Critical Thinking is a skills-based rather than content-based A Level. It develops the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate ideas and arguments and can support thinking skills in all subject areas, from arts and humanities to sciences.
Benefits
- Critical Thinking develops the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate ideas and arguments
- Supports thinking skills in all subject areas, from arts and humanities to sciences.
The Cambridge Assessment definition of Critical Thinking Critical Thinking is:-
- the analytical thinking which underlies all rational discourse and enquiry. It is characterised by a meticulous and rigorous approach.
- As an academic discipline, it is unique in that it explicitly focuses on the processes involved in being rational. These processes include:
- analysing arguments
- judging the relevance and significance of information
- evaluating claims, inferences, arguments and explanations
- constructing clear and coherent arguments
- forming well-reasoned judgments and decisions.
Being rational also requires an open-minded yet critical approach to one’s own thinking as well as that of other.
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Daniel Tilbrook here wrote in 2010 a letter to the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (the people who do the National Curriculum) suggesting that 'Critical Thinking' and 'The Enlightenment' be taught in History:-
Dear Sir or Madam,
I believe it is probably a good idea to confess straight away to being, irreversibly and unashamedly, an atheist. As this email is primarily regarding Religious matters, I feel it is important to view the context in which I am writing this letter.
I do not begrudge the teaching of Religious Education as part of the National Curriculum. My personal feelings aside I feel it is important (if only for pragmatic reasons) for young people to be taught about Religion. It is a core of the lives of many people throughout the world and to make no attempt to understand the beliefs of others can do nothing except create intolerance through misunderstanding. However I do object to the fact that Religious Education has an ephemeral and pervasive effect on the minds of young people that has little counterpoint.
One may argue that Science education could be considered the counterpoint, however the two are not entirely compatible. Science is the pursuit of truth, knowledge and data but doesn't necessarily provide the mental processes and tools for one to understand the abstracts of the date provided. As an example one could take the recent and ongoing "debate" of evolution vs creationism. Science is able to tell us that evolution exists and can present data to support this. The scientific consensus (as far as a consensus can ever be reached) is that evolution is a fact supported by evidence. However creationism either disavows evolution or (with little to no testable evidence) claims that "God" started evolution in the first place. Science can do little to refute this, as the idea that a "God" created the world and still continues to manipulate it's processes is a deeply held belief. This belief has, in most cases, been fostered by parents and loved ones from birth and, indeed, been supported by the National Curriculum. Furthermore "faith schools" are allowed to devote as much time as they please to Religious Education so long as they meet the minimum set by the National Curriculum for other subjects, further compounding a belief system that can be both rigid and downright hostile to critical thinking and knowledge that does not fit in with their pre-defined worldview.
While I may appear, in the last paragraph, repulsed by the idea of R.E. (which, it must be admitted, is somewhat true) I do, as I have mentioned, acknowledge the wisdom in teaching R.E. in a world where religion plays a major factor. Therefore I return to my previous point of a counterpoint to R.E. I propose one of two solutions to what I perceive to be a void in the education and reasoning skills of young people. My first and most preferable solution is to include, in the national curriculum, the subject of Critical Thinking, with lesson devoted to questioning the world around us: Where does a belief derive from?; Is there proof?; Is this proof reliable?; What evidence is there for this belief?; Are there alternative theories? The teaching of Critical Thinking would have applications not just in theoretical and academic surroundings, but also at a societal and work setting. Critical thinking makes us evaluate the way we view the world. It is very difficult to discriminate when you are constantly questioning the beliefs that discrimination is founded on. It is easy to innovate in business when one is able to evaluate critically the existing processes and then refine them.
My second idea, were the first unsuitable or unfeasible, would be to at least teach the Enlightenment during history lessons. The Enlightenment was an enormously important, culturally diverse and scientifically significant period in the history of the world. Understanding the process of challenging the established order that the Enlightenment represented would go at least some way towards teaching children some of the tools required to think critically for themselves.
I hope this letter has not seemed vitriolic or unreasonable at any point as this was certainly not my intention. I also apologize if this email has been in error to the wrong department or if it has no relevance to the function that this email address was set up for. If this is the case I would appreciate if you would forward this email to the appropriate person or organization.
Thank you for your time, Daniel Tillbrook
Teaching Secular Worldviews say:-
'Should Critical Thinking & the history of 'The Enlightenment' be incorporated into Religious Education studies? Or is this an anathema to Religious Education? What do you think?'
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