CHAPTER

1 Introduction to Critical Thinking

1.1 What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is more than just accumulating information or accepting

what you're told. It's an active, purposeful, and disciplined process of
analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to form well-reasoned
judgments and beliefs. It involves questioning assumptions, identifying
biases, recognizing logical fallacies, and considering different perspectives
(Heard et al., 2020). It's about thinking clearly and rationally, rather than
impulsively or emotionally. Critical thinking is "purposeful, self-regulatory
judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference,
as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological,
criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is
based (Faccione, 2018).

Critical thinking at university does not mean looking only for the most
important aspects of a topic or just criticising ideas. It is also about not
accepting what you read or hear at face value, but always questioning the
information, ideas and arguments you find in your studies. Critical thinking
is a key skill that should be applied to all aspects of your studies. As a
university student, you need to be able to think critically about the resources
and information you use in your work. You need to ask the right questions
when reading the work of others; your writing needs to show you have the
ability to weigh up different arguments and perspectives and use evidence
to help you form your own opinions, arguments, theories and ideas. Critical
thinking is about questioning and learning with an open mind.
1.2 Why is Critical Thinking Important?

In today's complex and rapidly changing world, critical thinking skills are
more crucial than ever. We are constantly bombarded with information from
various sources – news outlets, social media, advertisements, and even
friends and family. Without critical thinking skills, we can easily be misled by
misinformation, propaganda, or biased viewpoints. Critical thinking is
essential for:

1. Academic Success. Critical thinking helps you analyze complex

texts, formulate arguments, conduct research, and solve
problems effectively. It allows you to go beyond memorization
and engage with the material on a deeper level (Karbalaei, 2012).
2. Professional Success. In the workplace, critical thinkers are
valued for their ability to solve problems, make sound decisions,
and adapt to new situations. These skills are essential in virtually
any profession (Mihail, 2022).
3. Personal Growth. Critical thinking allows you to make informed
decisions about your life, relationships, and personal values. It
helps you to understand yourself better and to live a more
meaningful life (Bubnys et al., 2023).
4. Civic Engagement. In a democratic society, critical thinking is
vital for informed citizenship. It enables you to evaluate political
platforms, understand complex social issues, and participate
effectively in public discourse (Ahrari et al., 2016).

Moreover, some of the reasons why pupils in today's world need critical
thinking abilities (Raj et al., 2022):

1. Increasing curiosity and creativity. When a student is trained

to think critically, he or she develops an insatiable curiosity about
the world around them. Students with a strong sense of curiosity
want to evaluate and process information and experiences. They
generate their own educated ideas, most of which are out-of-the-
 box, as a result of this process, which boosts their creativity. All
critical thinkers will experiment with creativity in their professional
and personal lives. They will generally be able to get their
creative juices flowing while searching for solutions in a logical
and sensible way.
2. Encouraging self-awareness and self-reflection. The
fundamentals of critical thinking include self-monitored, self-
disciplined, and self-corrective thinking. Someone who ‘thinking
does so on their own time. There is both an objective
internalization and a full understanding of the subject at hand.
Because it helps students to reflect on as well as grasp their own
viewpoints, critical thinking is at the core of learning. This skill
aids a student in finding out how to make sense of things based
on own observation and expertise. It gives kids confidence and
self-assurance because they realize that the outcome is the
result of a cognitive process that creates results. Students gain
self-assurance and the ability to learn from their mistakes, which
are valuable assets in both private as well as professional lives.
3. Improving job possibilities. Critical thinking isn't only for
students in the classroom. Following COVID-19, the new
economy puts a high demand on a flexible workforce and
employees' capacity to analyze data from a variety of sources
and come up with creative solutions. In a fast-changing company,
a person with good critical thinking abilities will be appreciated.
4. Fostering innovators and problem-solvers. The capacity to
analyze and look at issues in a creative and productive manner
is one of the by-products of critical thinking abilities. Problem
solvers are typically critical thinkers. Before making reasonable
judgments to solve a problem, a skilled critical thinker will be able
to distinguish facts from views and fiction and evaluate the
subject from all perspectives. They will also be able to come up
with answers to challenges that are devoid of prejudice, which is
 important to remember in the workplace. As global concerns
such as global warming, pollution, and pandemics continue to
afflict the globe, today's youth - who will become tomorrow's
leaders – will be expected to shoulder the burden of finding
effective answers. Critical thinkers will come up with innovative
and long-term solutions.
5. Developing related life skills. Organization, planning, open-
mindedness, as well as communication are just a fewer of the life
skills that critical thinking encourages. Critical thinking is a life
skills that enables you to overcome challenges in both your
private as well as professional lives. It promotes self-confidence
as well as independence, which leads to successful lives.
Individuals will learn from your mistakes as well as boost your
output in all aspects of your life as a critical thinker.
6. Saving Time. By assisting you in prioritizing work and identifying
relevant resources and information, critical thinking may help you
save time in the long term. It assists you in making well-informed
choices that are more likely to result in the intended outcome,
while also reducing the time and effort you spend making
modifications and reacting to unforeseen events.

1.3 A Model For Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an important life skill, and an essential part of university

studies. Central to critical thinking is asking meaningful questions. This
three-stage model, adapted from LearnHigher, will help you generate
questions to understand, analyse, and evaluate something, such as an
information source.
 Picture1. Model of Critical Thinking

Description
Starting with the description stage, you ask questions such as: What?
Where? Why? and Who? These help you establish the background and
context. For example, if you are reading a journal article, you might ask
questions such as:

• Who wrote this?

• What is it about?

• When was it written?

• What is the aim of the article?

If you are thinking through a problem, you might ask:

• What is this problem about?

• Who does it involve or affect?

• When and where is this happening?

These types of questions lead to descriptive answers. Although the ability

to describe something is important, to really develop your understanding
and critically engage, we need to move beyond these types of questions.
This moves you into the analysis stage.
Analysis
Here you will ask questions such as: How? Why? and What if? These help
you to examine methods and processes, reasons and causes, and the
alternative options. For example, if you are reading a journal article, you
might ask:

• How was the research conducted?

• Why are these theories discussed?

• What are the alternative methods and theories?

If you are thinking through a problem, you might ask:

• What are the contributing factors to the problem?

• How might one factor impact another?

• What if one factor is removed or altered?

Asking these questions helps you to break something into parts and
consider the relationship between each part, and each part to the whole.
This process will help you develop more analytical answers and deeper
thinking.

Evaluation
Finally, you come to the evaluation stage, where you will ask 'so what?' and
'what next?' questions to make judgments and consider the relevance;
implications; significance and value of something.

You may ask questions such as:

• What do I think about this?

• How is this relevant to my assignment?

• How does this compare to other research I have read?

Making such judgments will lead you to reasonable conclusions, solutions,

or recommendations.
The way we think is complex. This model is not intended to be used in a
strictly linear way, or as a prescriptive set of instructions. You may move
back and forth between different segments. For example, you may ask,
'what is this about?', and then move straight to, 'is this relevant to me?'

The model is intended to encourage a critically questioning approach, and

can be applied to many learning scenarios at university, such as:
interpreting assignment briefs; developing arguments; evaluating sources;
analysing data or formulating your own questions to research an answer.

1.4 Common Barriers to Critical Thinking

While critical thinking is a valuable skill, several barriers can hinder our
ability to think critically. Recognizing these barriers is the first step to
overcoming them (Krämer, 2014):

1. Cognitive Biases. These are mental shortcuts that can lead to

flawed judgments. Examples include confirmation bias (seeking
information that confirms our existing beliefs) and anchoring bias
(over-reliance on the first piece of information we receive).
2. Emotional Reasoning. Letting our emotions dictate our thinking,
rather than relying on logic and evidence.
3. Lack of Information. Making decisions without sufficient
information can lead to poor judgments.
4. Conformity. Going along with the crowd, even when we have
doubts, can prevent us from thinking critically.
5. Resistance to Change. Being unwilling to consider new ideas
or perspectives can limit our ability to learn and grow.
1.5 The Benefits of Critical Thinking

Developing strong critical thinking skills offers numerous benefits,

including(Alsaleh, 2020):

1. Improved Problem-Solving. Critical thinking provides a

structured approach to problem-solving, enabling you to identify
the root cause of a problem and develop effective solutions.
2. Enhanced Decision-Making. By carefully evaluating
information and considering different perspectives, you can
make more informed and rational decisions.
3. Increased Creativity. Critical thinking encourages you to think
outside the box and explore new ideas.
4. Better Communication. Critical thinkers are better
communicators because they are able to articulate their ideas
clearly and persuasively.
5. Greater Self-Awareness. Critical thinking helps you to
understand your own biases and assumptions, leading to greater
self-awareness.

Critical thinking is not an innate talent but a skill that can be developed and
honed through practice. By understanding the principles of critical thinking,
recognizing common barriers, and actively engaging in the thinking process,
you can unlock your full potential and become a more effective learner,
problem-solver, and decision-maker. This book will provide you with the
tools and strategies you need to cultivate your critical thinking skills and
apply them to all aspects of your life.