THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union under the European Social Fund. THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS DEFINITION OF THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Critical thinking is skillful, self-regulating thinking that is sensitive to context and involves higher thought processes and skills, such as comparing, classifying, reasoning, judging, predicting, forming and evaluating arguments, searcing for, and evaluating sources. THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS 1. comparing 2. sorting/classyfying 3. identifying and defining problems 4. asking questions 5. observing systematically and drawing conclusions 6. distinguishing facts from opinions and interpretations 7. designing goals and planning the process, product and pathways towards the goals 8. searching for and evaluating sources 9. deductive reasoning 10. inductive reasoning 11. forming, analysing and evaluating arguments 12. evaluating and decision making List of abbrevations CT – critical thinking NA-MA POTI – Scientific and Mathematical Literacy: The Development of Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Thought processes and critical thinking skills Student: CT1: COMPARING • Designs relevant criteria for comparing and uses them. CT2: SORTING/CLASSIFYING • Designs relevant criteria for sorting; • Classifyss according to one or multiple criteria CT3: IDENTIFYING AND DEFINING • Detects or identifies a problem; PROBLEMS • Clearly and accurately defines the problem; • Differentiates the consequences from the actual causes of the problem; • Evaluates the problem according to different criteria. CT4: ASKING QUESTIONS • Asks diverse questions (at higher taxonomy levels); • Asks questions at various phases of learning; • Asks questions in various situations (to clarify the problem; to define the research question; to define the variables and the relationships between them); • Asks self-reflective questions. CT5: OBSERVING SYSTEMATICALLY AND • Observes systematically and analytically; DRAWING CONCLUSIONS • Obtains the relevant information; • Searches for obvious and deep connections between facts (fact analysis); • Based on his/her observations, the student makes predictions, draws conclusions, and explains events, processes and phenomena. CT6: DISTINGUISHING FACTS FROM • Understands the difference between the following terms: fact (what OPINIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS actually happened, what we have noticed, measured); deduction (deriving logical conclusions based on facts); interpretation (possible explanations of facts, sense making); opinion (stating the characteristics, conditions based on one's knowledge); • When explaining events, processes and phenomena, the learner is aware of, considers and adopts different perspectives; • Is aware of and explains the impact of various factors and the limitations of opinions and interpretations (knowledge, motivation, emotions, experiences, etc.). CT7: DESIGNING GOALS AND PLANNING • Designs goals skilfully so they are specific, measurable, attainable, THE PROCESS, PRODUCT AND realistic, and time manageable; PATHWAYS TOWARDS THE GOALS • Plans the steps, strategies, time frame and sources for attaining the goals; • Analyses the barriers on the path towards the goals, and designs strategies to overcome them; • Defines the success criteria; • Monitors his/her progress according to the criteria. CT8: SEARCHING FOR AND EVALUATING • Knows diverse sources according to different criteria; SOURCES • Knows the criteria for evaluating the credibility of sources; • Searches for and assesses sources according to purpose, and cites them correctly. CT9: DEDUCTIVE REASONING • Deduces from the general to the individual; • Determines the reality/validity of premises; • Builds an understanding of a concept; • Is aware of potential errors in deductive reasoning and recognizes them in himself/herself and in others; • Recognizes opportunities for deductive reasoning; • Assesses the relevance of deductions. | 3 THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Thought processes and critical thinking skills Student: CT10: INDUCTIVE REASONING • Deduces from the individual (fact, event, characteristic, etc.) to the general (principle, rule, theory); • Determines the reality/validity of premises; • Builds concepts; • Is aware of potential errors in inductive reasoning (hasty generalization) and recognizes them in himself/herself and in others; • Recognizes opportunities for inductive reasoning; • Analyses and assesses the relevance of inductive reasoning in a situation. CT11: FORMING, ANALYSING AND • Forms arguments (supports a claim with relevant reasons); EVALUATING ARGUMENTS • Analyses arguments (identifies arguments and defines their structure); • Evaluates arguments (assesses reasons from the aspect of relevance, acceptability and adequacy); • Expresses diverse views, supported by facts/evidence/reasons. CT12: EVALUATING AND DECISION • Raises awareness of the importance of developing clear and relevant MAKING criteria; • Designs criteria; • Evaluates based on the relevant criteria; • Applies the criteria when making decisions. 4 | Collection NA-MA POTI ISSN 2820-4182 Collection editor: Jerneja Bone THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Original title: Kritično mišljenje pri naravoslovju in matematiki Authors: dr. Tanja Rupnik Vec, mag. Mojca Suban, dr. Nik Stopar, mag. Saša Krajšek, Zdenka Nanut Planinšek, dr. Tadej Starčič, Andreja Ovčar, Vesna Mrkela, dr. Janez Jamšek Translation: Ensitra prevajanje, Brigita Vogrinec Škraba, s. p. Design: Simon Kajtna Layout: ABO grafika, d. o. o., Igor Kogelnik Published by: Zavod RS za šolstvo Representative: dr. Vinko Logaj On-line edition Ljubljana, 2022 Available: https://www.zrss.si/pdf/Kriticno_misljenje_NAMA_gradniki_ANG.pdf The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union under the European Social Fund. Publication was created in a project NA-MA POTI, 2016–2022, project leader: Jerneja Bone. Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 120087811 ISBN 978-961-03-0718-1 (PDF)