BENAVIDES, Angelika Marie
1. What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze
information objectively and make a reasoned
judgment. Critical thinking involves the
evaluation of sources such as data, facts,
observable phenomenon, and research findings.
Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable
conclusions from a set of information and
discriminate between useful and less useful
details to solve a problem or make a decision.
2. What is the importance of critical thinking?
 Critical thinking is a domain-general
thinking skill. The ability to think clearly
and rationally is important whatever we
choose to do. If you work in education,
research, finance, management or the legal
profession, then critical thinking is
obviously important. But critical thinking
skills are not restricted to a particular subject
area. Being able to think well and solve
problems systematically is an asset for any
career.
 Critical thinking is very important in the
new knowledge economy. The global
knowledge economy is driven by
information and technology. One has to be
able to deal with changes quickly and
effectively. The new economy places
increasing demands on flexible intellectual
skills, and the ability to analyse information
and integrate diverse sources of knowledge
in solving problems. Good critical thinking
promotes such thinking skills, and is very
important in the fast-changing workplace.
 Critical thinking enhances language and
presentation skills. Thinking clearly and
systematically can improve the way we
express our ideas. In learning how to analyse
the logical structure of texts, critical
thinking also improves comprehension
abilities.
 Critical thinking promotes creativity. To
come up with a creative solution to a
problem involves not just having new ideas.
It must also be the case that the new ideas
being generated are useful and relevant to
the task at hand. Critical thinking plays a
crucial role in evaluating new ideas,
selecting the best ones and modifying them
if necessary
 Critical thinking is crucial for self-
reflection. In order to live a meaningful life
and to structure our lives accordingly, we
need to justify and reflect on our values and
decisions. Critical thinking provides the
tools for this process of self-evaluation.
 Good critical thinking is the foundation of
science and democracy. Science requires
the critical use of reason in experimentation
and theory confirmation. The proper
functioning of a liberal democracy requires
citizens who can think critically about social
issues to inform their judgments about
proper governance and to overcome biases
and prejudice.
3. Why do employers value critical thinking
skills?
Employers want job candidates who can
evaluate a situation using logical thought and
come up with the best solution. Someone with
critical thinking skills can be trusted to make
decisions on his or her own and does not need
constant handholding.
Critical thinking skills are important because
they help businesses run smoothly by solving
problems, developing solutions and creating new
ideas. Many areas of improvement like process
inefficiencies, management or finances can be
improved by using critical thought. Because of
this, employers value and seek out candidates
who have demonstrated strong critical thinking
skills.
4. What are the skills we need for critical
thinking?
 Analytical
Part of critical thinking is the ability to
carefully examine something, whether it
is a problem, a set of data, or a text.
People with analytical skills can
examine information, and then
understand what it means, and what it
represents.
 Communication
Often, you will need to share your
 conclusions with your employers or with
a group of colleagues. You need to be
able to communicate with others to
share your ideas effectively. You might
also need to engage in critical thinking
with a group. In this case, you will need
to work with others and communicate
effectively to figure out solutions to
complex problems.
 Creativity
Critical thinking often involves some
level of creativity. You might need to
spot patterns in the information you are
looking at or come up with a solution
that no one else has thought of before.
All of this involves a creative eye.
 alertness to likely future events in
order to anticipate their consequences
 understanding of the opinions of other
people
 fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning
 honesty in facing one’s own biases,
prejudices, stereotypes, or egocentric
tendencies
 prudence in suspending, making or
altering judgments
 willingness to reconsider and revise
views where honest reflection suggests
that change is warranted

 Open-Minded
To think critically, you need to be able
to put aside any assumptions or
judgments and merely analyze the
information you receive. You need to be
objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

 Problem Solving
Problem solving is another crucial
critical thinking skill that involves
analyzing a problem, generating and
implementing a solution, and assessing
the success of the plan. After all,
employers don’t simply want employees
who can think about information
critically. They also need to be able to
come up with practical solutions.

5. What are the characteristics that are

demonstrated by a critical thinker?

 inquisitiveness with regard to a wide

range of issues
 concern to become and remain well-
informed
 attentive to opportunities to use critical
thinking
 self-confidence in one’s own abilities to
reason
 open-mindedness regarding divergent
world views
 flexibility in considering alternatives
and opinions