Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

Abstract Critical is a learned skill that requires instruction and practice. Business education instructors at both secondary and post-secondary levels can enhance students’ critical skills by (1) using instructional strategies that actively engage students in process rather than relying on lecture and rote memorization, (2) focusing instruction on process of rather than solely on content, and (3) using assessment techniques that provide students with an intellectual challenge rather than memory recall. Several barriers can impede critical instruction. Lack of training, limited resources, biased preconceptions, and time constraints conspire negate environments that promote critical thinking. However, actively engaging students in project-based or collaborative activities can encourage students’ critical development if instructors model process, use effective questioning techniques, and guide students’ critical processes. The examples provided challenge instructors of students as users of information rather than receivers of information. It is possible store mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated. -Alec Bourne Introduction What is critical thinking, and why is so important? The Critical Thinking Community defined critical as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide belief and action (Scriven & Paul, 2007, p. 1). Critical has also been referred as metacognition (Tempelaar, 2006) or process of about thinking as defined and originally purposed by Flavell (1979). Critical skills are important because they enable students to deal effectively with social, scientific, and practical (Shakirova, 2007, p. 42). Simply put, students who are able critically are able solve problems effectively. Merely having knowledge or information is not enough. To be effective in workplace (and in their personal lives), students must be able solve problems make effective decisions; they must be able critically. Critical is not a new concept. Throughout nearly 300 years of policymaking in United States, educators have promoted eight broad goals of schooling: basic academic skills, critical and problem solving, social skills and work ethic, citizenship, physical health, emotional health, arts and literature, and preparation for skilled (Rothstein, Wilder, & Jacobsen, 2007, p. 8). Business education directly addresses work ethic and preparation for skilled employment as well as critical and problem solving. Yet many teachers continually struggle engage students in critical activities (Tempelaar, 2006), and students seldom use critical skills solve complex, real-world problems (Bartlett, 2002; Rippin, Booth, Bowie, & Jordan, 2002). Why? The answer may be in our instructional methods. Two quotes that are often cited together reflect this supposition (as cited by Schaf ersman, 1991). First, Clement (1979) stated that should be teaching students how think. Instead, we are teaching them what think (p. 1). Second, Norman (1981) noted that it is strange that we expect students learn, yet seldom teach them anything about learning (p. 1). Although content is important, process of how students learn material is equally important. Therefore, purpose of this article is analyze and synthesize secondary research provide best practices for incorporating critical instructional methods into business education classrooms at both secondary and post-secondary levels. …