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The Development of Critical Thinking Skills in the Biological Sciences
Author(s) -
Janssen Herbert F
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a17-d
Subject(s) - critical thinking , psychology , process (computing) , medical education , systematic process , scientific thinking , engineering ethics , mathematics education , medicine , computer science , work in process , engineering , operations management , operating system
Critical thinking is a way of life. It is learned, not taught. As such, educators at all levels must strive to provide students with opportunities to develop and practice these skills. This can be accomplished in many settings; however, active learning is an essential component of the complex mental process that results in the permanent integration. In research and medical practice alike, critical thinking skills allow the individual to consider all options, explore new approaches, and develop innovative solutions based on facts free from bias and dogma. Initiatives to develop critical thinking skills using active, investigative learning have been implemented at all levels of science education. Continuation of these efforts is essential to the development of the scientific critical thinking skills required in the medical and scientific community. Current research suggests that critical thinking skills measured with a standardized exam may not correlate with medical student performance on standardized subject exams in physiology. These results suggest that critical thinking skills may differ between subjects, and/or skills not measured by the critical thinking exam are required for successful application in this setting. Additional research is required to more accurately define how to best facilitate the acquisition, application, and assessment of scientific critical thinking skills. Supported in part by a U.S. Department of Education (FIPSE) grant number: P116B980586 awarded to Brigham Young University.