In another post (regarding the time I presented an if-then conclusion about Sarah Palin to a self-proclaimed critical thinker...who couldn't follow it), I linked to a study which found college students are not learning to think critically by the time they graduate.
In THIS article, the author suggest a big chunk of the problem is many teachers don't recognize critical thought themselves.
It's a long, academic-sounding article. But for somebody interested in the education process, it is fascinating! A student was told to use objective evidence to support their preference for a specific kind of music. Then, that essay (and one written by an adult who was part of the experiment) were given to teachers for grading. As the author explains, the instructions themselves reflect a common misunderstanding of critical thought, since they ask for objective justification of something which is subjective by nature: taste in music. The student's essay, "Rock Around the Clock," was written with "spark" and interesting stories--ultimately concluding that rock music is better than other kinds. The second essay, "Can I Prove Rock Music is Better?" gave objective reasons why he/she couldn't assess music objectively.
Some of the things teachers said about the two essays (#1 being Rock Around the Clock, #2 being Can I Prove Rock Music is Better?):
1. Special Ed. Teacher: [#1] “Point total: 7. This essay listed three criteria on which to base a judgment. It gave examples of each — maybe better examples could be found. The writer attempted to analyze a basically subjective issue in concrete terms — what the songs do for them: not objective, but a fairly concrete assessment of music’s subjectivity. [#2] “Point total: 0. This essay did not seriously attempt to answer the issue at hand. Instead it concluded, quite lamely, that no objective statement of worth could be made. While this may be accurate in the broadest sense, no effort was made to justify that position.”
2. A Math Teacher: [#1] “I would give the first essay a 5 because it did not support the judgment well but did make many references.
[#2] “I would give the second essay a 3 because it is not very evaluative! It did analyze the subject but provided no real support of any judgment.”
3. A Math Teacher: [#1] “I would give this paper a grade of 7 because criteria were evident, analysis was good and it had lots of supporting evidence. [#2] “I would give this paper a 3 because criteria are given but nothing was analyzed and no supporting evidence.”
(As a side note: look how many times a teacher said the second essay "didn't offer evidence" or "support," and actually penalized the writer's correct conclusion that there is no objective way to support your taste in music. Did the teachers want more stats, figures, and "outside sources," assuming that's what it takes to think critically?)
Anyway, this article also lists comments from teachers who scored the second (better-written) essay HIGHER--but even those teachers seemed confused about WHY that one exemplified good critical thinking. For example:
An English Teacher: [#1] “Score: 3. The writer in essay one has discussed how he/she feels about rock and pop music, but generalities are given and his/her statements aren’t supported with evidence. The assignment is to ‘justify’ preference, not discuss that it makes him/her ‘feel good’ period. No criteria have been established, so the essay just rambles on about ‘feelings’ and not much else. Reasons and evidence are lacking. [#2] “Score: 5. This essay does a little bit better in attempting an argument. The essay establishes two ‘criteria’ on which to base his/her essay.... Examples of ‘answers’ in paragraph 3 are needed as evidence . . . Paragraph 4 isn’t developed. Needs reasons and evidence/ examples. Weak Conclusion.”
There are many other direct quotes from teachers, and I encourage you to look at it! Also, read the evaluations of the critical thinking expert about what good deductive reasoning looks like, AND scroll down to where it says "Three examples of Student Reasoning." He explains what rational vs. irrational logic looks like.
I said this study fascinates me, and it does. But it also frightens me a bit. If teachers can't recognize good critical thinking, how can we hope the students will improve?
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