Is Critical Thinking Really Critical? A Research Study Of The Intentional Planning For The Teaching Of Critical Thinking In The Middle Grades

Critical thinking is an integral part of human life. However, it is not intentionally planned for and implemented in most public educational institutions. Due to this lack of planning, not everyone thinks critically. Critical thinking is a skill that must be fostered and developed over a period for it to be applied consistently. Individuals who exhibit critical thinking are increasingly likely to be successful in life. This study focused on the teaching of critical thinking and was conducted at Wildcat Middle School, located in a suburb of Chicago, IL. The research examined the extent to which teachers intentionally planned for teaching critical thinking and the instructional materials they used to enhance student critical thinking skills. The participants at Wildcat Middle School indicated that critical thinking is of tremendous value to the students. However, there is still a notable gap in Wildcat Middle School when it comes to the full implementation of critical thinking in the learning process. The adoption of policy measures is necessary to ensure the integration of critical thinking into daily instruction. One of the proposed policies recommends internship programs for students in middle schools. Another suggests the amendment of two current Board policies. Each policy would be updated to reflect the inclusion of the teaching of critical thinking. Implementation of such educational policies will go a long way in ensuring that critical thinking is fully incorporated into the classrooms at Wildcat Middle School and beyond