Meaning and definition of critical thinking

¶ … sphere of life, there needs to be thought process that precedes any action or decision, otherwise things would be done in erratic and haphazard manner and end up in absolute chaos and disorder. However, for better results and accurate outcomes as always envisioned and required, there is need for critical thinking. This is a step higher than merely thinking as an individual or sitting down to participate in a brainstorming session.

Critical thinking is therefore the dissection of a claim to determine whether the assertion is true, false or partially true or partially false. The ratio of partiality in the truth in an assertion can also be determined in a critical thinking process. This process hence leads to acquisition of skills or standpoints that can be mastered by the relevant persons or learned and used for better results in a process. Critical thinking is a type of reasoning and is regarded as the ideal and soften sought after results of learning or teaching to students.

Foundation for Critical Thinking (2013) quotes a statement by two scholars in critical thinking that was delivered in 1987 as "Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action." This shows that possession of a brain that can store a lot of information and remember facts does not I any way constitute critical thinking. It needs to be conceptualized, the information needs to the analyzed, applied evaluated and also synthesized by the individual to fit into the current situation and problem in order to be considered a critical thought.

Student application of critical thinking

Bearing that students are ever involved in diverse disciplines and even in the future hope to engage in diverse professions that will present challenging situations, there is need to know the application of critical thinking in order to be well equipped for the future job obligations, values and operations of organizations. One of the areas where critical thinking must and will come in handy is the critical reading where the individual will have to read and critically analyze what the instructions of the manual or direction or values of and organization needs. It is only after applying the critical thinking in reading the instructions that the individual will be able to execute the instructions therein correctly. Critical thinking skills will also be required in evaluating arguments that may be presented by a situation at work. The problems or challenges that are faced at workplace are often technical due to the multiple alternatives or options that they present hence to solve issues at workplace, the critical thinking process must be applied in the evaluation of arguments presented and coming up with the most viable among them as indicated by Moira Wilson, (2009).

Critical thinking will also be seen to be applied as a process when the individual displays a persistent effort to examine any belief or form of knowledge taking into account the evidence that is displayed against the body of knowledge and not just once and forgetting about it. This will help in a constant evaluation of the operations of an organization and make adjustments in line with the changing times as opposed to sticking to same ways even as times change.