al.,
1999b, p. 287). Critical thinking uses the cognitive skills or strategies
that increase the probability of a desirable outcome (Halpern, 1998, p.
450).
The art of thinking about thinking (Ruggiero, V.R., 2012, p.5)
Critical thinking is a mode of thinking about any subject, content or
problem in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking
by skillful analyzing, assessing and reconstructing it. (Elder & Elder,
2008)
Active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form
of knowledge in the light of the grounds which support it and the further
conclusions to which it tends. (Dewey, 1910, P. 9)
Critical thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or
unfamiliar ideas, opinions, and situations. (Wisegeek, n.d.)

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Main Points from definition of Critical Thinking:
(1): Informed Decision-Making.
(2): Thinking About Thinking & How to Improve It.
(3): Actively Analyzing, Synthesizing, & Evaluating the Thinking Process
(4): A Product of Education, Training, & Practice
(5): Mental Habit & Power
To Teach Critical Thinking:
(1): Create a Culture of Inquiry by Supporting Students’ Thinking
Process.
(2): Knowledge about Model Critical Thinking Skills.
(3): Actively Question Students’ Thinking.

Steps of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves the use of a kind of thinking called reasoning, in
which we construct and/or evaluate reasons to support beliefs. Critical
thinking also involves reflection. Reflection is the examination and
evaluation of our own and others’ thoughts and ideas. Finally critical
thinking is practical. Actions are more rational if they are based on beliefs
that we take to be justified. Critical thinking then, is the careful, deliberate
determination of whether we should accept, reject or suspend judgement
about the truth of a claim or a recommendation to act in a certain way.
Review what the guiding model of the text. This model is discussed in
steps or stages. For each step note the specific headings to help you
identify the level discussed.

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Step 1: Knowledge
In terms of critical thinking, the basic level of acquisition of knowledge
requires that you be able to identify what is being said: the topic, the
issue, the thesis, and the main points. Knowledge level consist of:
Remembering, recalling or retrieving previously learned information.
Step 2: Comprehension
Comprehension means understanding the material read, heard or seen. In
comprehending, you make the new knowledge that you have acquired
your own by relating it to what you already know. The better you are
involved with the information, the better you will comprehend it. As
always, the primary test of whether you have comprehended something is
whether you can put what you have read or heard into your own words.
Review some key words that help you identify when comprehension is
called for. Remember that comprehending something implies that you can
go beyond merely parroting the material back but instead that you can
give the material your own significance. Key Words that Call for
Comprehension Discuss, Express, Explain, Restate, Rearrange,
Summarize, Interpret, Infer, and Draw a Conclusion.
Comprehension Understanding or grasping the meaning from material.
Able to state a problem or concept in one’s own words.
Step 3: Application
Application requires that you know what you have read, heard, or seen,
that you comprehend it, and that you carry out some task to apply what
you comprehend to an actual situation. Review the some tasks that require
application. Tasks that Require Application
1. Apply what you have learned to an actual situation.

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2. Illustrate or give an example of what was said.
3. Prepare a dish to show you understood the recipe
4. Predict what will happen when the teacher mixes two beakers of
chemicals
5. Demonstrate that the thesis is true or develop a scenario that shows
how what you have read will work out.
6. Dramatize the moral that you just discussed.
Application Using learned information, or implementing material or
concept in a new situation.
Step 4: Analysis
Analysis involves breaking what you read or hear into its component
parts, in order to make clear how the ideas are ordered, related, or
connected to other ideas. Analysis deals with both form and content.
Review how critical thinkers analyze form. Review how critical thinkers
analyze content.
Step 5: Synthesis
Synthesis involves the ability to put together the parts you analyzed with
other information to create something original. Review some key words
that help you identify when synthesis is called for. Key Words that Call
for Synthesis: Compose, Invent, Imagine, Revise Transform, Modify,
Show, Synthesis Building a structure or pattern from diverse elements, or
putting parts together to form a coherent new whole
Step 6: Evaluation
Evaluation occurs once we have understood and analyzed what is said or
written and the reasons offered to support it. Then we can appraise this

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information in order to decide whether you can give or withhold belief,
and whether or not to take a particular action. Review some key words
that help you identify when synthesis is called for. Never put evaluation
ahead of the other steps in critical thinking steps; otherwise, you will be
guilty of a "rush to judgement." When emotion substitutes for reasons,
evaluation incorrectly precedes analysis. Key Words that Call for
Evaluation: Appraise, Assess, Evaluate, Judge
Weigh, Rate, Grade,
Evaluation Making judgments about the value of ideas or materials for a
given purpose.
The steps in critical thinking involve; defining a problem, gathering
information, analyzing evidence, generating ideas, recognizing and
assessing implications and consequences, and identifying a reasoned
solution.

Critical Thinking Dispositions:

The particular type of character that a person naturally has is called
disposition. The physical inclination or tendency of a person is also called
disposition. State of mind regarding something
Critical thinkers are:
1. Curious about the world.
2. Creative questioners.
3. Frequently asking "why?" and seeking reasons to defend a position.
4. Interested only in credible sources of information.

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 5. Able to take into account the total situation or context when
interpreting something.
6. Relevant thinkers who stick to the main point.
7. Always looking for alternative explanations, positions, or
arguments.
8. Open-minded and who seriously consider points of view other than
their own.
9. Willing to change a position when the evidence is sufficient to make
them do so.
10: Able to withhold judgement when the evidence is insufficient.
11: Eager to seek precision.
12: Able to realize the limits of knowing; hence they look for
probability rather than proof.
13: Able to realize the role of personal bias in the process of knowing
something.
14: Able to deal in an orderly manner with the parts of a complex whole
and anticipate the next step in a process.
15: Sensitive to the feelings, levels of knowledge, and degree of
sophistication of others when presenting their findings.
16: Able to apply critical thinking abilities to a wide variety of subjects.
List of Critical Thinking Skills:
1. Clarification Abilities: The ability to discern the thesis and main
points of what you read and hear.

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 2. Inference-related Abilities: Making an inference that some true
statements provide reasons to think that other statements are true.
3. Ability to Employ Strategies: Adapting to unique situations and
problems effectively in a carefully reasoned way.
4. Requirements for making inferences
1. The ability to identify and distinguish the evidence (premises) from
the conclusion.
2. The ability to draw correct conclusions from the information given.
3. The ability to assess the truth of the evidence.
4. The ability to dig out the presuppositions of the argument.
5. The ability to consider the relevance of the information to the
conclusion of a line of reasoning.
6. The ability to evaluate whether the evidence is strong enough to
support the conclusion.
The Ability to Employ Strategies Enables you to:
1. decide what is at issue or what is the problem.
2. create various options to deal with the problem.
3. know where and how to get information.
4. identify the criteria for evaluating the options.
5. determine how to test various options for dealing with the problem.
6. assess or weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the options or
proposed solutions

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Elements of Critical Thinking:
Critical thinking involves:
• Gathering relevant information
• Evaluating information
• Asking questions
• Assessing bias or unsubstantiated assumptions
• Making inferences from the information and filling in gaps
• Using abstract ideas to interpret information
• Formulating ideas
• Weighing opinions
• Reaching well-reasoned conclusions
• Considering alternative possibilities
• Testing conclusions
• Verifying if evidence/argument support the conclusions

Examples of Critical Thinking:

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to
industry. Some examples include:
A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which
the patients should be treated.
A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.

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An attorney reviews evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to
decide whether to settle out of court.
A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information
to develop a customer service training session for employees.

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