What is Critical Thinking?
Find three credible sources that discuss critical thinking. One source should be from the assigned and/or optional readings, (Topic 1 study materials), and the other two should be found through your own research from within the library. Read the three sources and consider how they define critical thinking.
In 300-500 words, define critical thinking and expand on what skills are needed to work through the critical thinking process and/or how critical thinking is enhanced. Keep the following guidelines in mind:
The sources you found in your research may influence your definition, but your own ideas should be evident. In other words, your process should be: a) Read some definitions and descriptions of critical thinking; b) Comprehend or digest the information; and c) create a synthesized definition of critical thinking.
Paraphrasing is preferred. Include an in-text citation whenever paraphrasing or using a direct quote. Keep direct quotes between 0-3 per essay.
A reference page that documents the three sources you found (and any other resources you used) is required. Remember, all sources must be cited both in-text and on your reference page.
(Note: Do not simply reword the definitions you read. Consider how you will explain what critical thinking is.)
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Course Materials if you need assistance.
What Is Critical Thinking?
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What Is Critical Thinking?
Defining Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the art of employing cognitive strategies or skills to question the status quo inclined to attain a well-formulated objective or a more improved viewpoint concerning the subject matter (Karakoc, 2016). In the definition as mentioned above, the aspect of using cognitive skills within critical thinking practice is well-delineated in Enciso et al.’s (2017) study on critical thinking and its value in education. That said, critical thinking could be conceptualized as a philosophical approach to reflective thinking centered on using one’s reasoning abilities and logic to appraise proposed information, arguments, or communication holistically. As a reflective thinking approach, critical thinking constitutes a careful and persistent consideration of the existing knowledge or belief, making sure to question its support framework and the inferences it is inclined to suggest. In that way, a critical thinker is an increasingly skeptical person who is uncomfortable with the status and seeks to further it by questioning its scientific and theoretical basis using sound and holistic logic. This focus is captured in Heard et al.’s (2020) argument that critical thinking constitutes “reflective skepticism.” In that vein, critical thinking is an art based on rational thinking, principled thinking, self-correcting tendencies, and a context-sensitive approach to encourage a prudent and philosophical view of issues (Heard et al., 2020). That said, critical thinking could also be viewed as the process via which a skeptical person deliberately appraises existing information to create a more advanced or divergent version of it and entails careful, responsible, and holistic approaches to the procedure in its entirety.
Skills Essential for Critical Thinking Process
The critical thinking process involves defining the problem, selecting criteria to appraise potential solutions, formulating alternative solutions, tentatively ...