In our last critical thinking column we introduced the idea of intellectual standards and pointed out that all natural languages are repositories for such standards, which, when appropriately applied, serve as guides for assessing human reasoning. We argued that intellectual standards are necessary for cultivating the intellect and living a…

Students live in a world of thoughts. They accept some thoughts as true. They reject others as false. But the thoughts they perceive as true are sometimes false, unsound, or misleading. And the thoughts they perceive as false and trivial are sometimes true and significant. People don't automatically sense what is reasonable and what is…

In the last four columns the authors introduced the concept of critical thinking competency standards and elaborated a number of such standards, targeting the analysis of thought, the assessment of thought, and the cultivation of intellectual virtues. In this column they focus on three subject-specific critical thinking competency standards. It is…

In the last three columns the authors introduced the concept and provided several examples of critical thinking competency standards that target the cultivation of intellectual traits. In this column the authors continue the discussion of these competency standards that are essential to teaching and learning because they go beyond the development…

In this article the author has used 19th-century arithmetic and algebra textbooks as a way to reflect on current practices in developmental mathematics education. Five areas of special interest were found: motivation, relevance, depth, pedagogy, and textbooks. Philosophic and practical statements from vintage textbook authors remind educators of a…

In the last three columns, the authors introduced the idea of ethical reasoning, discussed its importance to education, and briefly dealt with a number of understandings essential to skilled ethical reasoning. In this column, the authors continue this discussion. They distinguish between simple and complex ethical questions and reason through an…

This paper discusses a pilot study of the effects of a curriculum focus intervention on students' prealgebra achievement. Elements of the intervention include identification of high-priority learning objective; structured repeatable testing; and a coherent, rubric-based feedback component. This research differs from traditional mastery learning…

The development of ethical reasoning abilities is vitally important--both for living an ethical life and creating an ethical world. In this article, the authors set out some of the foundations of ethical reasoning. Their aim is to introduce some important intellectual tools and understandings for insightfully reasoning through ethical issues and…

This manuscript proposes a theoretical model that provides an alternative for assessing, advising, and placing underprepared students in colleges and universities. It advocates combining cognitive and affective assessment data along with information about students' personal circumstances to make more precise placement decisions via advising that…

In the last two articles, the authors introduced the concept of Socratic questioning and its relationship to critical thinking. They illuminated how understanding the concepts embedded in critical thinking naturally generates questions. For example, a thinker who understands the elements of thought asks questions which probe the parts of thinking.…

Discusses six stages of the development of critical thinkers: unreflective, challenged, beginning, practicing, advanced, and master thinkers. For each stage, describes the defining feature, the principle challenge, the knowledge or insight into thinking expressed, and the individual's skill in thinking. (AJL)

Describes a critical thinking course in which students perform ongoing critical analyses of themselves. Argues that developmental students lack internalized knowledge. Discusses four questions that students answer throughout the course: "Who are you?""How did you get that way?""What do you want to become?" and "Who are you now?" (AJL)

Describes the following six stages that individuals go through as they develop as critical thinkers: reflective, challenged, beginning, practicing, advanced, and master thinker. For each stage, describes relevant intellectual traits, the self-assessment needed to move forward, and potential obstacles. (AJL)

Discusses the implications of the stage theory of critical thinking development. Argues that people actively pass through the predictable stages of unreflective, challenged, beginning, practicing, advanced, and master thinkers and that educators must bring critical thinking into instruction at the foundational level. Analyzes implications for…

Reviews research on the physiology of learning, suggesting the development of a new educational model consistent with natural brain development. Considers connected learning a physiological imperative. Discusses ways of using the Natural Human Learning Process (NHLP) in the classroom and the development of an NHLP curriculum unit. (27 citations)…