critical thinking same words

Top 10 Positive & Impactful Synonyms for “Critical Thinking” (With Meanings & Examples)

By Alexis Ingram

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Analytical reasoning, reflective judgment, and thoughtful critique—positive and impactful synonyms for “critical thinking” enhance your vocabulary and help you foster a mindset geared toward making a positive impact. So, we had to ask: What are the top ten positive & impactful synonyms for “critical thinking”?

The top 10 positive & impactful synonyms for “critical thinking” are analytical reasoning, insightful analysis, reflective judgment, strategic thought, problem-solving, logical inquiry, independent thinking, objective evaluation, rational analysis, and thoughtful critique. Using these synonyms helps you enhance both your communication and psychological resilience in several meaningful ways.

In the table below, you can see all these top ten synonyms including their descriptions, why they are positive and impactful synonyms for “critical thinking,” and example sentences that highlight how you can use each of these. We’ll then also share ten benefits of why you should use these synonyms, ten interesting facts about the word “critical thinking,” and a brief history of the development of our alphabet.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | ‍ O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Here Are the Top 10 Positive & Impactful Synonyms for “Critical Thinking”

Our list of positive & impactful synonyms for “critical thinking” help you expand your vocabulary and enhance both your communication and psychological resilience in several meaningful ways ( you can read more about it in the next section ).

That’s why it’s so important to focus on synonyms that can be used in a positive and impactful way.

Critical Thinking : the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment Oxford Dictionary

Our top ten synonyms for “critical thinking” exemplify the beauty of our language—their meaning is not just fixed but can be shaped by the context they are used in. 

10 Benefits of Using More Positive & Impactful Synonyms

Our positive & impactful synonyms for “critical thinking” help you expand your vocabulary and enhance both your communication and psychological resilience in several meaningful ways:

• Encouraging Positive Framing : Using positive synonyms allows for a more optimistic and affirmative way of expressing thoughts. This can influence not only the speaker’s or writer’s mindset but also positively impact the audience’s perception and reaction.
• Improving Emotional Intelligence : Learning different positive synonyms helps in accurately expressing emotions. This aids in emotional intelligence, as one can more precisely convey feelings and understand the emotions of others.
• Enhancing Persuasive Communication : In persuasive writing and speaking, using positive synonyms can be more effective in convincing an audience, as people generally respond better to positive language.
• Broadening Emotional Vocabulary : A range of positive synonyms enriches your emotional vocabulary. It’s one thing to say you’re “happy” and another to express that you’re “elated,” “joyful,” or “content.” Each word carries a unique emotional hue.
• Creating a Positive Atmosphere : The use of positive language can create a more constructive and encouraging atmosphere in both personal and professional settings. This can lead to better teamwork, more effective communication, and improved interpersonal relationships.
• Enhancing Creative Writing : For those engaged in creative writing, a repertoire of positive synonyms can help in vividly depicting scenes, characters, and emotions, making the narrative more engaging and lively.
• Improving Mental Health and Well-being : Regularly using and thinking in terms of positive words can influence one’s mental state and outlook on life. Positive language has been linked to greater well-being and a more optimistic outlook.
• Improving Cognitive Flexibility : Expanding your vocabulary with positive synonyms enhances your cognitive flexibility. This means you become more adept at thinking creatively and adapting your language use to different situations. The mental exercise involved in learning and using a variety of positive words can also contribute to overall cognitive health, keeping your mind sharp and responsive.
• Building Social Skills and Empathy : When you have a variety of positive words at your disposal, you’re better equipped to offer compliments, encouragement, and empathetic responses in social interactions.
• Facilitating Conflict Resolution : In situations of conflict, the use of positive language can help de-escalate tension. Having a range of positive synonyms allows for more constructive and diplomatic communication.

Overall, your use of positive synonyms not only broadens your vocabulary but also positively influences your thought processes, emotional expression, and interpersonal interactions.

10 Interesting Facts About the Phrase “Critical Thinking”

Let’s take a step back and have a look at some interesting facts about the word “critical thinking” .

• Etymological Roots : The term “critical thinking” combines “critical,” from the Greek “kritikos,” meaning “able to discern,” and “thinking,” which pertains to the process of considering or reasoning about something. This combination underscores the concept’s foundation in discernment and analysis.
• Historical Development : Although the concept of critical thinking can be traced back to Socrates’ method of questioning over 2,500 years ago, the formal term “critical thinking” gained prominence in educational and philosophical discourse in the 20th century.
• Socratic Method : Socrates is often considered the father of critical thinking due to his development of the Socratic Method, which involves asking systematic questions to challenge assumptions and stimulate critical thinking.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy : In 1956, Benjamin Bloom and others developed Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework for categorizing educational goals that places critical thinking at the highest level, emphasizing its importance in learning.
• John Dewey : American philosopher and educator John Dewey is another pivotal figure in the development of the concept of critical thinking, advocating for it as an essential component of education and democracy in the early 20 th century.
• Cognitive Psychology : Research in cognitive psychology has significantly influenced the understanding of critical thinking, revealing it as a complex process that involves various cognitive skills, including analysis, evaluation, and inference.
• Critical Thinking Tests : There are standardized tests specifically designed to assess critical thinking abilities, such as the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the Cornell Critical Thinking Tests, underscoring its measurable nature.
• Global Education : Educational systems worldwide have increasingly recognized the importance of critical thinking, incorporating it into curricula and standards to prepare students for the challenges of the modern world.
• Interdisciplinary Relevance : Critical thinking is valued across disciplines, from the sciences and humanities to business and law, demonstrating its universal applicability in problem-solving and decision-making.
• Technology and Critical Thinking : The rise of digital media has both challenged and facilitated critical thinking, with the vast availability of information necessitating enhanced skills in analysis and evaluation to discern truth from misinformation.

A Brief History of Our Alphabet

The story of our alphabet has a rich and compelling history , beginning with ancient civilizations and carrying forward into the present day.

The history of our modern alphabet is a fascinating journey that spans several millennia and cultures. It’s commonly referred to as the Latin or Roman alphabet, and here’s a brief overview of its evolution:

• Phoenician Alphabet (circa 1050 BCE) : The story begins with the Phoenician alphabet, one of the oldest writing systems known to use a one-to-one correspondence between sounds and symbols. This Semitic alphabet had about 22 consonants, but no vowels, and was primarily used for trade.
• Greek Alphabet (circa 800 BCE) : The Greeks borrowed and adapted the Phoenician script. Crucially, they introduced vowels, making it one of the first true alphabets where each symbol represented a distinct sound (both vowel and consonant). The Greek alphabet had a significant influence on the development of other alphabets.
• Etruscan Alphabet (circa 700 BCE) : The Etruscan civilization in Italy adapted the Greek alphabet to their own language. While Etruscan was largely replaced by Latin, their version of the alphabet was a key predecessor to the Roman one.
• Latin Alphabet (circa 700 BCE – Present) : The Latin alphabet emerged from the adaptation of the Etruscan script. Ancient Rome used this alphabet, and it spread across Europe as the Roman Empire expanded. The original Latin alphabet did not contain the letters J, U, and W. These were added much later along with other modifications to suit different languages and phonetic needs.
• Modern Variations : Today, the Latin alphabet is the most widely used alphabetic writing system in the world. It has undergone various changes to accommodate different languages and sounds. For instance, English—among other languages—added letters like ‘J’, ‘U’, and ‘W’, while other languages incorporate additional characters like ‘Ñ’ in Spanish or ‘Ç’ in French.

This evolution reflects not just linguistic changes but also cultural and historical shifts, as the alphabet was adapted by different societies across centuries.

Final Thoughts

Expanding your vocabulary is akin to broadening your intellectual horizons and enhancing your capacity to express your thoughts and emotions with precision. By embracing additional synonyms for “critical thinking,” you’re not just learning new terms, but you’re also gaining nuanced ways to communicate positivity and impact.

The more words you have at your disposal, the more accurately and vividly you can paint your thoughts into speech and writing. So, by growing your vocabulary, especially with positive and impactful words, you’re empowering yourself to engage more effectively and inspiringly with the world around you.

• Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Why a Simple Act of Kindness Is Not as Simple as It Seems: Underestimating the Positive Impact of Our Compliments on Others
• Journal of Personality: Psychological Resilience and Positive Emotional Granularity: Examining the Benefits of Positive Emotions on Coping and Health
• David Sacks: Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet From A to Z
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With A
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With B
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With C
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With D
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With E
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With F
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With G
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With H
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With I
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With J
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With K
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With L
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With M
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With N
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With O
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With P
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With Q
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With R
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With S
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With T
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With U
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With V
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With W
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With X
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With Y
• Impactful Ninja: Positive & Impactful Words Starting With Z

Alexis Ingram

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• What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .

To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .

Critical thinking skills help you to:

• Identify credible sources
• Evaluate and respond to arguments
• Assess alternative viewpoints
• Test hypotheses against relevant criteria

Table of contents

Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.

Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.

Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.

In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:

• Is free from research bias
• Provides evidence to support its research findings
• Considers alternative viewpoints

Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.

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Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.

Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.

Academic examples

However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.

You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.

Nonacademic examples

However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.

You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.

There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.

However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

When encountering information, ask:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field?
• What do they say? Is their argument clear? Can you summarize it?
• When did they say this? Is the source current?
• Where is the information published? Is it an academic article? Is it peer-reviewed ?
• Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it rely on opinion, speculation, or appeals to emotion ? Do they address alternative arguments?

Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:

• Am I only considering evidence that supports my preconceptions?
• Is my argument expressed clearly and backed up with credible sources?
• Would I be convinced by this argument coming from someone else?

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

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Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Critical thinking skills include the ability to:

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test  and follow these guidelines:

• The information should be up to date and current.
• The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
• The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
• For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.

Being information literate means that you:

• Know how to find credible sources
• Use relevant sources to inform your research
• Understand what constitutes plagiarism
• Know how to cite your sources correctly

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.

Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.

On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.

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41+ Critical Thinking Examples (Definition + Practices)

Critical thinking is an essential skill in our information-overloaded world, where figuring out what is fact and fiction has become increasingly challenging.

But why is critical thinking essential? Put, critical thinking empowers us to make better decisions, challenge and validate our beliefs and assumptions, and understand and interact with the world more effectively and meaningfully.

Critical thinking is like using your brain's "superpowers" to make smart choices. Whether it's picking the right insurance, deciding what to do in a job, or discussing topics in school, thinking deeply helps a lot. In the next parts, we'll share real-life examples of when this superpower comes in handy and give you some fun exercises to practice it.

Critical Thinking Process Outline

Critical thinking means thinking clearly and fairly without letting personal feelings get in the way. It's like being a detective, trying to solve a mystery by using clues and thinking hard about them.

It isn't always easy to think critically, as it can take a pretty smart person to see some of the questions that aren't being answered in a certain situation. But, we can train our brains to think more like puzzle solvers, which can help develop our critical thinking skills.

Here's what it looks like step by step:

Spotting the Problem: It's like discovering a puzzle to solve. You see that there's something you need to figure out or decide.

Collecting Clues: Now, you need to gather information. Maybe you read about it, watch a video, talk to people, or do some research. It's like getting all the pieces to solve your puzzle.

Breaking It Down: This is where you look at all your clues and try to see how they fit together. You're asking questions like: Why did this happen? What could happen next?

Checking Your Clues: You want to make sure your information is good. This means seeing if what you found out is true and if you can trust where it came from.

Making a Guess: After looking at all your clues, you think about what they mean and come up with an answer. This answer is like your best guess based on what you know.

Explaining Your Thoughts: Now, you tell others how you solved the puzzle. You explain how you thought about it and how you answered. 

Checking Your Work: This is like looking back and seeing if you missed anything. Did you make any mistakes? Did you let any personal feelings get in the way? This step helps make sure your thinking is clear and fair.

And remember, you might sometimes need to go back and redo some steps if you discover something new. If you realize you missed an important clue, you might have to go back and collect more information.

Critical Thinking Methods

Just like doing push-ups or running helps our bodies get stronger, there are special exercises that help our brains think better. These brain workouts push us to think harder, look at things closely, and ask many questions.

It's not always about finding the "right" answer. Instead, it's about the journey of thinking and asking "why" or "how." Doing these exercises often helps us become better thinkers and makes us curious to know more about the world.

Now, let's look at some brain workouts to help us think better:

1. "What If" Scenarios

Imagine crazy things happening, like, "What if there was no internet for a month? What would we do?" These games help us think of new and different ideas.

Pick a hot topic. Argue one side of it and then try arguing the opposite. This makes us see different viewpoints and think deeply about a topic.

3. Analyze Visual Data

Check out charts or pictures with lots of numbers and info but no explanations. What story are they telling? This helps us get better at understanding information just by looking at it.

4. Mind Mapping

Write an idea in the center and then draw lines to related ideas. It's like making a map of your thoughts. This helps us see how everything is connected.

There's lots of mind-mapping software , but it's also nice to do this by hand.

5. Weekly Diary

Every week, write about what happened, the choices you made, and what you learned. Writing helps us think about our actions and how we can do better.

6. Evaluating Information Sources

Collect stories or articles about one topic from newspapers or blogs. Which ones are trustworthy? Which ones might be a little biased? This teaches us to be smart about where we get our info.

There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not.

7. Socratic Questioning

This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic. You can do this by yourself or chat with a friend.

Start with a Big Question:

"What does 'success' mean?"

Dive Deeper with More Questions:

"Why do you think of success that way?" "Do TV shows, friends, or family make you think that?" "Does everyone think about success the same way?"

"Can someone be a winner even if they aren't rich or famous?" "Can someone feel like they didn't succeed, even if everyone else thinks they did?"

Look for Real-life Examples:

"Who is someone you think is successful? Why?" "Was there a time you felt like a winner? What happened?"

Think About Other People's Views:

"How might a person from another country think about success?" "Does the idea of success change as we grow up or as our life changes?"

Think About What It Means:

"How does your idea of success shape what you want in life?" "Are there problems with only wanting to be rich or famous?"

Look Back and Think:

"After talking about this, did your idea of success change? How?" "Did you learn something new about what success means?"

8. Six Thinking Hats 

Edward de Bono came up with a cool way to solve problems by thinking in six different ways, like wearing different colored hats. You can do this independently, but it might be more effective in a group so everyone can have a different hat color. Each color has its way of thinking:

White Hat (Facts): Just the facts! Ask, "What do we know? What do we need to find out?"

Red Hat (Feelings): Talk about feelings. Ask, "How do I feel about this?"

Black Hat (Careful Thinking): Be cautious. Ask, "What could go wrong?"

Yellow Hat (Positive Thinking): Look on the bright side. Ask, "What's good about this?"

Green Hat (Creative Thinking): Think of new ideas. Ask, "What's another way to look at this?"

Blue Hat (Planning): Organize the talk. Ask, "What should we do next?"

When using this method with a group:

• Explain all the hats.
• Decide which hat to wear first.
• Make sure everyone switches hats at the same time.
• Finish with the Blue Hat to plan the next steps.

9. SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is like a game plan for businesses to know where they stand and where they should go. "SWOT" stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

There are a lot of SWOT templates out there for how to do this visually, but you can also think it through. It doesn't just apply to businesses but can be a good way to decide if a project you're working on is working.

Strengths: What's working well? Ask, "What are we good at?"

Weaknesses: Where can we do better? Ask, "Where can we improve?"

Opportunities: What good things might come our way? Ask, "What chances can we grab?"

Threats: What challenges might we face? Ask, "What might make things tough for us?"

Steps to do a SWOT Analysis:

• Goal: Decide what you want to find out.
• Research: Learn about your business and the world around it.
• Brainstorm: Get a group and think together. Talk about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Pick the Most Important Points: Some things might be more urgent or important than others.
• Make a Plan: Decide what to do based on your SWOT list.
• Check Again Later: Things change, so look at your SWOT again after a while to update it.

Now that you have a few tools for thinking critically, let’s get into some specific examples.

Everyday Examples

Life is a series of decisions. From the moment we wake up, we're faced with choices – some trivial, like choosing a breakfast cereal, and some more significant, like buying a home or confronting an ethical dilemma at work. While it might seem that these decisions are disparate, they all benefit from the application of critical thinking.

10. Deciding to buy something

Imagine you want a new phone. Don't just buy it because the ad looks cool. Think about what you need in a phone. Look up different phones and see what people say about them. Choose the one that's the best deal for what you want.

11. Deciding what is true

There's a lot of news everywhere. Don't believe everything right away. Think about why someone might be telling you this. Check if what you're reading or watching is true. Make up your mind after you've looked into it.

12. Deciding when you’re wrong

Sometimes, friends can have disagreements. Don't just get mad right away. Try to see where they're coming from. Talk about what's going on. Find a way to fix the problem that's fair for everyone.

13. Deciding what to eat

There's always a new diet or exercise that's popular. Don't just follow it because it's trendy. Find out if it's good for you. Ask someone who knows, like a doctor. Make choices that make you feel good and stay healthy.

14. Deciding what to do today

Everyone is busy with school, chores, and hobbies. Make a list of things you need to do. Decide which ones are most important. Plan your day so you can get things done and still have fun.

15. Making Tough Choices

Sometimes, it's hard to know what's right. Think about how each choice will affect you and others. Talk to people you trust about it. Choose what feels right in your heart and is fair to others.

16. Planning for the Future

Big decisions, like where to go to school, can be tricky. Think about what you want in the future. Look at the good and bad of each choice. Talk to people who know about it. Pick what feels best for your dreams and goals.

Job Examples

17. solving problems.

Workers brainstorm ways to fix a machine quickly without making things worse when a machine breaks at a factory.

18. Decision Making

A store manager decides which products to order more of based on what's selling best.

19. Setting Goals

A team leader helps their team decide what tasks are most important to finish this month and which can wait.

20. Evaluating Ideas

At a team meeting, everyone shares ideas for a new project. The group discusses each idea's pros and cons before picking one.

21. Handling Conflict

Two workers disagree on how to do a job. Instead of arguing, they talk calmly, listen to each other, and find a solution they both like.

22. Improving Processes

A cashier thinks of a faster way to ring up items so customers don't have to wait as long.

23. Asking Questions

Before starting a big task, an employee asks for clear instructions and checks if they have the necessary tools.

24. Checking Facts

Before presenting a report, someone double-checks all their information to make sure there are no mistakes.

25. Planning for the Future

A business owner thinks about what might happen in the next few years, like new competitors or changes in what customers want, and makes plans based on those thoughts.

26. Understanding Perspectives

A team is designing a new toy. They think about what kids and parents would both like instead of just what they think is fun.

School Examples

27. researching a topic.

For a history project, a student looks up different sources to understand an event from multiple viewpoints.

28. Debating an Issue

In a class discussion, students pick sides on a topic, like school uniforms, and share reasons to support their views.

29. Evaluating Sources

While writing an essay, a student checks if the information from a website is trustworthy or might be biased.

30. Problem Solving in Math

When stuck on a tricky math problem, a student tries different methods to find the answer instead of giving up.

31. Analyzing Literature

In English class, students discuss why a character in a book made certain choices and what those decisions reveal about them.

32. Testing a Hypothesis

For a science experiment, students guess what will happen and then conduct tests to see if they're right or wrong.

33. Giving Peer Feedback

After reading a classmate's essay, a student offers suggestions for improving it.

34. Questioning Assumptions

In a geography lesson, students consider why certain countries are called "developed" and what that label means.

35. Designing a Study

For a psychology project, students plan an experiment to understand how people's memories work and think of ways to ensure accurate results.

36. Interpreting Data

In a science class, students look at charts and graphs from a study, then discuss what the information tells them and if there are any patterns.

Critical Thinking Puzzles

Not all scenarios will have a single correct answer that can be figured out by thinking critically. Sometimes we have to think critically about ethical choices or moral behaviors. 

Here are some mind games and scenarios you can solve using critical thinking. You can see the solution(s) at the end of the post.

37. The Farmer, Fox, Chicken, and Grain Problem

A farmer is at a riverbank with a fox, a chicken, and a grain bag. He needs to get all three items across the river. However, his boat can only carry himself and one of the three items at a time. 

Here's the challenge:

• If the fox is left alone with the chicken, the fox will eat the chicken.
• If the chicken is left alone with the grain, the chicken will eat the grain.

How can the farmer get all three items across the river without any item being eaten? 

38. The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem

You are in a room with two long ropes hanging from the ceiling. Each rope is just out of arm's reach from the other, so you can't hold onto one rope and reach the other simultaneously. 

Your task is to tie the two rope ends together, but you can't move the position where they hang from the ceiling.

You are given a jar full of pebbles. How do you complete the task?

39. The Two Guards Problem

Imagine there are two doors. One door leads to certain doom, and the other leads to freedom. You don't know which is which.

In front of each door stands a guard. One guard always tells the truth. The other guard always lies. You don't know which guard is which.

You can ask only one question to one of the guards. What question should you ask to find the door that leads to freedom?

40. The Hourglass Problem

You have two hourglasses. One measures 7 minutes when turned over, and the other measures 4 minutes. Using just these hourglasses, how can you time exactly 9 minutes?

41. The Lifeboat Dilemma

Imagine you're on a ship that's sinking. You get on a lifeboat, but it's already too full and might flip over. 

Nearby in the water, five people are struggling: a scientist close to finding a cure for a sickness, an old couple who've been together for a long time, a mom with three kids waiting at home, and a tired teenager who helped save others but is now in danger. 

You can only save one person without making the boat flip. Who would you choose?

42. The Tech Dilemma

You work at a tech company and help make a computer program to help small businesses. You're almost ready to share it with everyone, but you find out there might be a small chance it has a problem that could show users' private info. 

If you decide to fix it, you must wait two more months before sharing it. But your bosses want you to share it now. What would you do?

43. The History Mystery

Dr. Amelia is a history expert. She's studying where a group of people traveled long ago. She reads old letters and documents to learn about it. But she finds some letters that tell a different story than what most people believe. 

If she says this new story is true, it could change what people learn in school and what they think about history. What should she do?

The Role of Bias in Critical Thinking

Have you ever decided you don’t like someone before you even know them? Or maybe someone shared an idea with you that you immediately loved without even knowing all the details. 

This experience is called bias, which occurs when you like or dislike something or someone without a good reason or knowing why. It can also take shape in certain reactions to situations, like a habit or instinct. 

Bias comes from our own experiences, what friends or family tell us, or even things we are born believing. Sometimes, bias can help us stay safe, but other times it stops us from seeing the truth.

Not all bias is bad. Bias can be a mechanism for assessing our potential safety in a new situation. If we are biased to think that anything long, thin, and curled up is a snake, we might assume the rope is something to be afraid of before we know it is just a rope.

While bias might serve us in some situations (like jumping out of the way of an actual snake before we have time to process that we need to be jumping out of the way), it often harms our ability to think critically.

How Bias Gets in the Way of Good Thinking

Selective Perception: We only notice things that match our ideas and ignore the rest. 

It's like only picking red candies from a mixed bowl because you think they taste the best, but they taste the same as every other candy in the bowl. It could also be when we see all the signs that our partner is cheating on us but choose to ignore them because we are happy the way we are (or at least, we think we are).

Agreeing with Yourself: This is called “ confirmation bias ” when we only listen to ideas that match our own and seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms what we already think we know or believe. 

An example is when someone wants to know if it is safe to vaccinate their children but already believes that vaccines are not safe, so they only look for information supporting the idea that vaccines are bad.

Thinking We Know It All: Similar to confirmation bias, this is called “overconfidence bias.” Sometimes we think our ideas are the best and don't listen to others. This can stop us from learning.

Have you ever met someone who you consider a “know it”? Probably, they have a lot of overconfidence bias because while they may know many things accurately, they can’t know everything. Still, if they act like they do, they show overconfidence bias.

There's a weird kind of bias similar to this called the Dunning Kruger Effect, and that is when someone is bad at what they do, but they believe and act like they are the best .

Following the Crowd: This is formally called “groupthink”. It's hard to speak up with a different idea if everyone agrees. But this can lead to mistakes.

An example of this we’ve all likely seen is the cool clique in primary school. There is usually one person that is the head of the group, the “coolest kid in school”, and everyone listens to them and does what they want, even if they don’t think it’s a good idea.

How to Overcome Biases

Here are a few ways to learn to think better, free from our biases (or at least aware of them!).

Know Your Biases: Realize that everyone has biases. If we know about them, we can think better.

Listen to Different People: Talking to different kinds of people can give us new ideas.

Ask Why: Always ask yourself why you believe something. Is it true, or is it just a bias?

Understand Others: Try to think about how others feel. It helps you see things in new ways.

Keep Learning: Always be curious and open to new information.

In today's world, everything changes fast, and there's so much information everywhere. This makes critical thinking super important. It helps us distinguish between what's real and what's made up. It also helps us make good choices. But thinking this way can be tough sometimes because of biases. These are like sneaky thoughts that can trick us. The good news is we can learn to see them and think better.

There are cool tools and ways we've talked about, like the "Socratic Questioning" method and the "Six Thinking Hats." These tools help us get better at thinking. These thinking skills can also help us in school, work, and everyday life.

We’ve also looked at specific scenarios where critical thinking would be helpful, such as deciding what diet to follow and checking facts.

Thinking isn't just a skill—it's a special talent we improve over time. Working on it lets us see things more clearly and understand the world better. So, keep practicing and asking questions! It'll make you a smarter thinker and help you see the world differently.

Critical Thinking Puzzles (Solutions)

The farmer, fox, chicken, and grain problem.

• The farmer first takes the chicken across the river and leaves it on the other side.
• He returns to the original side and takes the fox across the river.
• After leaving the fox on the other side, he returns the chicken to the starting side.
• He leaves the chicken on the starting side and takes the grain bag across the river.
• He leaves the grain with the fox on the other side and returns to get the chicken.
• The farmer takes the chicken across, and now all three items -- the fox, the chicken, and the grain -- are safely on the other side of the river.

The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem

• Take one rope and tie the jar of pebbles to its end.
• Swing the rope with the jar in a pendulum motion.
• While the rope is swinging, grab the other rope and wait.
• As the swinging rope comes back within reach due to its pendulum motion, grab it.
• With both ropes within reach, untie the jar and tie the rope ends together.

The Two Guards Problem

The question is, "What would the other guard say is the door to doom?" Then choose the opposite door.

The Hourglass Problem

• Start both hourglasses. 
• When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over.
• When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, the 4-minute hourglass will have been running for 3 minutes. Turn the 7-minute hourglass over. 
• When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the second time (a total of 8 minutes have passed), the 7-minute hourglass will run for 1 minute. Turn the 7-minute hourglass again for 1 minute to empty the hourglass (a total of 9 minutes passed).

The Boat and Weights Problem

Take the cat over first and leave it on the other side. Then, return and take the fish across next. When you get there, take the cat back with you. Leave the cat on the starting side and take the cat food across. Lastly, return to get the cat and bring it to the other side.

The Lifeboat Dilemma

There isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:

• Moral Principles: What values guide your decision? Is it the potential greater good for humanity (the scientist)? What is the value of long-standing love and commitment (the elderly couple)? What is the future of young children who depend on their mothers? Or the selfless bravery of the teenager?
• Future Implications: Consider the future consequences of each choice. Saving the scientist might benefit millions in the future, but what moral message does it send about the value of individual lives?
• Emotional vs. Logical Thinking: While it's essential to engage empathy, it's also crucial not to let emotions cloud judgment entirely. For instance, while the teenager's bravery is commendable, does it make him more deserving of a spot on the boat than the others?
• Acknowledging Uncertainty: The scientist claims to be close to a significant breakthrough, but there's no certainty. How does this uncertainty factor into your decision?
• Personal Bias: Recognize and challenge any personal biases, such as biases towards age, profession, or familial status.

The Tech Dilemma

Again, there isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:

• Evaluate the Risk: How severe is the potential vulnerability? Can it be easily exploited, or would it require significant expertise? Even if the circumstances are rare, what would be the consequences if the vulnerability were exploited?
• Stakeholder Considerations: Different stakeholders will have different priorities. Upper management might prioritize financial projections, the marketing team might be concerned about the product's reputation, and customers might prioritize the security of their data. How do you balance these competing interests?
• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Implications: While launching on time could meet immediate financial goals, consider the potential long-term damage to the company's reputation if the vulnerability is exploited. Would the short-term gains be worth the potential long-term costs?
• Ethical Implications : Beyond the financial and reputational aspects, there's an ethical dimension to consider. Is it right to release a product with a known vulnerability, even if the chances of it being exploited are low?
• Seek External Input: Consulting with cybersecurity experts outside your company might be beneficial. They could provide a more objective risk assessment and potential mitigation strategies.
• Communication: How will you communicate the decision, whatever it may be, both internally to your team and upper management and externally to your customers and potential users?

The History Mystery

Dr. Amelia should take the following steps:

• Verify the Letters: Before making any claims, she should check if the letters are actual and not fake. She can do this by seeing when and where they were written and if they match with other things from that time.
• Get a Second Opinion: It's always good to have someone else look at what you've found. Dr. Amelia could show the letters to other history experts and see their thoughts.
• Research More: Maybe there are more documents or letters out there that support this new story. Dr. Amelia should keep looking to see if she can find more evidence.
• Share the Findings: If Dr. Amelia believes the letters are true after all her checks, she should tell others. This can be through books, talks, or articles.
• Stay Open to Feedback: Some people might agree with Dr. Amelia, and others might not. She should listen to everyone and be ready to learn more or change her mind if new information arises.

Ultimately, Dr. Amelia's job is to find out the truth about history and share it. It's okay if this new truth differs from what people used to believe. History is about learning from the past, no matter the story.

Related posts:

• Experimenter Bias (Definition + Examples)
• Hasty Generalization Fallacy (31 Examples + Similar Names)
• Ad Hoc Fallacy (29 Examples + Other Names)
• Confirmation Bias (Examples + Definition)
• Equivocation Fallacy (26 Examples + Description)

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Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a widely accepted educational goal. Its definition is contested, but the competing definitions can be understood as differing conceptions of the same basic concept: careful thinking directed to a goal. Conceptions differ with respect to the scope of such thinking, the type of goal, the criteria and norms for thinking carefully, and the thinking components on which they focus. Its adoption as an educational goal has been recommended on the basis of respect for students’ autonomy and preparing students for success in life and for democratic citizenship. “Critical thinkers” have the dispositions and abilities that lead them to think critically when appropriate. The abilities can be identified directly; the dispositions indirectly, by considering what factors contribute to or impede exercise of the abilities. Standardized tests have been developed to assess the degree to which a person possesses such dispositions and abilities. Educational intervention has been shown experimentally to improve them, particularly when it includes dialogue, anchored instruction, and mentoring. Controversies have arisen over the generalizability of critical thinking across domains, over alleged bias in critical thinking theories and instruction, and over the relationship of critical thinking to other types of thinking.

2.1 Dewey’s Three Main Examples

2.2 dewey’s other examples, 2.3 further examples, 2.4 non-examples, 3. the definition of critical thinking, 4. its value, 5. the process of thinking critically, 6. components of the process, 7. contributory dispositions and abilities, 8.1 initiating dispositions, 8.2 internal dispositions, 9. critical thinking abilities, 10. required knowledge, 11. educational methods, 12.1 the generalizability of critical thinking, 12.2 bias in critical thinking theory and pedagogy, 12.3 relationship of critical thinking to other types of thinking, other internet resources, related entries.

Use of the term ‘critical thinking’ to describe an educational goal goes back to the American philosopher John Dewey (1910), who more commonly called it ‘reflective thinking’. He defined it as

active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it, and the further conclusions to which it tends. (Dewey 1910: 6; 1933: 9)

and identified a habit of such consideration with a scientific attitude of mind. His lengthy quotations of Francis Bacon, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill indicate that he was not the first person to propose development of a scientific attitude of mind as an educational goal.

In the 1930s, many of the schools that participated in the Eight-Year Study of the Progressive Education Association (Aikin 1942) adopted critical thinking as an educational goal, for whose achievement the study’s Evaluation Staff developed tests (Smith, Tyler, & Evaluation Staff 1942). Glaser (1941) showed experimentally that it was possible to improve the critical thinking of high school students. Bloom’s influential taxonomy of cognitive educational objectives (Bloom et al. 1956) incorporated critical thinking abilities. Ennis (1962) proposed 12 aspects of critical thinking as a basis for research on the teaching and evaluation of critical thinking ability.

Since 1980, an annual international conference in California on critical thinking and educational reform has attracted tens of thousands of educators from all levels of education and from many parts of the world. Also since 1980, the state university system in California has required all undergraduate students to take a critical thinking course. Since 1983, the Association for Informal Logic and Critical Thinking has sponsored sessions in conjunction with the divisional meetings of the American Philosophical Association (APA). In 1987, the APA’s Committee on Pre-College Philosophy commissioned a consensus statement on critical thinking for purposes of educational assessment and instruction (Facione 1990a). Researchers have developed standardized tests of critical thinking abilities and dispositions; for details, see the Supplement on Assessment . Educational jurisdictions around the world now include critical thinking in guidelines for curriculum and assessment.

For details on this history, see the Supplement on History .

2. Examples and Non-Examples

Before considering the definition of critical thinking, it will be helpful to have in mind some examples of critical thinking, as well as some examples of kinds of thinking that would apparently not count as critical thinking.

Dewey (1910: 68–71; 1933: 91–94) takes as paradigms of reflective thinking three class papers of students in which they describe their thinking. The examples range from the everyday to the scientific.

Transit : “The other day, when I was down town on 16th Street, a clock caught my eye. I saw that the hands pointed to 12:20. This suggested that I had an engagement at 124th Street, at one o’clock. I reasoned that as it had taken me an hour to come down on a surface car, I should probably be twenty minutes late if I returned the same way. I might save twenty minutes by a subway express. But was there a station near? If not, I might lose more than twenty minutes in looking for one. Then I thought of the elevated, and I saw there was such a line within two blocks. But where was the station? If it were several blocks above or below the street I was on, I should lose time instead of gaining it. My mind went back to the subway express as quicker than the elevated; furthermore, I remembered that it went nearer than the elevated to the part of 124th Street I wished to reach, so that time would be saved at the end of the journey. I concluded in favor of the subway, and reached my destination by one o’clock.” (Dewey 1910: 68–69; 1933: 91–92)

Ferryboat : “Projecting nearly horizontally from the upper deck of the ferryboat on which I daily cross the river is a long white pole, having a gilded ball at its tip. It suggested a flagpole when I first saw it; its color, shape, and gilded ball agreed with this idea, and these reasons seemed to justify me in this belief. But soon difficulties presented themselves. The pole was nearly horizontal, an unusual position for a flagpole; in the next place, there was no pulley, ring, or cord by which to attach a flag; finally, there were elsewhere on the boat two vertical staffs from which flags were occasionally flown. It seemed probable that the pole was not there for flag-flying.

“I then tried to imagine all possible purposes of the pole, and to consider for which of these it was best suited: (a) Possibly it was an ornament. But as all the ferryboats and even the tugboats carried poles, this hypothesis was rejected. (b) Possibly it was the terminal of a wireless telegraph. But the same considerations made this improbable. Besides, the more natural place for such a terminal would be the highest part of the boat, on top of the pilot house. (c) Its purpose might be to point out the direction in which the boat is moving.

“In support of this conclusion, I discovered that the pole was lower than the pilot house, so that the steersman could easily see it. Moreover, the tip was enough higher than the base, so that, from the pilot’s position, it must appear to project far out in front of the boat. Moreover, the pilot being near the front of the boat, he would need some such guide as to its direction. Tugboats would also need poles for such a purpose. This hypothesis was so much more probable than the others that I accepted it. I formed the conclusion that the pole was set up for the purpose of showing the pilot the direction in which the boat pointed, to enable him to steer correctly.” (Dewey 1910: 69–70; 1933: 92–93)

Bubbles : “In washing tumblers in hot soapsuds and placing them mouth downward on a plate, bubbles appeared on the outside of the mouth of the tumblers and then went inside. Why? The presence of bubbles suggests air, which I note must come from inside the tumbler. I see that the soapy water on the plate prevents escape of the air save as it may be caught in bubbles. But why should air leave the tumbler? There was no substance entering to force it out. It must have expanded. It expands by increase of heat, or by decrease of pressure, or both. Could the air have become heated after the tumbler was taken from the hot suds? Clearly not the air that was already entangled in the water. If heated air was the cause, cold air must have entered in transferring the tumblers from the suds to the plate. I test to see if this supposition is true by taking several more tumblers out. Some I shake so as to make sure of entrapping cold air in them. Some I take out holding mouth downward in order to prevent cold air from entering. Bubbles appear on the outside of every one of the former and on none of the latter. I must be right in my inference. Air from the outside must have been expanded by the heat of the tumbler, which explains the appearance of the bubbles on the outside. But why do they then go inside? Cold contracts. The tumbler cooled and also the air inside it. Tension was removed, and hence bubbles appeared inside. To be sure of this, I test by placing a cup of ice on the tumbler while the bubbles are still forming outside. They soon reverse” (Dewey 1910: 70–71; 1933: 93–94).

Dewey (1910, 1933) sprinkles his book with other examples of critical thinking. We will refer to the following.

Weather : A man on a walk notices that it has suddenly become cool, thinks that it is probably going to rain, looks up and sees a dark cloud obscuring the sun, and quickens his steps (1910: 6–10; 1933: 9–13).

Disorder : A man finds his rooms on his return to them in disorder with his belongings thrown about, thinks at first of burglary as an explanation, then thinks of mischievous children as being an alternative explanation, then looks to see whether valuables are missing, and discovers that they are (1910: 82–83; 1933: 166–168).

Typhoid : A physician diagnosing a patient whose conspicuous symptoms suggest typhoid avoids drawing a conclusion until more data are gathered by questioning the patient and by making tests (1910: 85–86; 1933: 170).

Blur : A moving blur catches our eye in the distance, we ask ourselves whether it is a cloud of whirling dust or a tree moving its branches or a man signaling to us, we think of other traits that should be found on each of those possibilities, and we look and see if those traits are found (1910: 102, 108; 1933: 121, 133).

Suction pump : In thinking about the suction pump, the scientist first notes that it will draw water only to a maximum height of 33 feet at sea level and to a lesser maximum height at higher elevations, selects for attention the differing atmospheric pressure at these elevations, sets up experiments in which the air is removed from a vessel containing water (when suction no longer works) and in which the weight of air at various levels is calculated, compares the results of reasoning about the height to which a given weight of air will allow a suction pump to raise water with the observed maximum height at different elevations, and finally assimilates the suction pump to such apparently different phenomena as the siphon and the rising of a balloon (1910: 150–153; 1933: 195–198).

Diamond : A passenger in a car driving in a diamond lane reserved for vehicles with at least one passenger notices that the diamond marks on the pavement are far apart in some places and close together in others. Why? The driver suggests that the reason may be that the diamond marks are not needed where there is a solid double line separating the diamond lane from the adjoining lane, but are needed when there is a dotted single line permitting crossing into the diamond lane. Further observation confirms that the diamonds are close together when a dotted line separates the diamond lane from its neighbour, but otherwise far apart.

Rash : A woman suddenly develops a very itchy red rash on her throat and upper chest. She recently noticed a mark on the back of her right hand, but was not sure whether the mark was a rash or a scrape. She lies down in bed and thinks about what might be causing the rash and what to do about it. About two weeks before, she began taking blood pressure medication that contained a sulfa drug, and the pharmacist had warned her, in view of a previous allergic reaction to a medication containing a sulfa drug, to be on the alert for an allergic reaction; however, she had been taking the medication for two weeks with no such effect. The day before, she began using a new cream on her neck and upper chest; against the new cream as the cause was mark on the back of her hand, which had not been exposed to the cream. She began taking probiotics about a month before. She also recently started new eye drops, but she supposed that manufacturers of eye drops would be careful not to include allergy-causing components in the medication. The rash might be a heat rash, since she recently was sweating profusely from her upper body. Since she is about to go away on a short vacation, where she would not have access to her usual physician, she decides to keep taking the probiotics and using the new eye drops but to discontinue the blood pressure medication and to switch back to the old cream for her neck and upper chest. She forms a plan to consult her regular physician on her return about the blood pressure medication.

Candidate : Although Dewey included no examples of thinking directed at appraising the arguments of others, such thinking has come to be considered a kind of critical thinking. We find an example of such thinking in the performance task on the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+), which its sponsoring organization describes as

a performance-based assessment that provides a measure of an institution’s contribution to the development of critical-thinking and written communication skills of its students. (Council for Aid to Education 2017)

A sample task posted on its website requires the test-taker to write a report for public distribution evaluating a fictional candidate’s policy proposals and their supporting arguments, using supplied background documents, with a recommendation on whether to endorse the candidate.

Immediate acceptance of an idea that suggests itself as a solution to a problem (e.g., a possible explanation of an event or phenomenon, an action that seems likely to produce a desired result) is “uncritical thinking, the minimum of reflection” (Dewey 1910: 13). On-going suspension of judgment in the light of doubt about a possible solution is not critical thinking (Dewey 1910: 108). Critique driven by a dogmatically held political or religious ideology is not critical thinking; thus Paulo Freire (1968 [1970]) is using the term (e.g., at 1970: 71, 81, 100, 146) in a more politically freighted sense that includes not only reflection but also revolutionary action against oppression. Derivation of a conclusion from given data using an algorithm is not critical thinking.

What is critical thinking? There are many definitions. Ennis (2016) lists 14 philosophically oriented scholarly definitions and three dictionary definitions. Following Rawls (1971), who distinguished his conception of justice from a utilitarian conception but regarded them as rival conceptions of the same concept, Ennis maintains that the 17 definitions are different conceptions of the same concept. Rawls articulated the shared concept of justice as

a characteristic set of principles for assigning basic rights and duties and for determining… the proper distribution of the benefits and burdens of social cooperation. (Rawls 1971: 5)

Bailin et al. (1999b) claim that, if one considers what sorts of thinking an educator would take not to be critical thinking and what sorts to be critical thinking, one can conclude that educators typically understand critical thinking to have at least three features.

• It is done for the purpose of making up one’s mind about what to believe or do.
• The person engaging in the thinking is trying to fulfill standards of adequacy and accuracy appropriate to the thinking.
• The thinking fulfills the relevant standards to some threshold level.

One could sum up the core concept that involves these three features by saying that critical thinking is careful goal-directed thinking. This core concept seems to apply to all the examples of critical thinking described in the previous section. As for the non-examples, their exclusion depends on construing careful thinking as excluding jumping immediately to conclusions, suspending judgment no matter how strong the evidence, reasoning from an unquestioned ideological or religious perspective, and routinely using an algorithm to answer a question.

If the core of critical thinking is careful goal-directed thinking, conceptions of it can vary according to its presumed scope, its presumed goal, one’s criteria and threshold for being careful, and the thinking component on which one focuses. As to its scope, some conceptions (e.g., Dewey 1910, 1933) restrict it to constructive thinking on the basis of one’s own observations and experiments, others (e.g., Ennis 1962; Fisher & Scriven 1997; Johnson 1992) to appraisal of the products of such thinking. Ennis (1991) and Bailin et al. (1999b) take it to cover both construction and appraisal. As to its goal, some conceptions restrict it to forming a judgment (Dewey 1910, 1933; Lipman 1987; Facione 1990a). Others allow for actions as well as beliefs as the end point of a process of critical thinking (Ennis 1991; Bailin et al. 1999b). As to the criteria and threshold for being careful, definitions vary in the term used to indicate that critical thinking satisfies certain norms: “intellectually disciplined” (Scriven & Paul 1987), “reasonable” (Ennis 1991), “skillful” (Lipman 1987), “skilled” (Fisher & Scriven 1997), “careful” (Bailin & Battersby 2009). Some definitions specify these norms, referring variously to “consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends” (Dewey 1910, 1933); “the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning” (Glaser 1941); “conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication” (Scriven & Paul 1987); the requirement that “it is sensitive to context, relies on criteria, and is self-correcting” (Lipman 1987); “evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations” (Facione 1990a); and “plus-minus considerations of the product in terms of appropriate standards (or criteria)” (Johnson 1992). Stanovich and Stanovich (2010) propose to ground the concept of critical thinking in the concept of rationality, which they understand as combining epistemic rationality (fitting one’s beliefs to the world) and instrumental rationality (optimizing goal fulfillment); a critical thinker, in their view, is someone with “a propensity to override suboptimal responses from the autonomous mind” (2010: 227). These variant specifications of norms for critical thinking are not necessarily incompatible with one another, and in any case presuppose the core notion of thinking carefully. As to the thinking component singled out, some definitions focus on suspension of judgment during the thinking (Dewey 1910; McPeck 1981), others on inquiry while judgment is suspended (Bailin & Battersby 2009, 2021), others on the resulting judgment (Facione 1990a), and still others on responsiveness to reasons (Siegel 1988). Kuhn (2019) takes critical thinking to be more a dialogic practice of advancing and responding to arguments than an individual ability.

In educational contexts, a definition of critical thinking is a “programmatic definition” (Scheffler 1960: 19). It expresses a practical program for achieving an educational goal. For this purpose, a one-sentence formulaic definition is much less useful than articulation of a critical thinking process, with criteria and standards for the kinds of thinking that the process may involve. The real educational goal is recognition, adoption and implementation by students of those criteria and standards. That adoption and implementation in turn consists in acquiring the knowledge, abilities and dispositions of a critical thinker.

Conceptions of critical thinking generally do not include moral integrity as part of the concept. Dewey, for example, took critical thinking to be the ultimate intellectual goal of education, but distinguished it from the development of social cooperation among school children, which he took to be the central moral goal. Ennis (1996, 2011) added to his previous list of critical thinking dispositions a group of dispositions to care about the dignity and worth of every person, which he described as a “correlative” (1996) disposition without which critical thinking would be less valuable and perhaps harmful. An educational program that aimed at developing critical thinking but not the correlative disposition to care about the dignity and worth of every person, he asserted, “would be deficient and perhaps dangerous” (Ennis 1996: 172).

Dewey thought that education for reflective thinking would be of value to both the individual and society; recognition in educational practice of the kinship to the scientific attitude of children’s native curiosity, fertile imagination and love of experimental inquiry “would make for individual happiness and the reduction of social waste” (Dewey 1910: iii). Schools participating in the Eight-Year Study took development of the habit of reflective thinking and skill in solving problems as a means to leading young people to understand, appreciate and live the democratic way of life characteristic of the United States (Aikin 1942: 17–18, 81). Harvey Siegel (1988: 55–61) has offered four considerations in support of adopting critical thinking as an educational ideal. (1) Respect for persons requires that schools and teachers honour students’ demands for reasons and explanations, deal with students honestly, and recognize the need to confront students’ independent judgment; these requirements concern the manner in which teachers treat students. (2) Education has the task of preparing children to be successful adults, a task that requires development of their self-sufficiency. (3) Education should initiate children into the rational traditions in such fields as history, science and mathematics. (4) Education should prepare children to become democratic citizens, which requires reasoned procedures and critical talents and attitudes. To supplement these considerations, Siegel (1988: 62–90) responds to two objections: the ideology objection that adoption of any educational ideal requires a prior ideological commitment and the indoctrination objection that cultivation of critical thinking cannot escape being a form of indoctrination.

Despite the diversity of our 11 examples, one can recognize a common pattern. Dewey analyzed it as consisting of five phases:

• suggestions , in which the mind leaps forward to a possible solution;
• an intellectualization of the difficulty or perplexity into a problem to be solved, a question for which the answer must be sought;
• the use of one suggestion after another as a leading idea, or hypothesis , to initiate and guide observation and other operations in collection of factual material;
• the mental elaboration of the idea or supposition as an idea or supposition ( reasoning , in the sense on which reasoning is a part, not the whole, of inference); and
• testing the hypothesis by overt or imaginative action. (Dewey 1933: 106–107; italics in original)

The process of reflective thinking consisting of these phases would be preceded by a perplexed, troubled or confused situation and followed by a cleared-up, unified, resolved situation (Dewey 1933: 106). The term ‘phases’ replaced the term ‘steps’ (Dewey 1910: 72), thus removing the earlier suggestion of an invariant sequence. Variants of the above analysis appeared in (Dewey 1916: 177) and (Dewey 1938: 101–119).

The variant formulations indicate the difficulty of giving a single logical analysis of such a varied process. The process of critical thinking may have a spiral pattern, with the problem being redefined in the light of obstacles to solving it as originally formulated. For example, the person in Transit might have concluded that getting to the appointment at the scheduled time was impossible and have reformulated the problem as that of rescheduling the appointment for a mutually convenient time. Further, defining a problem does not always follow after or lead immediately to an idea of a suggested solution. Nor should it do so, as Dewey himself recognized in describing the physician in Typhoid as avoiding any strong preference for this or that conclusion before getting further information (Dewey 1910: 85; 1933: 170). People with a hypothesis in mind, even one to which they have a very weak commitment, have a so-called “confirmation bias” (Nickerson 1998): they are likely to pay attention to evidence that confirms the hypothesis and to ignore evidence that counts against it or for some competing hypothesis. Detectives, intelligence agencies, and investigators of airplane accidents are well advised to gather relevant evidence systematically and to postpone even tentative adoption of an explanatory hypothesis until the collected evidence rules out with the appropriate degree of certainty all but one explanation. Dewey’s analysis of the critical thinking process can be faulted as well for requiring acceptance or rejection of a possible solution to a defined problem, with no allowance for deciding in the light of the available evidence to suspend judgment. Further, given the great variety of kinds of problems for which reflection is appropriate, there is likely to be variation in its component events. Perhaps the best way to conceptualize the critical thinking process is as a checklist whose component events can occur in a variety of orders, selectively, and more than once. These component events might include (1) noticing a difficulty, (2) defining the problem, (3) dividing the problem into manageable sub-problems, (4) formulating a variety of possible solutions to the problem or sub-problem, (5) determining what evidence is relevant to deciding among possible solutions to the problem or sub-problem, (6) devising a plan of systematic observation or experiment that will uncover the relevant evidence, (7) carrying out the plan of systematic observation or experimentation, (8) noting the results of the systematic observation or experiment, (9) gathering relevant testimony and information from others, (10) judging the credibility of testimony and information gathered from others, (11) drawing conclusions from gathered evidence and accepted testimony, and (12) accepting a solution that the evidence adequately supports (cf. Hitchcock 2017: 485).

Checklist conceptions of the process of critical thinking are open to the objection that they are too mechanical and procedural to fit the multi-dimensional and emotionally charged issues for which critical thinking is urgently needed (Paul 1984). For such issues, a more dialectical process is advocated, in which competing relevant world views are identified, their implications explored, and some sort of creative synthesis attempted.

If one considers the critical thinking process illustrated by the 11 examples, one can identify distinct kinds of mental acts and mental states that form part of it. To distinguish, label and briefly characterize these components is a useful preliminary to identifying abilities, skills, dispositions, attitudes, habits and the like that contribute causally to thinking critically. Identifying such abilities and habits is in turn a useful preliminary to setting educational goals. Setting the goals is in its turn a useful preliminary to designing strategies for helping learners to achieve the goals and to designing ways of measuring the extent to which learners have done so. Such measures provide both feedback to learners on their achievement and a basis for experimental research on the effectiveness of various strategies for educating people to think critically. Let us begin, then, by distinguishing the kinds of mental acts and mental events that can occur in a critical thinking process.

• Observing : One notices something in one’s immediate environment (sudden cooling of temperature in Weather , bubbles forming outside a glass and then going inside in Bubbles , a moving blur in the distance in Blur , a rash in Rash ). Or one notes the results of an experiment or systematic observation (valuables missing in Disorder , no suction without air pressure in Suction pump )
• Feeling : One feels puzzled or uncertain about something (how to get to an appointment on time in Transit , why the diamonds vary in spacing in Diamond ). One wants to resolve this perplexity. One feels satisfaction once one has worked out an answer (to take the subway express in Transit , diamonds closer when needed as a warning in Diamond ).
• Wondering : One formulates a question to be addressed (why bubbles form outside a tumbler taken from hot water in Bubbles , how suction pumps work in Suction pump , what caused the rash in Rash ).
• Imagining : One thinks of possible answers (bus or subway or elevated in Transit , flagpole or ornament or wireless communication aid or direction indicator in Ferryboat , allergic reaction or heat rash in Rash ).
• Inferring : One works out what would be the case if a possible answer were assumed (valuables missing if there has been a burglary in Disorder , earlier start to the rash if it is an allergic reaction to a sulfa drug in Rash ). Or one draws a conclusion once sufficient relevant evidence is gathered (take the subway in Transit , burglary in Disorder , discontinue blood pressure medication and new cream in Rash ).
• Knowledge : One uses stored knowledge of the subject-matter to generate possible answers or to infer what would be expected on the assumption of a particular answer (knowledge of a city’s public transit system in Transit , of the requirements for a flagpole in Ferryboat , of Boyle’s law in Bubbles , of allergic reactions in Rash ).
• Experimenting : One designs and carries out an experiment or a systematic observation to find out whether the results deduced from a possible answer will occur (looking at the location of the flagpole in relation to the pilot’s position in Ferryboat , putting an ice cube on top of a tumbler taken from hot water in Bubbles , measuring the height to which a suction pump will draw water at different elevations in Suction pump , noticing the spacing of diamonds when movement to or from a diamond lane is allowed in Diamond ).
• Consulting : One finds a source of information, gets the information from the source, and makes a judgment on whether to accept it. None of our 11 examples include searching for sources of information. In this respect they are unrepresentative, since most people nowadays have almost instant access to information relevant to answering any question, including many of those illustrated by the examples. However, Candidate includes the activities of extracting information from sources and evaluating its credibility.
• Identifying and analyzing arguments : One notices an argument and works out its structure and content as a preliminary to evaluating its strength. This activity is central to Candidate . It is an important part of a critical thinking process in which one surveys arguments for various positions on an issue.
• Judging : One makes a judgment on the basis of accumulated evidence and reasoning, such as the judgment in Ferryboat that the purpose of the pole is to provide direction to the pilot.
• Deciding : One makes a decision on what to do or on what policy to adopt, as in the decision in Transit to take the subway.

By definition, a person who does something voluntarily is both willing and able to do that thing at that time. Both the willingness and the ability contribute causally to the person’s action, in the sense that the voluntary action would not occur if either (or both) of these were lacking. For example, suppose that one is standing with one’s arms at one’s sides and one voluntarily lifts one’s right arm to an extended horizontal position. One would not do so if one were unable to lift one’s arm, if for example one’s right side was paralyzed as the result of a stroke. Nor would one do so if one were unwilling to lift one’s arm, if for example one were participating in a street demonstration at which a white supremacist was urging the crowd to lift their right arm in a Nazi salute and one were unwilling to express support in this way for the racist Nazi ideology. The same analysis applies to a voluntary mental process of thinking critically. It requires both willingness and ability to think critically, including willingness and ability to perform each of the mental acts that compose the process and to coordinate those acts in a sequence that is directed at resolving the initiating perplexity.

Consider willingness first. We can identify causal contributors to willingness to think critically by considering factors that would cause a person who was able to think critically about an issue nevertheless not to do so (Hamby 2014). For each factor, the opposite condition thus contributes causally to willingness to think critically on a particular occasion. For example, people who habitually jump to conclusions without considering alternatives will not think critically about issues that arise, even if they have the required abilities. The contrary condition of willingness to suspend judgment is thus a causal contributor to thinking critically.

Now consider ability. In contrast to the ability to move one’s arm, which can be completely absent because a stroke has left the arm paralyzed, the ability to think critically is a developed ability, whose absence is not a complete absence of ability to think but absence of ability to think well. We can identify the ability to think well directly, in terms of the norms and standards for good thinking. In general, to be able do well the thinking activities that can be components of a critical thinking process, one needs to know the concepts and principles that characterize their good performance, to recognize in particular cases that the concepts and principles apply, and to apply them. The knowledge, recognition and application may be procedural rather than declarative. It may be domain-specific rather than widely applicable, and in either case may need subject-matter knowledge, sometimes of a deep kind.

Reflections of the sort illustrated by the previous two paragraphs have led scholars to identify the knowledge, abilities and dispositions of a “critical thinker”, i.e., someone who thinks critically whenever it is appropriate to do so. We turn now to these three types of causal contributors to thinking critically. We start with dispositions, since arguably these are the most powerful contributors to being a critical thinker, can be fostered at an early stage of a child’s development, and are susceptible to general improvement (Glaser 1941: 175)

8. Critical Thinking Dispositions

Educational researchers use the term ‘dispositions’ broadly for the habits of mind and attitudes that contribute causally to being a critical thinker. Some writers (e.g., Paul & Elder 2006; Hamby 2014; Bailin & Battersby 2016a) propose to use the term ‘virtues’ for this dimension of a critical thinker. The virtues in question, although they are virtues of character, concern the person’s ways of thinking rather than the person’s ways of behaving towards others. They are not moral virtues but intellectual virtues, of the sort articulated by Zagzebski (1996) and discussed by Turri, Alfano, and Greco (2017).

On a realistic conception, thinking dispositions or intellectual virtues are real properties of thinkers. They are general tendencies, propensities, or inclinations to think in particular ways in particular circumstances, and can be genuinely explanatory (Siegel 1999). Sceptics argue that there is no evidence for a specific mental basis for the habits of mind that contribute to thinking critically, and that it is pedagogically misleading to posit such a basis (Bailin et al. 1999a). Whatever their status, critical thinking dispositions need motivation for their initial formation in a child—motivation that may be external or internal. As children develop, the force of habit will gradually become important in sustaining the disposition (Nieto & Valenzuela 2012). Mere force of habit, however, is unlikely to sustain critical thinking dispositions. Critical thinkers must value and enjoy using their knowledge and abilities to think things through for themselves. They must be committed to, and lovers of, inquiry.

A person may have a critical thinking disposition with respect to only some kinds of issues. For example, one could be open-minded about scientific issues but not about religious issues. Similarly, one could be confident in one’s ability to reason about the theological implications of the existence of evil in the world but not in one’s ability to reason about the best design for a guided ballistic missile.

Facione (1990a: 25) divides “affective dispositions” of critical thinking into approaches to life and living in general and approaches to specific issues, questions or problems. Adapting this distinction, one can usefully divide critical thinking dispositions into initiating dispositions (those that contribute causally to starting to think critically about an issue) and internal dispositions (those that contribute causally to doing a good job of thinking critically once one has started). The two categories are not mutually exclusive. For example, open-mindedness, in the sense of willingness to consider alternative points of view to one’s own, is both an initiating and an internal disposition.

Using the strategy of considering factors that would block people with the ability to think critically from doing so, we can identify as initiating dispositions for thinking critically attentiveness, a habit of inquiry, self-confidence, courage, open-mindedness, willingness to suspend judgment, trust in reason, wanting evidence for one’s beliefs, and seeking the truth. We consider briefly what each of these dispositions amounts to, in each case citing sources that acknowledge them.

• Attentiveness : One will not think critically if one fails to recognize an issue that needs to be thought through. For example, the pedestrian in Weather would not have looked up if he had not noticed that the air was suddenly cooler. To be a critical thinker, then, one needs to be habitually attentive to one’s surroundings, noticing not only what one senses but also sources of perplexity in messages received and in one’s own beliefs and attitudes (Facione 1990a: 25; Facione, Facione, & Giancarlo 2001).
• Habit of inquiry : Inquiry is effortful, and one needs an internal push to engage in it. For example, the student in Bubbles could easily have stopped at idle wondering about the cause of the bubbles rather than reasoning to a hypothesis, then designing and executing an experiment to test it. Thus willingness to think critically needs mental energy and initiative. What can supply that energy? Love of inquiry, or perhaps just a habit of inquiry. Hamby (2015) has argued that willingness to inquire is the central critical thinking virtue, one that encompasses all the others. It is recognized as a critical thinking disposition by Dewey (1910: 29; 1933: 35), Glaser (1941: 5), Ennis (1987: 12; 1991: 8), Facione (1990a: 25), Bailin et al. (1999b: 294), Halpern (1998: 452), and Facione, Facione, & Giancarlo (2001).
• Self-confidence : Lack of confidence in one’s abilities can block critical thinking. For example, if the woman in Rash lacked confidence in her ability to figure things out for herself, she might just have assumed that the rash on her chest was the allergic reaction to her medication against which the pharmacist had warned her. Thus willingness to think critically requires confidence in one’s ability to inquire (Facione 1990a: 25; Facione, Facione, & Giancarlo 2001).
• Courage : Fear of thinking for oneself can stop one from doing it. Thus willingness to think critically requires intellectual courage (Paul & Elder 2006: 16).
• Open-mindedness : A dogmatic attitude will impede thinking critically. For example, a person who adheres rigidly to a “pro-choice” position on the issue of the legal status of induced abortion is likely to be unwilling to consider seriously the issue of when in its development an unborn child acquires a moral right to life. Thus willingness to think critically requires open-mindedness, in the sense of a willingness to examine questions to which one already accepts an answer but which further evidence or reasoning might cause one to answer differently (Dewey 1933; Facione 1990a; Ennis 1991; Bailin et al. 1999b; Halpern 1998, Facione, Facione, & Giancarlo 2001). Paul (1981) emphasizes open-mindedness about alternative world-views, and recommends a dialectical approach to integrating such views as central to what he calls “strong sense” critical thinking. In three studies, Haran, Ritov, & Mellers (2013) found that actively open-minded thinking, including “the tendency to weigh new evidence against a favored belief, to spend sufficient time on a problem before giving up, and to consider carefully the opinions of others in forming one’s own”, led study participants to acquire information and thus to make accurate estimations.
• Willingness to suspend judgment : Premature closure on an initial solution will block critical thinking. Thus willingness to think critically requires a willingness to suspend judgment while alternatives are explored (Facione 1990a; Ennis 1991; Halpern 1998).
• Trust in reason : Since distrust in the processes of reasoned inquiry will dissuade one from engaging in it, trust in them is an initiating critical thinking disposition (Facione 1990a, 25; Bailin et al. 1999b: 294; Facione, Facione, & Giancarlo 2001; Paul & Elder 2006). In reaction to an allegedly exclusive emphasis on reason in critical thinking theory and pedagogy, Thayer-Bacon (2000) argues that intuition, imagination, and emotion have important roles to play in an adequate conception of critical thinking that she calls “constructive thinking”. From her point of view, critical thinking requires trust not only in reason but also in intuition, imagination, and emotion.
• Seeking the truth : If one does not care about the truth but is content to stick with one’s initial bias on an issue, then one will not think critically about it. Seeking the truth is thus an initiating critical thinking disposition (Bailin et al. 1999b: 294; Facione, Facione, & Giancarlo 2001). A disposition to seek the truth is implicit in more specific critical thinking dispositions, such as trying to be well-informed, considering seriously points of view other than one’s own, looking for alternatives, suspending judgment when the evidence is insufficient, and adopting a position when the evidence supporting it is sufficient.

Some of the initiating dispositions, such as open-mindedness and willingness to suspend judgment, are also internal critical thinking dispositions, in the sense of mental habits or attitudes that contribute causally to doing a good job of critical thinking once one starts the process. But there are many other internal critical thinking dispositions. Some of them are parasitic on one’s conception of good thinking. For example, it is constitutive of good thinking about an issue to formulate the issue clearly and to maintain focus on it. For this purpose, one needs not only the corresponding ability but also the corresponding disposition. Ennis (1991: 8) describes it as the disposition “to determine and maintain focus on the conclusion or question”, Facione (1990a: 25) as “clarity in stating the question or concern”. Other internal dispositions are motivators to continue or adjust the critical thinking process, such as willingness to persist in a complex task and willingness to abandon nonproductive strategies in an attempt to self-correct (Halpern 1998: 452). For a list of identified internal critical thinking dispositions, see the Supplement on Internal Critical Thinking Dispositions .

Some theorists postulate skills, i.e., acquired abilities, as operative in critical thinking. It is not obvious, however, that a good mental act is the exercise of a generic acquired skill. Inferring an expected time of arrival, as in Transit , has some generic components but also uses non-generic subject-matter knowledge. Bailin et al. (1999a) argue against viewing critical thinking skills as generic and discrete, on the ground that skilled performance at a critical thinking task cannot be separated from knowledge of concepts and from domain-specific principles of good thinking. Talk of skills, they concede, is unproblematic if it means merely that a person with critical thinking skills is capable of intelligent performance.

Despite such scepticism, theorists of critical thinking have listed as general contributors to critical thinking what they variously call abilities (Glaser 1941; Ennis 1962, 1991), skills (Facione 1990a; Halpern 1998) or competencies (Fisher & Scriven 1997). Amalgamating these lists would produce a confusing and chaotic cornucopia of more than 50 possible educational objectives, with only partial overlap among them. It makes sense instead to try to understand the reasons for the multiplicity and diversity, and to make a selection according to one’s own reasons for singling out abilities to be developed in a critical thinking curriculum. Two reasons for diversity among lists of critical thinking abilities are the underlying conception of critical thinking and the envisaged educational level. Appraisal-only conceptions, for example, involve a different suite of abilities than constructive-only conceptions. Some lists, such as those in (Glaser 1941), are put forward as educational objectives for secondary school students, whereas others are proposed as objectives for college students (e.g., Facione 1990a).

The abilities described in the remaining paragraphs of this section emerge from reflection on the general abilities needed to do well the thinking activities identified in section 6 as components of the critical thinking process described in section 5 . The derivation of each collection of abilities is accompanied by citation of sources that list such abilities and of standardized tests that claim to test them.

Observational abilities : Careful and accurate observation sometimes requires specialist expertise and practice, as in the case of observing birds and observing accident scenes. However, there are general abilities of noticing what one’s senses are picking up from one’s environment and of being able to articulate clearly and accurately to oneself and others what one has observed. It helps in exercising them to be able to recognize and take into account factors that make one’s observation less trustworthy, such as prior framing of the situation, inadequate time, deficient senses, poor observation conditions, and the like. It helps as well to be skilled at taking steps to make one’s observation more trustworthy, such as moving closer to get a better look, measuring something three times and taking the average, and checking what one thinks one is observing with someone else who is in a good position to observe it. It also helps to be skilled at recognizing respects in which one’s report of one’s observation involves inference rather than direct observation, so that one can then consider whether the inference is justified. These abilities come into play as well when one thinks about whether and with what degree of confidence to accept an observation report, for example in the study of history or in a criminal investigation or in assessing news reports. Observational abilities show up in some lists of critical thinking abilities (Ennis 1962: 90; Facione 1990a: 16; Ennis 1991: 9). There are items testing a person’s ability to judge the credibility of observation reports in the Cornell Critical Thinking Tests, Levels X and Z (Ennis & Millman 1971; Ennis, Millman, & Tomko 1985, 2005). Norris and King (1983, 1985, 1990a, 1990b) is a test of ability to appraise observation reports.

Emotional abilities : The emotions that drive a critical thinking process are perplexity or puzzlement, a wish to resolve it, and satisfaction at achieving the desired resolution. Children experience these emotions at an early age, without being trained to do so. Education that takes critical thinking as a goal needs only to channel these emotions and to make sure not to stifle them. Collaborative critical thinking benefits from ability to recognize one’s own and others’ emotional commitments and reactions.

Questioning abilities : A critical thinking process needs transformation of an inchoate sense of perplexity into a clear question. Formulating a question well requires not building in questionable assumptions, not prejudging the issue, and using language that in context is unambiguous and precise enough (Ennis 1962: 97; 1991: 9).

Imaginative abilities : Thinking directed at finding the correct causal explanation of a general phenomenon or particular event requires an ability to imagine possible explanations. Thinking about what policy or plan of action to adopt requires generation of options and consideration of possible consequences of each option. Domain knowledge is required for such creative activity, but a general ability to imagine alternatives is helpful and can be nurtured so as to become easier, quicker, more extensive, and deeper (Dewey 1910: 34–39; 1933: 40–47). Facione (1990a) and Halpern (1998) include the ability to imagine alternatives as a critical thinking ability.

Inferential abilities : The ability to draw conclusions from given information, and to recognize with what degree of certainty one’s own or others’ conclusions follow, is universally recognized as a general critical thinking ability. All 11 examples in section 2 of this article include inferences, some from hypotheses or options (as in Transit , Ferryboat and Disorder ), others from something observed (as in Weather and Rash ). None of these inferences is formally valid. Rather, they are licensed by general, sometimes qualified substantive rules of inference (Toulmin 1958) that rest on domain knowledge—that a bus trip takes about the same time in each direction, that the terminal of a wireless telegraph would be located on the highest possible place, that sudden cooling is often followed by rain, that an allergic reaction to a sulfa drug generally shows up soon after one starts taking it. It is a matter of controversy to what extent the specialized ability to deduce conclusions from premisses using formal rules of inference is needed for critical thinking. Dewey (1933) locates logical forms in setting out the products of reflection rather than in the process of reflection. Ennis (1981a), on the other hand, maintains that a liberally-educated person should have the following abilities: to translate natural-language statements into statements using the standard logical operators, to use appropriately the language of necessary and sufficient conditions, to deal with argument forms and arguments containing symbols, to determine whether in virtue of an argument’s form its conclusion follows necessarily from its premisses, to reason with logically complex propositions, and to apply the rules and procedures of deductive logic. Inferential abilities are recognized as critical thinking abilities by Glaser (1941: 6), Facione (1990a: 9), Ennis (1991: 9), Fisher & Scriven (1997: 99, 111), and Halpern (1998: 452). Items testing inferential abilities constitute two of the five subtests of the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (Watson & Glaser 1980a, 1980b, 1994), two of the four sections in the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X (Ennis & Millman 1971; Ennis, Millman, & Tomko 1985, 2005), three of the seven sections in the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z (Ennis & Millman 1971; Ennis, Millman, & Tomko 1985, 2005), 11 of the 34 items on Forms A and B of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (Facione 1990b, 1992), and a high but variable proportion of the 25 selected-response questions in the Collegiate Learning Assessment (Council for Aid to Education 2017).

Experimenting abilities : Knowing how to design and execute an experiment is important not just in scientific research but also in everyday life, as in Rash . Dewey devoted a whole chapter of his How We Think (1910: 145–156; 1933: 190–202) to the superiority of experimentation over observation in advancing knowledge. Experimenting abilities come into play at one remove in appraising reports of scientific studies. Skill in designing and executing experiments includes the acknowledged abilities to appraise evidence (Glaser 1941: 6), to carry out experiments and to apply appropriate statistical inference techniques (Facione 1990a: 9), to judge inductions to an explanatory hypothesis (Ennis 1991: 9), and to recognize the need for an adequately large sample size (Halpern 1998). The Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z (Ennis & Millman 1971; Ennis, Millman, & Tomko 1985, 2005) includes four items (out of 52) on experimental design. The Collegiate Learning Assessment (Council for Aid to Education 2017) makes room for appraisal of study design in both its performance task and its selected-response questions.

Consulting abilities : Skill at consulting sources of information comes into play when one seeks information to help resolve a problem, as in Candidate . Ability to find and appraise information includes ability to gather and marshal pertinent information (Glaser 1941: 6), to judge whether a statement made by an alleged authority is acceptable (Ennis 1962: 84), to plan a search for desired information (Facione 1990a: 9), and to judge the credibility of a source (Ennis 1991: 9). Ability to judge the credibility of statements is tested by 24 items (out of 76) in the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X (Ennis & Millman 1971; Ennis, Millman, & Tomko 1985, 2005) and by four items (out of 52) in the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z (Ennis & Millman 1971; Ennis, Millman, & Tomko 1985, 2005). The College Learning Assessment’s performance task requires evaluation of whether information in documents is credible or unreliable (Council for Aid to Education 2017).

Argument analysis abilities : The ability to identify and analyze arguments contributes to the process of surveying arguments on an issue in order to form one’s own reasoned judgment, as in Candidate . The ability to detect and analyze arguments is recognized as a critical thinking skill by Facione (1990a: 7–8), Ennis (1991: 9) and Halpern (1998). Five items (out of 34) on the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (Facione 1990b, 1992) test skill at argument analysis. The College Learning Assessment (Council for Aid to Education 2017) incorporates argument analysis in its selected-response tests of critical reading and evaluation and of critiquing an argument.

Judging skills and deciding skills : Skill at judging and deciding is skill at recognizing what judgment or decision the available evidence and argument supports, and with what degree of confidence. It is thus a component of the inferential skills already discussed.

Lists and tests of critical thinking abilities often include two more abilities: identifying assumptions and constructing and evaluating definitions.

In addition to dispositions and abilities, critical thinking needs knowledge: of critical thinking concepts, of critical thinking principles, and of the subject-matter of the thinking.

We can derive a short list of concepts whose understanding contributes to critical thinking from the critical thinking abilities described in the preceding section. Observational abilities require an understanding of the difference between observation and inference. Questioning abilities require an understanding of the concepts of ambiguity and vagueness. Inferential abilities require an understanding of the difference between conclusive and defeasible inference (traditionally, between deduction and induction), as well as of the difference between necessary and sufficient conditions. Experimenting abilities require an understanding of the concepts of hypothesis, null hypothesis, assumption and prediction, as well as of the concept of statistical significance and of its difference from importance. They also require an understanding of the difference between an experiment and an observational study, and in particular of the difference between a randomized controlled trial, a prospective correlational study and a retrospective (case-control) study. Argument analysis abilities require an understanding of the concepts of argument, premiss, assumption, conclusion and counter-consideration. Additional critical thinking concepts are proposed by Bailin et al. (1999b: 293), Fisher & Scriven (1997: 105–106), Black (2012), and Blair (2021).

According to Glaser (1941: 25), ability to think critically requires knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning. If we review the list of abilities in the preceding section, however, we can see that some of them can be acquired and exercised merely through practice, possibly guided in an educational setting, followed by feedback. Searching intelligently for a causal explanation of some phenomenon or event requires that one consider a full range of possible causal contributors, but it seems more important that one implements this principle in one’s practice than that one is able to articulate it. What is important is “operational knowledge” of the standards and principles of good thinking (Bailin et al. 1999b: 291–293). But the development of such critical thinking abilities as designing an experiment or constructing an operational definition can benefit from learning their underlying theory. Further, explicit knowledge of quirks of human thinking seems useful as a cautionary guide. Human memory is not just fallible about details, as people learn from their own experiences of misremembering, but is so malleable that a detailed, clear and vivid recollection of an event can be a total fabrication (Loftus 2017). People seek or interpret evidence in ways that are partial to their existing beliefs and expectations, often unconscious of their “confirmation bias” (Nickerson 1998). Not only are people subject to this and other cognitive biases (Kahneman 2011), of which they are typically unaware, but it may be counter-productive for one to make oneself aware of them and try consciously to counteract them or to counteract social biases such as racial or sexual stereotypes (Kenyon & Beaulac 2014). It is helpful to be aware of these facts and of the superior effectiveness of blocking the operation of biases—for example, by making an immediate record of one’s observations, refraining from forming a preliminary explanatory hypothesis, blind refereeing, double-blind randomized trials, and blind grading of students’ work. It is also helpful to be aware of the prevalence of “noise” (unwanted unsystematic variability of judgments), of how to detect noise (through a noise audit), and of how to reduce noise: make accuracy the goal, think statistically, break a process of arriving at a judgment into independent tasks, resist premature intuitions, in a group get independent judgments first, favour comparative judgments and scales (Kahneman, Sibony, & Sunstein 2021). It is helpful as well to be aware of the concept of “bounded rationality” in decision-making and of the related distinction between “satisficing” and optimizing (Simon 1956; Gigerenzer 2001).

Critical thinking about an issue requires substantive knowledge of the domain to which the issue belongs. Critical thinking abilities are not a magic elixir that can be applied to any issue whatever by somebody who has no knowledge of the facts relevant to exploring that issue. For example, the student in Bubbles needed to know that gases do not penetrate solid objects like a glass, that air expands when heated, that the volume of an enclosed gas varies directly with its temperature and inversely with its pressure, and that hot objects will spontaneously cool down to the ambient temperature of their surroundings unless kept hot by insulation or a source of heat. Critical thinkers thus need a rich fund of subject-matter knowledge relevant to the variety of situations they encounter. This fact is recognized in the inclusion among critical thinking dispositions of a concern to become and remain generally well informed.

Experimental educational interventions, with control groups, have shown that education can improve critical thinking skills and dispositions, as measured by standardized tests. For information about these tests, see the Supplement on Assessment .

What educational methods are most effective at developing the dispositions, abilities and knowledge of a critical thinker? In a comprehensive meta-analysis of experimental and quasi-experimental studies of strategies for teaching students to think critically, Abrami et al. (2015) found that dialogue, anchored instruction, and mentoring each increased the effectiveness of the educational intervention, and that they were most effective when combined. They also found that in these studies a combination of separate instruction in critical thinking with subject-matter instruction in which students are encouraged to think critically was more effective than either by itself. However, the difference was not statistically significant; that is, it might have arisen by chance.

Most of these studies lack the longitudinal follow-up required to determine whether the observed differential improvements in critical thinking abilities or dispositions continue over time, for example until high school or college graduation. For details on studies of methods of developing critical thinking skills and dispositions, see the Supplement on Educational Methods .

12. Controversies

Scholars have denied the generalizability of critical thinking abilities across subject domains, have alleged bias in critical thinking theory and pedagogy, and have investigated the relationship of critical thinking to other kinds of thinking.

McPeck (1981) attacked the thinking skills movement of the 1970s, including the critical thinking movement. He argued that there are no general thinking skills, since thinking is always thinking about some subject-matter. It is futile, he claimed, for schools and colleges to teach thinking as if it were a separate subject. Rather, teachers should lead their pupils to become autonomous thinkers by teaching school subjects in a way that brings out their cognitive structure and that encourages and rewards discussion and argument. As some of his critics (e.g., Paul 1985; Siegel 1985) pointed out, McPeck’s central argument needs elaboration, since it has obvious counter-examples in writing and speaking, for which (up to a certain level of complexity) there are teachable general abilities even though they are always about some subject-matter. To make his argument convincing, McPeck needs to explain how thinking differs from writing and speaking in a way that does not permit useful abstraction of its components from the subject-matters with which it deals. He has not done so. Nevertheless, his position that the dispositions and abilities of a critical thinker are best developed in the context of subject-matter instruction is shared by many theorists of critical thinking, including Dewey (1910, 1933), Glaser (1941), Passmore (1980), Weinstein (1990), Bailin et al. (1999b), and Willingham (2019).

McPeck’s challenge prompted reflection on the extent to which critical thinking is subject-specific. McPeck argued for a strong subject-specificity thesis, according to which it is a conceptual truth that all critical thinking abilities are specific to a subject. (He did not however extend his subject-specificity thesis to critical thinking dispositions. In particular, he took the disposition to suspend judgment in situations of cognitive dissonance to be a general disposition.) Conceptual subject-specificity is subject to obvious counter-examples, such as the general ability to recognize confusion of necessary and sufficient conditions. A more modest thesis, also endorsed by McPeck, is epistemological subject-specificity, according to which the norms of good thinking vary from one field to another. Epistemological subject-specificity clearly holds to a certain extent; for example, the principles in accordance with which one solves a differential equation are quite different from the principles in accordance with which one determines whether a painting is a genuine Picasso. But the thesis suffers, as Ennis (1989) points out, from vagueness of the concept of a field or subject and from the obvious existence of inter-field principles, however broadly the concept of a field is construed. For example, the principles of hypothetico-deductive reasoning hold for all the varied fields in which such reasoning occurs. A third kind of subject-specificity is empirical subject-specificity, according to which as a matter of empirically observable fact a person with the abilities and dispositions of a critical thinker in one area of investigation will not necessarily have them in another area of investigation.

The thesis of empirical subject-specificity raises the general problem of transfer. If critical thinking abilities and dispositions have to be developed independently in each school subject, how are they of any use in dealing with the problems of everyday life and the political and social issues of contemporary society, most of which do not fit into the framework of a traditional school subject? Proponents of empirical subject-specificity tend to argue that transfer is more likely to occur if there is critical thinking instruction in a variety of domains, with explicit attention to dispositions and abilities that cut across domains. But evidence for this claim is scanty. There is a need for well-designed empirical studies that investigate the conditions that make transfer more likely.

It is common ground in debates about the generality or subject-specificity of critical thinking dispositions and abilities that critical thinking about any topic requires background knowledge about the topic. For example, the most sophisticated understanding of the principles of hypothetico-deductive reasoning is of no help unless accompanied by some knowledge of what might be plausible explanations of some phenomenon under investigation.

Critics have objected to bias in the theory, pedagogy and practice of critical thinking. Commentators (e.g., Alston 1995; Ennis 1998) have noted that anyone who takes a position has a bias in the neutral sense of being inclined in one direction rather than others. The critics, however, are objecting to bias in the pejorative sense of an unjustified favoring of certain ways of knowing over others, frequently alleging that the unjustly favoured ways are those of a dominant sex or culture (Bailin 1995). These ways favour:

• reinforcement of egocentric and sociocentric biases over dialectical engagement with opposing world-views (Paul 1981, 1984; Warren 1998)
• distancing from the object of inquiry over closeness to it (Martin 1992; Thayer-Bacon 1992)
• indifference to the situation of others over care for them (Martin 1992)
• orientation to thought over orientation to action (Martin 1992)
• being reasonable over caring to understand people’s ideas (Thayer-Bacon 1993)
• being neutral and objective over being embodied and situated (Thayer-Bacon 1995a)
• doubting over believing (Thayer-Bacon 1995b)
• reason over emotion, imagination and intuition (Thayer-Bacon 2000)
• solitary thinking over collaborative thinking (Thayer-Bacon 2000)
• written and spoken assignments over other forms of expression (Alston 2001)
• attention to written and spoken communications over attention to human problems (Alston 2001)
• winning debates in the public sphere over making and understanding meaning (Alston 2001)

A common thread in this smorgasbord of accusations is dissatisfaction with focusing on the logical analysis and evaluation of reasoning and arguments. While these authors acknowledge that such analysis and evaluation is part of critical thinking and should be part of its conceptualization and pedagogy, they insist that it is only a part. Paul (1981), for example, bemoans the tendency of atomistic teaching of methods of analyzing and evaluating arguments to turn students into more able sophists, adept at finding fault with positions and arguments with which they disagree but even more entrenched in the egocentric and sociocentric biases with which they began. Martin (1992) and Thayer-Bacon (1992) cite with approval the self-reported intimacy with their subject-matter of leading researchers in biology and medicine, an intimacy that conflicts with the distancing allegedly recommended in standard conceptions and pedagogy of critical thinking. Thayer-Bacon (2000) contrasts the embodied and socially embedded learning of her elementary school students in a Montessori school, who used their imagination, intuition and emotions as well as their reason, with conceptions of critical thinking as

thinking that is used to critique arguments, offer justifications, and make judgments about what are the good reasons, or the right answers. (Thayer-Bacon 2000: 127–128)

Alston (2001) reports that her students in a women’s studies class were able to see the flaws in the Cinderella myth that pervades much romantic fiction but in their own romantic relationships still acted as if all failures were the woman’s fault and still accepted the notions of love at first sight and living happily ever after. Students, she writes, should

be able to connect their intellectual critique to a more affective, somatic, and ethical account of making risky choices that have sexist, racist, classist, familial, sexual, or other consequences for themselves and those both near and far… critical thinking that reads arguments, texts, or practices merely on the surface without connections to feeling/desiring/doing or action lacks an ethical depth that should infuse the difference between mere cognitive activity and something we want to call critical thinking. (Alston 2001: 34)

Some critics portray such biases as unfair to women. Thayer-Bacon (1992), for example, has charged modern critical thinking theory with being sexist, on the ground that it separates the self from the object and causes one to lose touch with one’s inner voice, and thus stigmatizes women, who (she asserts) link self to object and listen to their inner voice. Her charge does not imply that women as a group are on average less able than men to analyze and evaluate arguments. Facione (1990c) found no difference by sex in performance on his California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Kuhn (1991: 280–281) found no difference by sex in either the disposition or the competence to engage in argumentative thinking.

The critics propose a variety of remedies for the biases that they allege. In general, they do not propose to eliminate or downplay critical thinking as an educational goal. Rather, they propose to conceptualize critical thinking differently and to change its pedagogy accordingly. Their pedagogical proposals arise logically from their objections. They can be summarized as follows:

• Focus on argument networks with dialectical exchanges reflecting contesting points of view rather than on atomic arguments, so as to develop “strong sense” critical thinking that transcends egocentric and sociocentric biases (Paul 1981, 1984).
• Foster closeness to the subject-matter and feeling connected to others in order to inform a humane democracy (Martin 1992).
• Develop “constructive thinking” as a social activity in a community of physically embodied and socially embedded inquirers with personal voices who value not only reason but also imagination, intuition and emotion (Thayer-Bacon 2000).
• In developing critical thinking in school subjects, treat as important neither skills nor dispositions but opening worlds of meaning (Alston 2001).
• Attend to the development of critical thinking dispositions as well as skills, and adopt the “critical pedagogy” practised and advocated by Freire (1968 [1970]) and hooks (1994) (Dalgleish, Girard, & Davies 2017).

A common thread in these proposals is treatment of critical thinking as a social, interactive, personally engaged activity like that of a quilting bee or a barn-raising (Thayer-Bacon 2000) rather than as an individual, solitary, distanced activity symbolized by Rodin’s The Thinker . One can get a vivid description of education with the former type of goal from the writings of bell hooks (1994, 2010). Critical thinking for her is open-minded dialectical exchange across opposing standpoints and from multiple perspectives, a conception similar to Paul’s “strong sense” critical thinking (Paul 1981). She abandons the structure of domination in the traditional classroom. In an introductory course on black women writers, for example, she assigns students to write an autobiographical paragraph about an early racial memory, then to read it aloud as the others listen, thus affirming the uniqueness and value of each voice and creating a communal awareness of the diversity of the group’s experiences (hooks 1994: 84). Her “engaged pedagogy” is thus similar to the “freedom under guidance” implemented in John Dewey’s Laboratory School of Chicago in the late 1890s and early 1900s. It incorporates the dialogue, anchored instruction, and mentoring that Abrami (2015) found to be most effective in improving critical thinking skills and dispositions.

What is the relationship of critical thinking to problem solving, decision-making, higher-order thinking, creative thinking, and other recognized types of thinking? One’s answer to this question obviously depends on how one defines the terms used in the question. If critical thinking is conceived broadly to cover any careful thinking about any topic for any purpose, then problem solving and decision making will be kinds of critical thinking, if they are done carefully. Historically, ‘critical thinking’ and ‘problem solving’ were two names for the same thing. If critical thinking is conceived more narrowly as consisting solely of appraisal of intellectual products, then it will be disjoint with problem solving and decision making, which are constructive.

Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives used the phrase “intellectual abilities and skills” for what had been labeled “critical thinking” by some, “reflective thinking” by Dewey and others, and “problem solving” by still others (Bloom et al. 1956: 38). Thus, the so-called “higher-order thinking skills” at the taxonomy’s top levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation are just critical thinking skills, although they do not come with general criteria for their assessment (Ennis 1981b). The revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson et al. 2001) likewise treats critical thinking as cutting across those types of cognitive process that involve more than remembering (Anderson et al. 2001: 269–270). For details, see the Supplement on History .

As to creative thinking, it overlaps with critical thinking (Bailin 1987, 1988). Thinking about the explanation of some phenomenon or event, as in Ferryboat , requires creative imagination in constructing plausible explanatory hypotheses. Likewise, thinking about a policy question, as in Candidate , requires creativity in coming up with options. Conversely, creativity in any field needs to be balanced by critical appraisal of the draft painting or novel or mathematical theory.

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Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples

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Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.

Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions. These skills are especially helpful at school and in the workplace, where employers prioritize the ability to think critically. Find out why and see how you can demonstrate that you have this ability.

Examples of Critical Thinking

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry. Some examples include:

• A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which the patients should be treated.
• A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.
• An attorney reviews the evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to decide whether to settle out of court.
• A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information to develop a customer service training session for employees.

Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills?

Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution.

Someone with critical thinking skills can be trusted to make decisions independently, and will not need constant handholding.

Hiring a critical thinker means that micromanaging won't be required. Critical thinking abilities are among the most sought-after skills in almost every industry and workplace. You can demonstrate critical thinking by using related keywords in your resume and cover letter and during your interview.

How to Demonstrate Critical Thinking in a Job Search

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listings you are applying for, be sure to emphasize your critical thinking skills throughout your job search.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

You can use critical thinking keywords (analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc.) in your resume. When describing your work history, include top critical thinking skills that accurately describe you. You can also include them in your resume summary, if you have one.

For example, your summary might read, “Marketing Associate with five years of experience in project management. Skilled in conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis to assess market trends and client needs, and to develop appropriate acquisition tactics.”

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include these critical thinking skills in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, mention one or two of these skills, and give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated them at work. Think about times when you had to analyze or evaluate materials to solve a problem.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use these skill words in an interview. Discuss a time when you were faced with a particular problem or challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Some interviewers will give you a hypothetical scenario or problem, and ask you to use critical thinking skills to solve it. In this case, explain your thought process thoroughly to the interviewer. He or she is typically more focused on how you arrive at your solution rather than the solution itself. The interviewer wants to see you analyze and evaluate (key parts of critical thinking) the given scenario or problem.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Top Critical Thinking Skills

Keep these in-demand skills in mind as you refine your critical thinking practice —whether for work or school.

Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, understand what it means, and properly explain to others the implications of that information.

• Asking Thoughtful Questions
• Data Analysis
• Interpretation
• Questioning Evidence
• Recognizing Patterns

Communication

Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of classmates or colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage in critical thinking in a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

• Active Listening
• Collaboration
• Explanation
• Interpersonal
• Presentation
• Verbal Communication
• Written Communication

Critical thinking often involves creativity and innovation. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye that can take a different approach from all other approaches.

• Flexibility
• Conceptualization
• Imagination
• Drawing Connections
• Synthesizing

Open-Mindedness

To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

• Objectivity
• Observation

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is another critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. Employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.

• Attention to Detail
• Clarification
• Decision Making
• Groundedness
• Identifying Patterns

More Critical Thinking Skills

• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Noticing Outliers
• Adaptability
• Emotional Intelligence
• Brainstorming
• Optimization
• Restructuring
• Integration
• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Ongoing Improvement
• Causal Relationships
• Case Analysis
• Diagnostics
• SWOT Analysis
• Business Intelligence
• Quantitative Data Management
• Qualitative Data Management
• Risk Management
• Scientific Method
• Consumer Behavior

Key Takeaways

• Demonstrate you have critical thinking skills by adding relevant keywords to your resume.
• Mention pertinent critical thinking skills in your cover letter, too, and include an example of a time when you demonstrated them at work.
• Finally, highlight critical thinking skills during your interview. For instance, you might discuss a time when you were faced with a challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking skills to solve it.

University of Louisville. " What is Critical Thinking ."

American Management Association. " AMA Critical Skills Survey: Workers Need Higher Level Skills to Succeed in the 21st Century ."

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critical thinking

Definition of critical thinking

Examples of critical thinking in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critical thinking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near critical thinking

critical temperature

critical value

Cite this Entry

“Critical thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20thinking. Accessed 4 Sep. 2024.

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Critical Thinking and Decision-Making  - What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking and decision-making  -, what is critical thinking, critical thinking and decision-making what is critical thinking.

Critical Thinking and Decision-Making: What is Critical Thinking?

Lesson 1: what is critical thinking, what is critical thinking.

Critical thinking is a term that gets thrown around a lot. You've probably heard it used often throughout the years whether it was in school, at work, or in everyday conversation. But when you stop to think about it, what exactly is critical thinking and how do you do it ?

Watch the video below to learn more about critical thinking.

Simply put, critical thinking is the act of deliberately analyzing information so that you can make better judgements and decisions . It involves using things like logic, reasoning, and creativity, to draw conclusions and generally understand things better.

This may sound like a pretty broad definition, and that's because critical thinking is a broad skill that can be applied to so many different situations. You can use it to prepare for a job interview, manage your time better, make decisions about purchasing things, and so much more.

The process

As humans, we are constantly thinking . It's something we can't turn off. But not all of it is critical thinking. No one thinks critically 100% of the time... that would be pretty exhausting! Instead, it's an intentional process , something that we consciously use when we're presented with difficult problems or important decisions.

Improving your critical thinking

In order to become a better critical thinker, it's important to ask questions when you're presented with a problem or decision, before jumping to any conclusions. You can start with simple ones like What do I currently know? and How do I know this? These can help to give you a better idea of what you're working with and, in some cases, simplify more complex issues.  

Real-world applications

Let's take a look at how we can use critical thinking to evaluate online information . Say a friend of yours posts a news article on social media and you're drawn to its headline. If you were to use your everyday automatic thinking, you might accept it as fact and move on. But if you were thinking critically, you would first analyze the available information and ask some questions :

• What's the source of this article?
• Is the headline potentially misleading?
• What are my friend's general beliefs?
• Do their beliefs inform why they might have shared this?

After analyzing all of this information, you can draw a conclusion about whether or not you think the article is trustworthy.

Critical thinking has a wide range of real-world applications . It can help you to make better decisions, become more hireable, and generally better understand the world around you.

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A Brief History of the Idea of Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Learn words with flashcards and other activities, other learning activities, teaching tools, full list of words from this list:.

• datum an item of factual information from measurement or research data , current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data , knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being
• logical fallacy an error in reasoning that undermines an argument Logical fallacies , informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• logical thinking thinking that is coherent and logical Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• flawed having a blemish or flaw Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• flaw an imperfection in an object or machine Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• seek out look for a specific person or thing problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• skill an ability that has been acquired by training It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• third party someone other than the principals involved in a transaction Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• argumentation the methodical process of logical reasoning Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation , fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• solve find the answer to or understand the meaning of solve problems utilize one's learned skills and/or data, current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem
• data a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn data , current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data , knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being
• fallacy a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning Logical fallacies , informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies , in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• improve to make better It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• improving getting higher or more vigorous What does one improving one's learning skills do?
• critical of a serious examination and judgment of something What is critical thinking?
• touch on refer to or discuss briefly Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• tab a short strip of material attached to or projecting from something in order to facilitate opening or identifying or handling it In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• learn gain knowledge or skills It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• learning the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• utilize put into service utilize one's learned skills and/or data, current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize
• info a message received and understood One should seek out info on critical thinking from many sources to help one with learning and understanding how to improve one's own learning skills.
• specific stated explicitly or in detail problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• solving finding a solution to a problem solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out
• incorrect not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• correct free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• recognize perceive to be something or something you can identify problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• thinking endowed with the capacity to reason What is critical thinking ?
• problem a question raised for consideration or solution problems utilize one's learned skills and/or data, current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem
• logical based on known statements or events or conditions Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• informal not in accord with established conventions and requirements Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• basically in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• seek try to locate, discover, or establish the existence of problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• balance harmonious arrangement or relation of parts within a whole This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance .
• logic the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• presentation the act of formally giving something, as a prize Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• reasoning thinking that is organized and logical Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning .
• valid well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• inference a conclusion you can draw based on known evidence Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• hopefully it is hoped In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• systematic characterized by order and planning Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• helpful providing assistance or serving a useful function This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance.
• formal in accord with established conventions and requirements Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• inspire serve as the inciting cause of In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• understanding the condition of someone who knows and comprehends Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• introduction the act of beginning something new In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• basic reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• current occurring in or belonging to the present time current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented
• overall involving only main features used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not one will greatly benefit overall
• learned having or showing profound knowledge learned skills and/or data, current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills
• acquire come into the possession of something concrete or abstract - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• ability the quality of having the means or skills to do something ability to - solve problems utilize one's learned skills and/or data, current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to
• imagination the ability to form mental pictures of things or events Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination ; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• source the place where something begins One should seek out info on critical thinking from many sources to help one with learning and understanding how to improve one's own learning skills.
• one smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one 's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• think judge or regard; look upon; judge What is critical thinking ?
• prior earlier in time problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• multitude a large indefinite number problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• perceive become aware of through the senses Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• closing the act of closing something In closing ...
• practice a customary way of operation or behavior In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• touching arousing affect Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• in general without distinction of one from others skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not one will greatly benefit overall from improving one's critical thinking ability in general
• video broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• closer (comparative of `near' or `close') within a shorter distance This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance.
• acquired gotten through environmental forces - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• understand know and comprehend the nature or meaning of Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• emotion any strong feeling Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• teach impart skills or knowledge to - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught /learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• page one side of one leaf of a book or other document In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• seeking the act of searching for something In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking , learning and practicing critical thinking.
• additional further or extra Additional understanding...
• speak use language - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• benefit something that aids or promotes well-being one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not one will greatly benefit
• use put into service Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• reality the state of being actual Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality .
• mass the property of a body that causes it to have weight - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• knowledge the result of perception, learning, and reasoning knowledge , in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge , and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them
• third one of three equal parts of a divisible whole Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• help give assistance; be of service helps with one's ability to - solve problems utilize one's learned skills and/or data, current knowledge, in solving problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills
• hence from that fact or reason or as a result - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence , whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• area the extent of a two-dimensional surface within a boundary problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• principle a basic generalization that is accepted as true Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• needs in such a manner as could not be otherwise problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• moving in motion This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance.
• continue keep or maintain in unaltered condition In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• set put into a certain place or abstract location problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• greatly to an extraordinary extent or degree of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not one will greatly
• amount how much there is of something that you can quantify - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• wonderful extraordinarily good or great In the Presentation tab above on this page is a wonderful video introduction to critical thinking by a third party source that should hopefully inspire one to continue seeking, learning and practicing critical thinking.
• actually in fact Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• reason a logical motive for a belief or action Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning .
• touch make physical contact with, come in contact with Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• close at or within a short distance in space or time In closing ...
• party an occasion on which people gather to socialize and have fun Third party presentation touching on basic understandings of critical thinking.
• proper marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• above in or to a place that is higher set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers to one's problems Simply put - improving one's learning skills does all the above
• simply in a simple manner; without extravagance or embellishment and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers to one's problems Simply
• simple having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance.
• move change location This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance.
• used previously owned by another It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• study applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.
• used to in the habit It is basically learning skills used to improve one's thinking.
• outside the region that is outside of something - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• result something that follows as a consequence Logical fallacies, informal or formal, is when one uses incorrect argumentation, fallacies, in one's reasoning resulting in flawed logic.
• note a brief written record note that one's learned specific set of skills and/or data - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has
• answer a statement made to reply to a question or criticism problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• in that (formal) in or into that thing or place problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• hope the general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled This has been a simple introduction to critical thinking and I hope this has been helpful in moving those who seek balance closer toward balance.
• have possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• new not of long duration problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• call utter a sudden loud cry Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• able having the necessary means or skill to do something - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• possible capable of happening or existing Without emotions correct logical thinking would not be possible and what we call thinking is actually the imagination; the imagination is what we use to perceive reality.
• need require or want problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• present happening or existing now problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• general applying to all or most members of a category or group skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not one will greatly benefit overall from improving one's critical thinking ability in general
• out moving or appearing to move away from a place, especially one that is enclosed or hidden problems learn new skills and/or data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers
• not negation of a word or group of words - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one has acquired a mass amount of specific skills and/or data or not
• put cause to be in a certain state data, knowledge, and/or improve upon one's current set of skills and/or data help solve a multitude of problems in one's life without having prior experiance and/or skills and/or data in that specific area recognize when one doesn't have the proper skills and/or data to solve specific problems recognize when one needs to go and seek out new skills and/or data to solve a problem recognize flawed skills and/or data being presented before them seek out answers to one's problems Simply put
• also in addition also note that one's learned specific set of skills and/or data - does not speak of whether one used correct and/or flawed learning skills to learn the specific skills and/or data does not speak of whether one had the correct learning skills to recognize if the skills and/or data taught/learned were correct and/or flawed does not speak of whether one has the learning skills to be able to solve problems outside of one's current set of skills and/or data one has learned Hence, whether one

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Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

We understand that it's difficult to learn how to use critical thinking more effectively in just one article, but our service is here to help.

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Critical thinking: definition and how to improve its skills

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Critical thinking is based on the observation and analysis of facts and evidences to return rational, skeptical and unbiased judgments.   

This type of thinking involves a series of skills that can be created but also improved, as we will see throughout this article in which we will begin by defining the concept and end with tips to build and improve the skills related to critical thinking.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is a discipline based on the ability of people to observe, elucidate and analyze information, facts and evidences in order to judge or decide if it is right or wrong.

It goes beyond mere curiosity, simple knowledge or analysis of any kind of fact or information.

People who develop this type of outlook are able to logically connect ideas and defend them with weighty opinions that ultimately help them make better decisions.

How to build and improve critical thinking skills?

Building and improving critical thinking skills involves focusing on a number of abilities and capacities .

To begin the critical thinking process all ideas must be open and all options must be understood as much as possible.

Even the dumbest or craziest idea can end up being the gateway to the most intelligent and successful conclusion.

The problem with having an open mind is that it is the most difficult path and often involves a greater challenge and effort. It is well known that the easy thing to do is to go with the obvious and the commonly accepted but this has no place in critical thinking.

By contrast, it is helpful not to make hasty decisions and to weigh the problem in its entirety after a first moment of awareness.

Finally, practicing active listening will help you to receive feedback from others and to understand other points of view that may help you as a reference.

Impartiality

An important point in the critical thinking process is the development of the ability to identify biases and maintain an impartial view in evaluations.

To improve this aspect it is advisable to have tools to be able to identify and recognize the prejudices and biases you have and try to leave them completely aside when thinking about the solution.

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Observation

Observation allows you to see each and every detail , no matter how small, subtle or inconsequential they may be or seem to be.

Behind the superficial information hides a universe of data, sources and experiences that help you make the best decision.

One of the pillars of critical thinking is objectivity. This forces you to base your value judgments on established facts that you will have gathered after a correct research process. 

At this point in the process you should also be clear about the influencing factors to be taken into account and those that can be left out.

Remember that your research is not only about gathering a good amount of information that puts the maximum number of options, variables or situations on the table. 

For the information to be of quality, it must be based on reliable and trustworthy sources.

If the information you have to collect is based on the comments and opinions of third parties, try to exercise quality control but without interference. 

To do this, ask open-ended questions that bring all the nuances to the table and at the same time serve to sift out possible biases.

With the research process completed, it is time to analyze the sources and information gathered.

At this point, your analytical skills will help you to discard what does not conform to unconventional thinking, to prioritize among the information that is of value, to identify possible trends and to draw your own conclusions.

One of the skills that characterize a person with critical thinking is their ability to recognize patterns and connections between all the pieces of information they handle in their research.

This allows them to draw conclusions of great relevance on which to base their predictions with weighty foundations.

Analytical thinking is sometimes confused with critical thinking. The former only uses facts and data, while the latter incorporates other nuances such as emotions, experiences or opinions.

One of the problems with critical thinking is that it can be developed to infinity and beyond. You can always keep looking for new avenues of investigation and new lines of argument by stretching inference to limits that may not be necessary.

At this point it is important to clarify that inference is the process of drawing conclusions from initial premises or hypotheses.

Knowing when to stop the research and thinking process and move on to the next stage in which you put into practice the actions considered appropriate is necessary.

Communication

The information you collect in your research is not top secret material. On the contrary, your knowledge sharing with other people who are involved in the next steps of the process is so important.

Think that your analytical ability to extract the information and your conclusions can serve to guide others .

Problem solving

It is important to note at this point that critical thinking can be aimed at solving a problem but can also be used to simply answer questions or even to identify areas for improvement in certain situations. 

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• Open access
• Published: 02 September 2024

Clinical supervisor’s experiences of peer group clinical supervision during COVID-19: a mixed methods study

• Owen Doody   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3708-1647 1 ,
• Kathleen Markey   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3024-0828 1 ,
• James Turner   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8360-1420 2 ,
• Claire O. Donnell   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2386-7048 1 &
• Louise Murphy   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2381-3963 1  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  612 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Providing positive and supportive environments for nurses and midwives working in ever-changing and complex healthcare services is paramount. Clinical supervision is one approach that nurtures and supports professional guidance, ethical practice, and personal development, which impacts positively on staff morale and standards of care delivery. In the context of this study, peer group clinical supervision provides allocated time to reflect and discuss care provided and facilitated by clinical supervisors who are at the same grade/level as the supervisees.

To explore the clinical supervisor’s experiences of peer group clinical supervision a mixed methods study design was utilised within Irish health services (midwifery, intellectual disability, general, mental health). The Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale was used to survey clinical supervisors ( n  = 36) and semi-structured interviews ( n  = 10) with clinical supervisors were conducted. Survey data were analysed through SPSS and interview data were analysed utilising content analysis. The qualitative and quantitative data’s reporting rigour was guided by the CROSS and SRQR guidelines.

Participants generally had a positive encounter when providing clinical supervision. They highly appreciated the value of clinical supervision and expressed a considerable degree of contentment with the supervision they provided to supervisees. The advantages of peer group clinical supervision encompass aspects related to self (such as confidence, leadership, personal development, and resilience), service and organisation (including a positive working environment, employee retention, and safety), and patient care (involving critical thinking and evaluation, patient safety, adherence to quality standards, and elevated levels of care).

There are many benefits of peer group clinical supervision at an individual, service, organisation, and patient level. Nevertheless, there is a need to address a lack of awareness and misconceptions surrounding clinical supervision to create an environment and culture conducive to realising its full potential. It is crucial that clinical supervision be accessible to nurses and midwives of all grades across all healthcare services, with national planning to address capacity and sustainability.

Peer Review reports

Within a dynamic healthcare system, nurses and midwives face growing demands, underscoring the necessity for ongoing personal and professional development. This is essential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of care delivery for patients, families, and societies. Despite the increased emphasis on increasing the quality and safety of healthcare services and delivery, there is evidence highlighting declining standards of nursing and midwifery care [ 1 ]. The recent focus on re-affirming and re-committing to core values guiding nursing and midwifery practice is encouraging such as compassion, care and commitment [ 2 ], competence, communication, and courage [ 3 ]. However, imposing value statements in isolation is unlikely to change behaviours and greater consideration needs to be given to ways in which compassion, care, and commitment are nurtured and ultimately applied in daily practice. Furthermore, concerns have been raised about global staff shortages [ 4 ], the evidence suggesting several contributing factors such as poor workforce planning [ 5 ], job dissatisfaction [ 6 ], and healthcare migration [ 7 ]. Without adequate resources and staffing, compromising standards of care and threats to patient safety will be imminent therefore the importance of developing effective strategies for retaining competent registered nurses and midwives is paramount in today’s climate of increased staff shortages [ 4 ]. Clinical supervision serves as a means to facilitate these advancements and has been linked to heightened job satisfaction, enhanced staff retention, improved staff effectiveness, and effective clinical governance, by aiding in quality improvements, risk management, and heightened accountability [ 8 ].

Clinical supervision is a key component of professional practice and while the aim is largely known, there is no universally accepted definition of clinical supervision [ 8 ]. Clinical supervision is a structured process where clinicians are allowed protected time to reflect on their practice within a supportive environment and with the purpose of developing high-quality clinical care [ 9 ]. Recent literature published on clinical supervision [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ] highlights the advantages and merits of clinical supervision. However, there are challenges also identified such as a lack of consensus regarding the meaning and goal, implementation issues, variations in approaches in its operationalisation, and an absence of research evidence on its effectiveness. Duration and experience in clinical supervision link to positive benefits [ 8 ], but there is little evidence of how clinical supervision altered individual behaviours and practices. This is reinforced by Kuhne et al., [ 15 ] who emphasise that satisfaction rather than effectiveness is more commonly examined. It is crucial to emphasise that reviews have pinpointed that clinical supervision lowers the risks of adverse patient outcomes [ 9 ] and demonstrates enhancements in the execution of certain care processes. Peer group clinical supervision is a form of clinical supervision whereby two or more practitioners engage in a supervision or consultation process to improve their professional practice [ 17 ]. There is limited evidence regarding peer group clinical supervision and research on the experiences of peer clinical supervision and stakeholders is needed [ 13 ]. In Ireland, peer group clinical supervision has been recommended and guidelines have been developed [ 18 ]. In the Irish context, peer clinical supervision is where both clinical supervisees and clinical supervisors are peers at the same level/grade. However, greater evidence is required to inform future decisions on the implementation of peer group clinical supervision and the purpose of this study is to explore clinical supervisors’ experiences of peer group clinical supervision. As the focus is on peer group supervisors and utilising mixed methods the experiences of the other stakeholders were investigated and reported separately.

A mixed methods approach was used (survey and semi-structured interviews) to capture clinical supervisor’s experiences of clinical supervision. The study adhered to the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies guidelines [ 19 ] (Supplementary File S1 ) and Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines [ 20 ] (Supplementary File S2 ).

Participants

This study was conducted with participants who successfully completed a professionally credited award: clinical supervision module run by a university in Ireland (74 clinical supervisors across 5 programmes over 3 years). The specific selection criteria for participants were that they were registered nurses/midwives delivering peer group clinical supervision within the West region of Ireland. The specific exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) nurses and midwives who haven’t finished the clinical supervision module at the University, (2) newly appointed peer group clinical supervisors who have yet to establish their groups and initiate the delivery of peer group clinical supervision.

Measures and procedures

The Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 was used to survey participants in February/March 2022 and measure the peer group clinical supervisors’ overall experiences of facilitating peer group clinical supervision. The Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 is a validated 26-item self-report questionnaire with a Likert-type (1–5) scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5) [ 21 ]. The Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 measures the efficiency of and satisfaction with supervision, to investigate the skills acquisition aspect of clinical supervision and its effect on the quality of clinical care [ 21 ]. The instrument consists of two main sections to measure three (normative, restorative, and formative) dimensions of clinical supervision utilising six sub-scales: (1) trust and rapport, (2) supervisor advice/support, (3) improved care/skills, (4) importance/value of clinical supervision, (5) finding time, (6) personal issues/reflections and a total score for the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 is also calculated. Section two consisted of the demographic section of the questionnaire and was tailored to include eight demographic questions concerning the supervisor’s demographics, supervisee characteristics, and characteristics of clinical supervision sessions. There were also two open field questions on the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 (model of clinical supervision used and any other comments about experience of peer group clinical supervision). The main question about participants’ experiences with peer clinical supervision was “What was your experience of peer clinical supervision?” This was gathered through individual semi-structured interviews lasting between 20 and 45 min, in March/April 2022 (Supplementary file 3 ).

Ethical considerations

Health service institutional review boards of two University hospitals approved this study (Ref: 091/19 and Ref: C.A. 2199). Participants were recruited after receiving a full explanation of the study’s purpose and procedure and all relevant information. Participants were aware of potential risks and benefits and could withdraw from the study, or the survey could be stopped at any time. Informed consent was recorded, and participant identities were protected by using a pseudonym to protect anonymity.

Data analysis method

Survey data was analysed using the data analysis software package Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 26 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Il, USA). Descriptive analysis was undertaken to summarise responses to all items and categorical variables (nominal and ordinal) were analysed using frequencies to detail the number and percentage of responses to each question. Scores on the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 were reverse scored for 9 items (Q1-Q6, Q8, Q20,21) and total scores for each of the six sub-scales were calculated by adding the scores for each item. Raw scores for the individual sub-scales varied in range from 0 to 20 and these raw scores were then converted to percentages which were used in addition to the raw scores for each sub-scale to describe and summarise the results of the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was undertaken with the 26 questions included within the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 and more importantly with each of the dimensions in the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26. The open-ended questions on the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 and interviews were analysed using content analysis guided by Colorafi and Evans [ 22 ] and categories were generated using their eight steps, (1) creating a coding framework, (2) adding codes and memos, (3) applying the first level of coding, (4) categorising codes and applying the second level of coding, (5) revising and redefining the codes, (6) adding memos, (7) visualising data and (8) representing the data.

Research rigour

To ensure the validity and rigour of this study the researchers utilised the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 a recognised clinical supervision tool with good reliability and wide usage. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and verified by four participants, data were collected until no new components appeared, data collection methods and analysis procedures were described, and the authors’ biases were minimised throughout the research process. The Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 instrument internal consistency reliability was assessed which was overall good (α = 0.878) with individual subscale also good e.g., normative domain 0.765, restorative domain 0.864, and formative domain 0.900. Reporting rigour was demonstrated using the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies guidelines [ 19 ] and Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines [ 20 ].

Quantitative data

Participant and clinical supervision characteristics.

Thirty-six of the fifty-two (69.2%) peer group clinical supervisors working across a particular region of Ireland responded to the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 survey online via Qualtrics. Table 1 identifies the demographics of the sample who were predominantly female (94.4%) with a mean age of 44.7 years (SD. 7.63).

Peer group clinical supervision session characteristics (Table  2 ) highlight over half of peer group clinical supervisors ( n  = 20, 55.6%) had been delivering peer group clinical supervision for less than one year and were mainly delivered to female supervisees ( n  = 28, 77.8%). Most peer group clinical supervision sessions took place monthly ( n  = 32, 88.9%) for 31–60 min ( n  = 27, 75%).

Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 results

Participants generally viewed peer group clinical supervision as effective (Table  3 ), the total mean Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 score among all peer group clinical supervisors was 76.47 (SD. 12.801) out of 104, Surpassing the clinical supervision threshold score of 73, which was established by the developers of the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 as the benchmark indicating proficient clinical supervision provision [ 21 ]. Of the three domains; normative, formative, and restorative, the restorative domain scored the highest (mean 28.56, SD. 6.67). The mean scores compare favourably to that of the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale-26 benchmark data and suggest that the peer group clinical supervisors were satisfied with both the level of support, encouragement, and guidance they provided and the level of trust/rapport they had developed during the peer group clinical supervision sessions. 83.3% ( n  = 30) of peer group clinical supervisors reported being either very satisfied ( n  = 12, 33.3%) or moderately satisfied ( n  = 18, 50%) with the peer group clinical supervision they currently delivered. Within the peer group clinical supervisor’s supervisee related issues ( n  = 17, 47.2%), work environment-related issues ( n  = 16, 44.4%), staff-related issues ( n  = 15, 41.7%) were reported as the most frequent issues, with patient/client related issues being less frequent ( n  = 8, 22.2%). The most identified model used to facilitate peer group clinical supervision was the Proctors model ( n  = 8, 22.22%), which was followed by group ( n  = 2, 5.55%), peer ( n  = 2, 5.55%), and a combination of the seven-eyed model of clinical supervision and Proctors model ( n  = 1, 2.77%) with some not sure what model they used ( n  = 2, 5.553%) and 58.33% ( n  = 21) did not report what model they used.

Survey open-ended question

‘Please enter any additional comments , which are related to your current experience of delivering Peer Group Clinical Supervision.’ There were 22 response comments to this question, which represented 61.1% of the 36 survey respondents, which were analysed using content analysis guided by Colorafi & Evans [ 22 ]. Three categories were generated. These included: personal value/benefit of peer group clinical supervision, challenges with facilitating peer group clinical supervision, and new to peer group clinical supervision.

The first category ‘personal value/benefit of peer group clinical supervision’ highlighted positive experiences of both receiving and providing peer group clinical supervision. Peer group clinical supervisors reported that they enjoyed the sessions and found them both worthwhile and beneficial for both the group and them as peer group clinical supervisors in terms of creating a trusted supportive group environment and motivation to develop. Peer group clinical supervision was highlighted as very important for the peer group clinical supervisors working lives and they hoped that there would be more uptake from all staff. One peer group clinical supervisor expressed that external clinical supervision was a ‘lifeline’ to shaping their supervisory journey to date.

The second category ‘challenges with facilitating peer group clinical supervision’, identified time constraints, lack of buy-in/support from management, staff shortages, lack of commitment by supervisees, and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and related sick leave, as potential barriers to facilitating peer group clinical supervision. COVID-19 was perceived to have a negative impact on peer group clinical supervision sessions due to staff shortages, which resulted in difficulties for supervisees attending the sessions during work time. Peer group clinical supervisors felt that peer group clinical supervision was not supported by management and there was limited ‘buy-in’ at times. There was also a feeling expressed that peer group clinical supervision was in its infancy, as COVID-19 and its related restrictions impacted on this by either slowing down the process of commencing peer group clinical supervision in certain areas or having to move online. However, more recently improvements in managerial support and supervisee engagement with the peer group clinical supervision process are noted.

The final category ‘new to peer group clinical supervision’ highlighted that some peer group clinical supervisors were new to the process of providing peer group clinical supervision and some felt that this survey was not a true reflection of their experience of delivering peer group clinical supervision, as they were not fully established yet as clinical supervisors due to the impact of COVID-19. Peer group clinical supervisors identified that while they were new to providing peer group clinical supervision, they were enjoying it and that it was a learning curve for them.

Qualitative data

The qualitative phase explored peer group clinical supervisors’ ( n  = 10) own experiences of preparation received and experiences of being a peer group clinical supervisor. Three themes were identified through data analysis, building the foundations, enacting engagement and actions, and realities (Table  4 ).

Building the foundations

This theme highlights the importance of prior knowledge, awareness, and training but also the recruitment process and education in preparing peer group clinical supervisors.

Knowledge and awareness

Participant’s prior knowledge and awareness of peer group clinical supervision was mixed with some reporting having little or no knowledge of clinical supervision.

I’m 20 years plus trained as a nurse , and I had no awareness of clinical supervision beforehand , I really hadn’t got a clue what all of this was about , so it was a very new concept to me (Bernie) .

Others were excited about peer group clinical supervision and while they could see the need they were aware that there may be limited awareness of the value and process of clinical supervision among peers.

I find that there’s great enthusiasm and passion for clinical supervision as it’s a great support mechanism for staff in practice , however , there’s a lack of awareness of clinical supervision (Jane) .

Recruitment

Some participants highlighted that the recruitment process to become a peer group clinical supervisor was vague in some organisations with an unclear and non-transparent process evident where people were chosen by the organisation’s management rather than self-selecting interested parties.

It was just the way the training was put to the people , they were kind of nominated and told they were going and there was a lot of upset over that , so they ended up in some not going at all (Ailbhe) .

In addition, the recruitment process was seen as top loaded where senior grades of staff were chosen, and this limited staff nurse grade opportunities where there was a clear need for peer group clinical supervisors and support.

We haven’t got down to the ground level like you know we’ve done the directors , we’ve done the CNM3s the CNM2s we are at the CNM1s , so we need to get down to the staff nurse level so the nurses at the direct frontline are left out and aren’t receiving supervision because we don’t have them trained (Bernie) .

Training and education

Participants valued the training and education provided but there was a clear sense of ‘imposter syndrome’ for some peer group clinical supervisors starting out. Participants questioned their qualifications, training duration, and confidence to undertake the role of peer group clinical supervisor.

Because it is group supervision and I know that you know they say that we are qualified to do supervision and you know we’re now qualified clinical supervisors but I’m not sure that a three-month module qualifies you to be at the top of your game (Maria) .

Participants when engaged in the peer group clinical supervisor educational programme did find it beneficial and the true benefit was the actual re-engagement in education and published evidence along with the mix of nursing and midwifery practice areas.

I found it very beneficial , I mean I hadn’t been engaged in education here in a while , so it was great to be back in that field and you know with the literature that’s big (Claire) .

Enacting engagement and actions

This theme highlights the importance of forming the groups, getting a clear message out, setting the scene, and grounding the group.

Forming the groups

Recruitment for the group was of key importance to the peer group clinical supervisor and they all sent out a general invitation to form their group. Some supervisors used invitation letters or posters in addition to a general email and this was effective in recruiting supervisees.

You’re reaching out to people , I linked in with the ADoN and I put together a poster and circulated that I wasn’t ‘cherry picking , and I set up a meeting through Webex so people could get a sense of what it was if they were on the fence about it or unsure if it was for them (Karen) .

In forming the peer clinical supervision groups consideration needs to be given to the actual number of supervisees and participants reported four to six supervisees as ideal but that number can alter due to attendance.

The ideal is having five or six consistent people and that they all come on board and that you get the dynamics of the group and everything working (Claire) .

Getting a clear message out

Within the recruitment process, it was evident that there was a limited and often misguided understanding or perception of peer group clinical supervision.

Greater awareness of what actually clinical supervision is , people misjudge it as a supervision where someone is appraising you , when in fact it is more of a support mechanism , I think peer support is the key element that needs to be brought out (Jane) .

Given the lack of clarity and understanding regarding peer group clinical supervision, the participants felt strongly that further clarity is needed and that the focus needs to be on the support it offers to self, practice, and the profession.

Clinical supervision to me is clinical leadership (Jane) .

Setting the scene and grounding the group

In the initial phase of the group coming together the aspect of setting the scene and grounding the group was seen as important. A key aspect of this process was establishing the ground rules which not only set the boundaries and gave structure but also ensured the adoption of principles of trust, confidentiality, and safety.

We start with the ground rules , they give us structure it’s our contract setting out the commitment the expectation for us all , and the confidentiality as that’s so important to the trust and safety and building the relationships (Brid) .

Awareness of group dynamics is important in this process along with awareness of the group members (supervisees) as to their role and expectations.

I reiterate the role of each person in relation to confidentiality and the relationship that they would have with each other within the group and the group is very much aware that it is based on respect for each person’s point of view people may have a fear of contributing to the group and setting the ground rules is important (Jane) .

To ground the group, peer group clinical supervisors saw the importance of being present and allowing oneself to be in the room. This was evident in the time allocated at the start of each session to allow ‘grounding’ to occur in the form of techniques such as a short meditation, relaxation, or deep breathing.

At the start , I do a bit of relaxation and deep breathing , and I saw that with our own external supervisor how she settled us into place so very much about connecting with your body and you’ve arrived , then always come in with the contract in my first sentence , remember today you know we’re in a confidential space , of course , you can take away information , but the only information you will take from today is your own information and then the respect aspect (Mary Rose) .

This settling in and grounding was seen as necessary for people to feel comfortable and engage in the peer group clinical supervision process where they could focus, be open, converse, and be aware of their role and the role of peer group clinical supervision.

People have to be open, open about their practice and be willing to learn and this can only occur by sharing, clinical supervision gives us the space to do it in a space where we know we will be respected, and we can trust (Claire) .

This theme highlights the importance of the peer group clinical supervisors’ past experiences, delivering peer group clinical supervision sessions, responding to COVID-19, personal and professional development, and future opportunities.

Past experiences

Past experiences of peer group clinical supervisors were not always positive and for one participant this related to the lack of ground rules or focus of the sessions and the fact it was facilitated by a non-nurse.

In the past , I suppose I would have found it very frustrating as a participant because I just found that it was going round in circles , people moaning and you know it wasn’t very solution focused so I came from my situation where I was very frustrated with clinical supervision , it was facilitated by somebody that was non-nursing then it wasn’t very , there wasn’t the ground rules , it was very loose (Caroline) .

However, many did not have prior experience of peer group clinical supervision. Nonetheless, through the education and preparation received, there was a sense of commitment to embrace the concept, practice, and philosophy.

I did not really have any exposure or really much information on clinical supervision , but it has opened my eyes , and as one might say I am now a believer (Brid) .

Delivering peer group clinical supervision

In delivering peer group clinical supervision, participants felt supervisees were wary, as they did not know what peer group clinical supervision was, and they had focused more on the word supervision which was misleading to them. Nonetheless, the process was challenging, and buy-in was questioned at an individual and managerial level.

Buy-in wasn’t great I think now of course people will blame the pandemic , but this all happened before the pandemic , there didn’t seem to be you know , the same support from management that I would have expected so I kind of understood it in a way because then there wasn’t the same real respect from the practitioners either (Mary Rose) .

From the peer group clinical supervisor’s perspective, they were all novices in delivering/facilitating peer group clinical supervision sessions, and the support of the external clinical supervisors, and their own peer group clinical supervision sessions were invaluable along with a clinical supervision model.

Having supervision myself was key and something that is vital and needed , we all need to look at our practice and how we work it’s no good just facilitating others without being part of the process yourself but for me I would say the three principles of clinical supervision , you know the normative , formative and restorative , I keep hammering that home and bring that in regularly and revisit the contract and I have to do that often you know (Claire) .

All peer group clinical supervisors commented on the preparation for their peer group clinical supervision sessions and the importance of them having the right frame of mind and that often they needed to read over their course work and published evidence.

I want everybody to have a shared voice and you know that if one person , there is something that somebody feels very strongly and wants to talk about it that they e-mail in advance like we don’t have a set agenda but that’s agreed from the participant at the start (Caroline) .

To assist this, the peer group clinical supervisors noted the importance of their own peer group clinical supervision, the support of their peers, and external clinical supervisors. This preparation in an unpredictable situation can be difficult but drawing on one’s experience and the experience within the group can assist in navigating beyond unexpected situations.

I utilise the models of clinical supervision and this helps guide me , I am more of a facilitator of the group we are experts in our own area and our own role but you can only be an expert if you take the time to examine your practice and how you operate in your role (Brid) .

All clinical supervisors noted that the early sessions can be superficial, and the focus can be on other practice or management issues, but as time moves on and people become more engaged and involved it becomes easier as their understanding of supervision becomes clearer. In addition, there may be hesitancy and people may have difficulty opening up with certain people in the group and this is a reality that can put people off.

Initially there was so much managerial bashing and I think through supervision , I began to kind of think , I need the pillars of supervision , the governance , bringing more knowledge and it shifted everything in the room , trying to marry it with all the tensions that people have (Mary Rose) .

For some clinical supervisors, there were expected and unexpected challenges for them as clinical supervisors in terms of the discussions veering off course and expectations of their own ability.

The other big challenge is when they go off , how do you bring him back , you know when they veer off and you’re expected to be a peer , but you have to try and recoil that you have to get the balance with that right (Mary Rose) .

While peer group clinical supervision is accepted and seen as a valuable process by the peer group clinical supervisors, facilitating peer group supervision with people known to you can be difficult and may affect the process.

I’d love to supervise a group where I actually don’t know the people , I don’t know the dynamics within the group , and I’d love to see what it would be like in a group (Bernie) .

Of concern to clinical supervisors was the aspect of non-attendance and while there may be valid reasons such as COVID-19 the absence of a supervisee for several sessions can affect the group dynamics, especially if the supervisee has only engaged with early group sessions.

One of the ones that couldn’t attend because of COVID and whatever , but she’s coming to the next one and I just feel there’s a lot of issues in her area and I suppose I’m mindful that I don’t want that sort of thing to seep in , so I suppose it’s just for me just to keep reiterating the ground rules and the boundaries , that’s something I just have to manage as a facilitator , but what if they don’t attend how far will the group have progressed before she attends (Caroline) .

Responding to COVID-19

The advent of COVID-19 forced peer group clinical supervisors to find alternative means of providing peer group clinical supervision sessions which saw the move from face-to-face to online sessions. The online transition was seen as seamless for many established groups while others struggled to deliver sessions.

With COVID we did online for us it was fine because we were already formed (Corina) .

While the transition may have been positive many clinical supervisors came across issues because they were using an online format that would not be present in the face-to-face session.

We did have a session where somebody was in the main office and they have a really loud booming voice and they were saying stuff that was not appropriate to say outside of clinical supervision and I was like are you in the office can you lower it down a bit can you put your headphones on (Maria) .

However, two peer group clinical supervisors ceased or hasted the progress of rolling out peer group clinical supervision sessions mainly due to redeployment and staff availability.

With COVID it just had to be canceled here , it’s just the whole thing was canceled so it was very , very difficult for people (Mary Rose) .

It was clear from clinical supervisors that online sessions were appropriate but that they felt they were only appropriate for existing established groups that have had the opportunity to build relationships, develop trust, embed the ground rules, and create the space for open communication and once established a combined approach would be appropriate.

Since we weren’t as established as a group , not everybody knew each other it would be difficult to establish that so we would hold off/reschedule , obviously COVID is a major one but also I suppose if you have an established group now , and again , you could go to a remote one , but I felt like since we weren’t established as a group it would be difficult to develop it in that way (Karen) .

Within practice COVID-19 took priority and other aspects such as peer group clinical supervision moved lower down on the priority list for managers but not for the clinical supervisors even where redeployment occurred.

With COVID all the practical side , if one of the managers is dealing with an outbreak , they won’t be attending clinical supervision , because that has to be prioritised , whereas we’ve prioritised clinical supervision (Maria) .

The valuing of peer group clinical supervision was seen as important by clinical supervisors, and they saw it as particularly needed during COVID-19 as staff were dealing with many personal and professional issues.

During the height of COVID , we had to take a bit of a break for four months as things were so demanding at work for people but then I realised that clinical supervision was needed and started back up and they all wanted to come back (Brid) .

Having peer group clinical supervision during COVID-19 supported staff and enabled the group to form supportive relationships.

COVID has impacted over the last two years in every shape and they needed the supervision and the opportunity to have a safe supportive space and it gelled the group I think as we all were there for each other (Claire) .

While COVID-19 posed many challenges it also afforded clinical supervisors and supervisees the opportunity for change and to consider alternative means of running peer group clinical supervision sessions. This change resulted in online delivery and in reflecting on both forms of delivery (face-to-face and online) clinical supervisors saw the benefit in both. Face-to-face was seen as being needed to form the group and then the group could move online once the group was established with an occasional periodic face-to-face session to maintain motivation commitment and reinforce relationships and support.

Online formats can be effective if the group is already established or the group has gone through the storming and forming phase and the ground rules have been set and trust built , then I don’t see any problem with a blended online version of clinical supervision , and I think it will be effective (Jane) .

Personal and professional development

Growth and development were evident from peer group clinical supervisors’ experiences and this growth and development occurred at a personal, professional, and patient/client level. This development also produced an awakening and valuing of one’s passion for self and their profession.

I suppose clinical supervision is about development I can see a lot of development for me and my supervisees , you know personally and professionally , it’s the support really , clinical supervision can reinvigorate it’s very exciting and a great opportunity for nursing to support each other and in care provision (Claire) .

A key to the peer group clinical supervisor’s development was the aspect of transferable skills and the confidence they gained in fulfilling their role.

All of these skills that you learn are transferable and I am a better manager because of clinical supervision (Maria) .

The confidence and skills gained translated into the clinical supervisor’s own practice as a clinical practitioner and clinical supervisor but they were also realistic in predicting the impact on others.

I have empowered my staff , I empower them to use their voice and I give my supervisees a voice and hope they take that with them (Corina) .

Fundamental to the development process was the impact on care itself and while this cannot always be measured or identified, the clinical supervisors could see that care and support of the individual practitioner (supervisee) translated into better care for the patient/client.

Care is only as good as the person delivering it and what they know , how they function and what energy and passion they have , and clinical supervision gives the person support to begin to understand their practice and how and why they do things in a certain way and when they do that they can begin to question and even change their way of doing something (Brid) .

Future opportunities

Based on the clinical supervisor’s experiences there was a clear need identified regarding valuing and embedded peer group clinical supervision within nursing/midwifery practice.

There has to be an emphasis placed on supervision it needs to be part of the fabric of a service and valued by all in that service , we should be asking why is it not available if it’s not there but there is some work first on promoting it and people knowing what it actually is and address the misconceptions (Claire) .

While such valuing and buy-in are important, it is not to say that all staff need to have peer group clinical supervision so as to allow for personal choice. In addition, to value peer group clinical supervision it needs to be evident across all staffing grades and one could question where the best starting point is.

While we should not mandate that all staff do clinical supervision it should become embedded within practice more and I suppose really to become part of our custom and practice and be across all levels of staff (Brid) .

When peer group clinical supervision is embedded within practice then it should be custom and practice, where it is included in all staff orientations and is nationally driven.

I suppose we need to be driving it forward at the coal face at induction , at orientation and any development for the future will have to be driven by the NMPDUs or nationally (Ailbhe) .

A formalised process needs to address the release of peer group clinical supervisors but also the necessity to consider the number of peer group clinical supervisors at a particular grade.

The issue is release and the timeframe as they have a group but they also have their external supervision so you have to really work out how much time you’re talking about (Maria) .

Vital within the process of peer group clinical supervision is receiving peer group clinical supervision and peer support and this needs to underpin good peer group clinical supervision practice.

Receiving peer group supervision helps me , there are times where I would doubt myself , it’s good to have the other group that I can go to and put it out there to my own group and say , look at this , this is what we did , or this is what came up and this is how (Bernie) .

For future roll out to staff nurse/midwife grade resourcing needs to be considered as peer group clinical supervisors who were managers could see the impact of having several peer group clinical supervisors in their practice area may have on care delivery.

Facilitating groups is an issue and needs to be looked at in terms of the bigger picture because while I might be able to do a second group the question is how I would be supported and released to do so (Maria) .

While there was ambiguity regarding peer group clinical supervision there was an awareness of other disciplines availing of peer group clinical supervision, raising questions about the equality of supports available for all disciplines.

I always heard other disciplines like social workers would always have been very good saying I can’t meet you I have supervision that day and I used to think my God what’s this fabulous hour that these disciplines are getting and as a nursing staff it just wasn’t there and available (Bernie) .

To address this equity issue and the aspect of low numbers of certain grades an interdisciplinary approach within nursing and midwifery could be used or a broader interdisciplinary approach across all healthcare professionals. An interdisciplinary or across-services approach was seen as potentially fruitful.

I think the value of interprofessional or interdisciplinary learning is key it addresses problem-solving from different perspectives that mix within the group is important for cross-fertilisation and embedding the learning and developing the experience for each participant within the group (Jane) .

As we move beyond COVID-19 and into the future there is a need to actively promote peer group clinical supervision and this would clarify what peer group clinical supervision actually is, its uptake and stimulate interest.

I’d say it’s like promoting vaccinations if you could do a roadshow with people , I think that would be very beneficial , and to launch it , like you have a launch an official launch behind it (Mary Rose) .

The advantages of peer group clinical supervision highlighted in this study pertain to self-enhancement (confidence, leadership, personal development, resilience), organisational and service-related aspects (positive work environment, staff retention, safety), and professional patient care (critical thinking and evaluation, patient safety, adherence to quality standards, elevated care standards). These findings align with broader literature that acknowledges various areas, including self-confidence and facilitation [ 23 ], leadership [ 24 ], personal development [ 25 ], resilience [ 26 ], positive/supportive working environment [ 27 ], staff retention [ 28 ], sense of safety [ 29 ], critical thinking and evaluation [ 30 ], patient safety [ 31 ], quality standards [ 32 ] and increased standards of care [ 33 ].

In this study, peer group clinical supervision appeared to contribute to the alleviation of stress and anxiety. Participants recognised the significance of these sessions, where they could openly discuss and reflect on professional situations both emotionally and rationally. Central to these discussions was the creation of a safe, trustworthy, and collegial environment, aligning with evidence in the literature [ 34 ]. Clinical supervision provided a platform to share resources (information, knowledge, and skills) and address issues while offering mutual support [ 35 ]. The emergence of COVID-19 has stressed the significance of peer group clinical supervision and support for the nursing/midwifery workforce [ 36 ], highlighting the need to help nurses/midwifes preserve their well-being and participate in collaborative problem-solving. COVID-19 impacted and disrupted clinical supervision frequency, duration and access [ 37 ]. What was evident during COVID-19 was the stress and need for support for staff and given the restorative or supportive functions of clinical supervision it is a mechanism of support. However, clinical supervisors need support themselves to be able to better meet the supervisee’s needs [ 38 ].

The value of peer group clinical supervision in nurturing a conducive working environment cannot be overstated, as it indorses the understanding and adherence to workplace policies by empowering supervisees to understand the importance and rationale behind these policies [ 39 ]. This becomes vital in a continuously changing healthcare landscape, where guidelines and policies may be subject to change, especially in response to situations such as COVID-19. In an era characterised by international workforce mobility and a shortage of healthcare professionals, a supportive and positive working environment through the provision of peer group clinical supervision can positively influence staff retention [ 40 ], enhance job satisfaction [ 41 ], and mitigate burnout [ 42 ]. A critical aspect of the peer group clinical supervision process concerns providing staff the opportunity to reflect, step back, problem-solve and generate solutions. This, in turn, ensures critical thinking and evaluation within clinical supervision, focusing on understanding the issues and context, and problem-solving to draw constructive lessons for the future [ 30 ]. Research has determined a link between clinical supervision and improvements in the quality and standards of care [ 31 ]. Therefore, peer group clinical supervision plays a critical role in enhancing patient safety by nurturing improved communication among staff, facilitating reflection, promoting greater self-awareness, promoting the exchange of ideas, problem-solving, and facilitating collective learning from shared experiences.

Starting a group arose as a foundational aspect emphasised in this study. The creation of the environment through establishing ground rules, building relationships, fostering trust, displaying respect, and upholding confidentiality was evident. Vital to this process is the recruitment of clinical supervisees and deciding the suitable group size, with a specific emphasis on addressing individuals’ inclination to engage, their knowledge and understanding of peer group clinical supervision, and dissipating any lack of awareness or misconceptions regarding peer group supervision. Furthermore, the educational training of peer group clinical supervisors and the support from external clinical supervisors played a vital role in the rollout and formation of peer group clinical supervision. The evidence stresses the significance of an open and safe environment, wherein supervisees feel secure and trust their supervisor. In such an environment, they can effectively reflect on practice and related issues [ 41 ]. This study emphasises that the effectiveness of peer group supervision is more influenced by the process than the content. Clinical supervisors utilised the process to structure their sessions, fostering energy and interest to support their peers and cultivate new insights. For peer group clinical supervision to be effective, regularity is essential. Meetings should be scheduled in advance, allocate protected time, and take place in a private space [ 35 ]. While it is widely acknowledged that clinical supervisors need to be experts in their professional field to be credible, this study highlights that the crucial aspects of supervision lie in the quality of the relationship with the supervisor. The clinical supervisor should be supportive, caring, open, collaborative, sensitive, flexible, helpful, non-judgmental, and focused on tacit knowledge, experiential learning, and providing real-time feedback.

Critical to the success of peer group clinical supervision is the endorsement and support from management, considering the organisational culture and attitudes towards the practice of clinical supervision as an essential factor [ 43 ]. This support and buy-in are necessary at both the management and individual levels [ 28 ]. The primary obstacles to effective supervision often revolve around a lack of time and heavy workloads [ 44 ]. Clinical supervisors frequently struggle to find time amidst busy environments, impacting the flexibility and quality of the sessions [ 45 ]. Time constraints also limit the opportunity for reflection within clinical supervision sessions, leaving supervisees feeling compelled to resolve issues on their own without adequate support [ 45 ]. Nevertheless, time-related challenges are not unexpected, prompting a crucial question about the value placed on clinical supervision and its integration into the culture and fabric of the organisation or profession to make it a customary practice. Learning from experiences like those during the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced alternative ways of working, and the use of technology (such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype) may serve as a means to address time, resource, and travel issues associated with clinical supervision.

Despite clinical supervision having a long international history, persistent misconceptions require attention. Some of these include not considering clinical supervision a priority [ 46 ], perceiving it as a luxury [ 41 ], deeming it self-indulgent [ 47 ], or viewing it as mere casual conversation during work hours [ 48 ]. A significant challenge lies in the lack of a shared understanding regarding the role and purpose of clinical supervision, with past perceptions associating it with surveillance and being monitored [ 48 ]. These negative connotations often result in a lack of engagement [ 41 ]. Without encouragement and recognition of the importance of clinical supervision from management or the organisation, it is unlikely to become embedded in the organisational culture, impeding its normalisation [ 39 ].

In this study, some peer group clinical supervisors expressed feelings of being impostors and believed they lacked the knowledge, skills, and training to effectively fulfil their roles. While a deficiency in skills and competence are possible obstacles to providing effective clinical supervision [ 49 ], the peer group clinical supervisors in this study did not report such issues. Instead, their concerns were more about questioning their ability to function in the role of a peer group clinical supervisor, especially after a brief training program. The literature acknowledges a lack of training where clinical supervisors may feel unprepared and ill-equipped for their role [ 41 ]. To address these challenges, clinical supervisors need to be well-versed in professional guidelines and ethical standards, have clear roles, and understand the scope of practice and responsibilities associated with being a clinical supervisor [ 41 ].

The support provided by external clinical supervisors and the peer group clinical supervision sessions played a pivotal role in helping peer group clinical supervisors ease into their roles, gain experiential learning, and enhance their facilitation skills within a supportive structure. Educating clinical supervisors is an investment, but it should not be a one-time occurrence. Ongoing external clinical supervision for clinical supervisors [ 50 ] and continuous professional development [ 51 ] are crucial, as they contribute to the likelihood of clinical supervisors remaining in their roles. However, it is important to interpret the results of this study with caution due to the small sample size in the survey. Generalising the study results should be approached with care, particularly as the study was limited to two regions in Ireland. However, the addition of qualitative data in this mixed-methods study may have helped offset this limitation.

This study highlights the numerous advantages of peer group clinical supervision at individual, service, organisational, and patient/client levels. Success hinges on addressing the initial lack of awareness and misconceptions about peer group clinical supervision by creating the right environment and establishing ground rules. To unlock the full potential of peer group clinical supervision, it is imperative to secure management and organisational support for staff release. More crucially, there is a need for valuing and integrating peer group clinical supervision into nursing and midwifery education and practice. Making peer group clinical supervision accessible to all grades of nurses and midwives across various healthcare services is essential, necessitating strategic planning to tackle capacity and sustainability challenges.

Data availability

Data are available from the corresponding author upon request owing to privacy or ethical restrictions.

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Acknowledgements

The research team would like to thank all participants for their collaboration, the HSE steering group members and Carmel Hoey, NMPDU Director, HSE West Mid West, Dr Patrick Glackin, NMPD Area Director, HSE West, Annette Cuddy, Director, Centre of Nurse and Midwifery Education Mayo/Roscommon; Ms Ruth Hoban, Assistant Director of Nursing and Midwifery (Prescribing), HSE West; Ms Annette Connolly, NMPD Officer, NMPDU HSE West Mid West.

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OD: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Project administration, Funding acquisition. COD: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Funding acquisition. KM: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Funding acquisition. JT: Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing. LM: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Funding acquisition.

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This study was approved by two health service institutional review boards University Hospital Limerick (Ref: 091/19) and Galway University Hospitals (Ref: C.A. 2199). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and all study details were fully disclosed to participants, who were assured of the voluntary nature of participation and withdrawal. The study questionnaires were coded, and identities were not disclosed to guarantee participants’ anonymity and all participants provided written informed consent before interviews.

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Doody, O., Markey, K., Turner, J. et al. Clinical supervisor’s experiences of peer group clinical supervision during COVID-19: a mixed methods study. BMC Nurs 23 , 612 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02283-3

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Received : 04 January 2024

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02283-3

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• Clinical supervision

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