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Overcoming Barriers To Teaching Critical Thinking

Critical thinking (CT) has long been a goal of modern education, and its importance has been reiterated in a wide range of documents. Despite the consensus of scholars and educators on the significance of nurturing students to become critical thinkers, teaching for CT has not been a simple task because there are competing definitions and practices and many barriers to its implementation [1], [2], [3]. In this article, some definitions and components of CT are reviewed. Then, barriers to the implementation of CT are discussed. The difficulties involved in CT education are multifold including vague conceptualization of CT, lack of organized sequence in teaching CT, threatening nature of CT practice, lack of proper assessment [1], [4], [5], [6], and lack of teacher training. Finally, several approaches are suggested to overcome these barriers such as specific teacher training courses, infusion approach, continued practice, using critical challenges, considering different levels of CT, and encouraging a positive attitude toward CT. When teachers and students are aligned in pursuit of critical thinking, cognitive magic is possible and this would have a facilitative role in the learning environment.