GUIDEBOOK ON PECULIARITIES OF CRITICAL THINKING COGNITIVE PROCESSES

AUTHORS: Nicu Cretu, Veronica Cretu, Lia Sclifos and Serghei Lisenco (Republic of Moldova)

This guidebook has been developed as a resource for curriculum developers interested in competency based approach to curriculum development. It aims at providing guidance about the process to be followed in the development and adaptation of curriculum from Critical Thinking perspective.

This guidebook outlines specific learning situations in which critical thinking competency is developed. Authors give examples of tasks that develop attitudes, skills and knowledge for a particular learning situation in order to develop a specific sub-competency of critical thinking competency; as well as examples of tasks for associated metacognitive processes and tips for teaching/learning/evaluation strategies.

This guidebook is the first in the Series of Sourcebooks on Critical Thinking for Development (2011). It outlines stages in a process that represent an exemplar process for the development and/or adaptation of curriculum from Critical Thinking perspective.

• The guidebook can be worked through by reading and applying the stages and following the sequence presented for each Learning Situation.
• Any Learning Situation can be analysed against current practice in light of the proposed model by the Guidebook;
• The proposed model/s can be modified/completed to suit the particular needs and requirements of a national context;
• The proposed model/s can be used as basis for discussion with a team of curriculum developers that has been set up to develop or adapt a curriculum from critical thinking perspective.

Target Audience

This guidebook has been developed to assist the following people who might be involved in curriculum development, adaptation, evaluation, but is not limited to:

• Curriculum Experts/Developers;
• Critical Thinking Trainers;
• Textbook authors/writers;
• Project Managers and Educational Policy makers.

FOREWORD

1.INTRODUCTION

2. STRUCTURE OF THE GUIDEBOOK

3.MOTIVATION TO THINK CRITICALLY

4.LEARNING SITUATION: DATA COLLECTION

5.LEARNING SITUATION: DATA INTERPRETATION

6.LEARNING SITUATION: APPLICATION, TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS & SOLUTIONS

7.LEARNING SITUATION: ANALYSES

8.LEARNING SITUATION:IDENTIFYING NEW SOLUTIONS OR OVERCOMING THE STEREOTYPES

9.LEARNING SITUATION:DATA/INFORMATION EVALUATION

10. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

11. BIBLIOGRAPHY

For more details on the Guidebook, contact veronicaatcretu.md