Critical thinking skills are essential for children to develop and can be used in any area of life. By encouraging children to ask questions, explore different viewpoints, and think critically, parents and educators can help their children become successful, lifelong learners. With a critical eye, students can even go on to outperform their peers at school and university.
This article will dive into critical thinking and how it can benefit students of all ages. We’ll take a look at some of the research compiled on the topic and explain how you can improve your critical thinking skills regardless of your age or background. Use this information for your own benefit and become a smart, higher-performing student today.
What Do We Mean by Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about a given topic. It includes the ability to engage in open-minded inquiry, to assess evidence, to identify and assess assumptions, and to reason to a conclusion.
Without these skills, students would be incapable of developing their own ideas or pursuing their own interests. For this reason, critical thinking is one of the most important lessons a teacher can share with their class.
Some of the specific ways that educators teach critical thinking skills include lessons on:
- Analyzing data
- Drawing logical conclusions
- Evaluating arguments
- Identifying bias
- Considering different points of view
- Weighing the pros and cons of a situation
- Developing and testing hypotheses
- Identifying logical fallacies
- Making informed decisions
As you can see, these skills apply to the full range of academic discourses. Whether it be a science experiment, a history assignment, a literature review, or a philosophical debate, students are guided to develop critical thinking skills in all areas of their education.
How Does Critical Thinking Affect Academic Performance?
Critical thinking is essential for academic success because it allows students to analyze and evaluate information, ideas, and arguments. These skills act as essential tools for students to accurately evaluate information and arguments critically, and to make informed decisions based on evidence.
Second, critical thinking skills help students to think logically and to reason through complex problems. When educators teach critical thinking, they push their students to ask the right questions, carefully investigate data, and come to an informed conclusion. This transforms them into better problem-solvers and more independent thinkers.
Finally, critical thinking skills give students the power and knowledge needed to question their own preconceived assumptions and biases. It forces students to think outside of their own points of view, placing them in a position to learn from what they’ve previously been afraid of or avoided. This prepares them for university, where they’ll have to consider bigger ideas than they’ve previously encountered.
What Does the Research Say?
Considering that critical thinking skills play such a huge role in how students develop their own academic interests and understandings, researchers have justifiably spent many years studying the long-term effects of critical thinking on academic performance. Much of this research supports what we already assumed—stronger critical thinking skills improve students’ academic outlooks in the long run.
A longitudinal study conducted by joint researchers from the University of Texas, Austin, Huazhong University of Science ; Technology, and Zhejiang University found that children with high critical thinking skills went on to perform better in academic environments. Their findings suggest that critical thinking can, in fact, act as a better predictor than even cognitive ability.
A similar longitudinal study conducted by researchers from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú found that critical thinking had a positive impact on four-year MBA students’ overall academic performance. Students with higher critical thinking skills were more likely to have passed and completed the course than students with lower critical thinking skills.
These findings corroborate what educators have known for centuries—students who can think independently and formulate their own analyses go on to perform better in rigorous academic environments.
Where Critical Thinking Skills Matter Most for Academic Success
Although there’s no denying that critical thinking skills play a major role in students’ academic performances, they can literally make or break a high schooler’s dreams of attending university. This may sound hyperbolic but keep in mind the process that high schoolers go through to apply for university.
Beyond submitting letters of recommendation and school transcripts, high schoolers must also take one of two standardized tests—the SAT or the ACT. Both of these tests are designed to measure a student’s ability to think critically and at a level on par with a university’s rigor.
Although the tests may appear to be structured around rote content, the final scores denote how prepared a teenager is for higher-level thinking. If they lack the critical thinking skills needed to develop thought-out arguments or analyze texts critically, they’ll fail to achieve the scores they need to get into a university.
They might not be perfect measures of critical capacity but most universities in the U.S. still require these scores. Therefore, critical thinking skills can literally influence whether an American student can earn a higher education. This is exactly why high school teachers put so much effort into teaching students to think critically and analyze information.
How Can Students Improve Their Critical Thinking Skills?
With an understanding that more rigorous critical thinking skills can prepare you for better academic performance, you are likely wondering how you can build stronger, more critical critical thinking skills. Fortunately, there are many different techniques that you can use to improve these skills.
One of the easiest and fastest ways to improve your critical thinking skills is to ask questions. Whenever you are faced with a problem or a new situation, simply ask yourself questions such as
- “What is happening?”
- “What are the possible causes?”
- “What are the possible solutions?”
- “What are the risks and benefits of each possible solution?”
- “What are the possible consequences of each possible solution?”
- “What is the best solution?”
By forcing yourself to think outside of your comfort zone, you’ll quickly learn the skills needed to find answers to your own questions.
Another way to improve critical thinking skills is to practice problem-solving. When faced with a problem, try to break it down into smaller parts, and then brainstorm possible solutions to each part of the problem. Once a solution has been found for each part of the problem, try to put the solutions together to find a final solution.
Critical thinking skills can also be improved by reading and discussing articles, books, and other materials that require critical thinking. If you’re not sure what read, we recommend starting with:
- Scientific research or books based on research
- Anything based on historical findings
- Literary and philosophical analyses
In addition to reading, your critical thinking skills can also be improved by participating in discussions and debates about what you’ve read. Joining or creating a book club is an excellent way to share your new knowledge and glean from what others have found through their own readings.
During book club, try to engage in critical thinking exercises by analyzing the author’s assumptions and reasoning, as well as each other’s arguments, assumptions, and evidence. At the end of the day, questioning and analyzing everything will help you develop stronger critical thinking skills.
For more rigorous discussions, you can also attend lectures and seminars that focus on critical thinking or join a class. Participating in classroom discussions encourages debate and furthers understanding by providing new perspectives that you may have missed. After class, think reflectively and consider how your own beliefs and assumptions may have been challenged.
Is it Too Late to Develop Critical Thinking Skills?
If you’re an adult hoping to go back to university or complete your GED, you may be worried that you’ve aged out of critical thinking. While there is some research to suggest that, as we age, our brains lose critical capacity when brain cells die, the brain is an amazingly complex structure. Thanks to neuroplasticity, it’s capable of developing new neural pathways regardless of your age.
Even if you are well into middle age, you can still continue to develop new critical thinking skills. Don’t let your age keep you from pursuing the education you always wanted!
Simply put your head into a book and don’t be afraid to get out and strike up a conversation with a stranger or two. The more you question and analyze the world around you, the more you’ll continue to learn and grow.
Final Thoughts
Critical thinking is one of the most important skills you can develop. It allows you to carefully assess information, question your own biases, and formulate your own ideas. It can help you in your personal life, work life, and—most importantly—improve your academic performance.
Regardless of your age, you can continue to grow, learn, and become a more critical thinker. By simply reading actively, striking up debates, and questioning the world around you, you can give your brain the power it needs to break free of its own perspectives.
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871187117301931?via%3Dihub
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289620300659?via%3Dihub
https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/how-improve-your-problem-solving-skills
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08963568.2012.712635?journalCode=wbfl20
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657/full#:~:text=Neuroplasticity%20can%20be%20viewed%20as,and%20in%20response%20to%20experience.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/want-keep-your-brain-sharp-old-age-go-back-school-n1030326
