The critical thinking debate: How general are general thinking skills?
T Moore* - Higher Education Research & Development, 2004 - Taylor & Francis
T Moore*
Higher Education Research & Development, 2004•Taylor & FrancisThis paper takes up the issue of whether the skill of critical thinking in university education is
best thought of as a broad universal generic skill or rather as only a loose category taking in
a variety of modes of thought. Through the linguistic analysis of some sample texts, I argue
that the discourse of general thinking programs should not be thought of as a generalist
discourse at all, but in fact a quite specific one. The implications both for the teaching and
testing of critical thinking are considered in the light of this position.
best thought of as a broad universal generic skill or rather as only a loose category taking in
a variety of modes of thought. Through the linguistic analysis of some sample texts, I argue
that the discourse of general thinking programs should not be thought of as a generalist
discourse at all, but in fact a quite specific one. The implications both for the teaching and
testing of critical thinking are considered in the light of this position.
This paper takes up the issue of whether the skill of critical thinking in university education is best thought of as a broad universal generic skill or rather as only a loose category taking in a variety of modes of thought. Through the linguistic analysis of some sample texts, I argue that the discourse of general thinking programs should not be thought of as a generalist discourse at all, but in fact a quite specific one. The implications both for the teaching and testing of critical thinking are considered in the light of this position.
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