Critical+Thinking+Competency+Standards

AGuideForEducatorstoCriticalThinkingCompetencyStandardsStandards,Principles,PerformanceIndicators,andOutcomesWithaCriticalThinkingMasterRubricbyRichardPaulandLindaElderFoundationforCriticalThinkingLettertotheReaderMuchlipserviceisgiventothenotionthatstudentsarelearningtothinkcritically.Acursoryexaminationofcriticalthinkingcompetencystandards(enu-meratedandelaboratedinthisguide)shouldpersuadeanyreasonablepersonfamiliarwithschoolingtodaythattheyarenot.Ontheotherhand,areasonablepersonmightalsoconcludethatnoteacherinanysinglesubjectcouldteachallofthesestandards.Weagree.Thecriticalthinkingcompetencystandardsarticulatedinthisguideserveasaresourceforteachers,curriculumdesigners,administratorsandaccreditingbod-ies.Theuseofthesecompetenciesacrossthecurriculumwillensurethatcriticalthinkingisfosteredintheteachingofanysubjecttoallstudentsateverygradelevel.Wecanexpectlargegroupsofstudentstoachievethesecompetenciesonlywhenmostteacherswithinaparticularinstitutionarefosteringcriticalthinkingstandardsintheirsubject(s)attheirgradelevel.Wecannotexpectstudentstolearncriticalthinkingatanysubstantivelevelthroughoneorafewsemestersofinstruction.Viewedasaprocesscoveringtwelvetosixteenyearsandbeyond,andcon-tributedtobyallinstruction,bothattheK-12aswellasthecollegeanduniver-sitylevel,allofthecompetencieswearticulate,andmore,canbeachievedbystu-dents.Werecommendthereforethatthoseresponsibleforinstructionidentifywhichcompetencieswillbefosteredatwhatgradelevelinwhatsubjectsforwhatstudents.Themostimportantcompetenciesmustbereinforcedwithinmostinstruction.Somecompetenciesmightwellbetaughtinamorerestrictedway.Webelieveanywell-educatedstudentorcitizenneedstheabilitiesanddis-positionsfosteredthroughthesecompetencies.Wealsobelievethatanyreason-ablepersonwhocloselystudiesthesecompetencieswillagree.Totransformclassroomsintocommunitiesofthinkers,weneedtotakealong-termview.Weneedtoreflectwidelyandbroadly.Weneedtobesystemat-ic,committed,andvisionary.Thetaskischallengingindeed.Butitisachallengeweignoreattheriskofthewell-beingofourstudentsandthatofoursociety.LindaElderRichardPaulFoundationforCriticalThinkingCenterforCriticalThinking©2005FoundationforCriticalThinking“How”forObtainingEveryEducational“What”.8CriticalThinkingandLearning................................10CriticalThinkingandtheEducatedPerson.......................11CriticalThinkingandInformationLiteracy.......................11TheGrowingImportanceofCriticalThinking.....................12CriticalandCreativeThinking................................13CriticalThinkingandtheMasteryofContent....................14AdaptingtheStandardsinParticularSubjects....................16TheStructureandComponentsoftheCompetencies.................17RelatingtheCompetenciestoCriticalThinkingConcepts............17OutliningtheComponentsinEachCompetency..................18AMasterRubric...........................................20TheCriticalThinkingCompetencies..............................21SECTIONONE:Competenciesfocusingontheelementsofreasoning,andintellectualstandardsastheyrelatetotheelements:StandardOne:Purposes,Goals,andObjectives...................21StandardTwo:Questions,Problems,andIssues..................22StandardThree:Information,Data,Evidence,andExperience........23StandardFour:InferencesandInterpretations....................24StandardFive:Assumptions&Presuppositions....................25StandardSix:Concepts,Theories,Principles,Definitions,Laws,&Axioms.26StandardSeven:ImplicationsandConsequences..................27StandardEight:PointsofViewandFramesofReference............28SECTIONTWO:Thecompetencyfocusingonuniversalintellectualstandards:30StandardNine:AssessingThinking.............................30SECTIONTHREE:Competenciesfocusingonintellectualtraits,virtuesordispositions:...........................................31StandardTen:Fairmindedness................................312CriticalThinkingCompetencyStandards©2005FoundationforCriticalThinking:IntellectualCourage..........................33StandardThirteen:IntellectualEmpathy........................34StandardFourteen:IntellectualIntegrity........................35StandardFifteen:IntellectualPerseverance......................36StandardSixteen:ConfidenceinReason........................37StandardSeventeen:IntellectualAutonomy......................38SECTIONFOUR:Competenciesdealingwiththebarrierstothedevelopmentofrationalthought:......................................39StandardEighteen:Insightintoegocentricthought...............39StandardNineteen:Insightintosociocentricthoug