How to develop critical thinking in schoolchildren. Developing critical thinking in elementary school students How to develop critical thinking in schoolchildren
Development of critical thinking junior schoolchildren
In what case does a teacher want to use new methods and techniques in his lessons, or try to organize educational activities differently than usual? There are many options. There is a conscious desire to move away from the usual patterns, a desire for self-education, and curiosity about the unknown. During self-education, I mastered RCM technology
RCM technology (critical thinkin ) developed at the end XX century in the USA (C. Temple, D. Steele, K. Meredith). It synthesizes the ideas and methods of Russian domestic technologies of collective and group methods of teaching, as well as cooperation, developmental training; it is general pedagogical, supra-subject.
RKMChP technology is a holistic system that develops skills in working with information in the process of reading and writing. It is aimed at mastering the basic skills of an open information space, developing the qualities of a citizen of an open society involved in intercultural interaction. Critical thinking– this is one of the types of human intellectual activity, which is characterized by a high level of perception, understanding, and objectivity of approach to the information field surrounding it.
The name of the technology may seem cumbersome, but not a single word can be removed. Reading and writing are the basic processes by which we receive and transmit information, therefore, it is necessary to teach schoolchildren to read and write effectively. We are not talking about primary learning to write and read, as happens in the primary level of school, but about thoughtful, productive reading, during which information is analyzed and ranked by importance.
Accents of RCM technology goals
- Formation of a new style of thinking, which is characterized by openness, flexibility, reflexivity, awareness of the internal ambiguity of positions and points of view, and the alternative nature of decisions made.
- Development of such basic personality qualities as critical thinking, reflexivity, communication, creativity, mobility, independence, tolerance, responsibility for one’s own choices and the results of one’s activities.
- Development of analytical, critical thinking.
Taskteach schoolchildren:
1. Highlight cause-and-effect relationships;
2. Consider new ideas and knowledge in the context of existing ones;
3. Reject unnecessary or incorrect information;
4. Understand how different pieces of information are related to each other;
5. Identify errors in reasoning;
6. Draw a conclusion about whose specific value orientations, interests, ideological attitudes are reflected in the text or the speaking person;
7. Avoid categorical statements;
8. Be honest in your reasoning;
9. Identify false stereotypes leading to incorrect conclusions;
10. Identify preconceived attitudes, opinions and judgments;
11. Be able to distinguish a fact, which can always be verified, from an assumption and personal opinion;
12. Question the logical inconsistency of spoken or written language;
13. separate the main from the essential in a text or speech and be able to emphasize the former.
- Formation of a reading culture, which includes the ability to navigate sources of information, use different reading strategies, adequately understand what is read, sort information in terms of its importance, “weed out” unimportant information, critically evaluate new knowledge, draw conclusions and generalizations.
- Stimulating independent search creative activity, launching mechanisms of self-education and self-organization.
Peculiarities
It is not the amount of knowledge or the amount of information that is the goal of education, but how the student knows how to manage this information: search, in the best possible way appropriate it, find meaning in it, apply it in life.
Not the appropriation of “ready-made” knowledge, but the construction of one’s own, which is born in the learning process.
The communicative-active principle of teaching, which provides for a dialogue, interactive mode of classes, a joint search for solutions to problems, as well as “partnership” relations between the teacher and students.
The ability to think critically is not about looking for shortcomings, but an objective assessment of positive and negative aspects in a knowable object.
Simple and overgeneralizations, stereotypical words, clichés, cliches, and unsupported assumptions are not always accurate and can lead to the formation of stereotypes.
The words “everyone”, “no one”, “always”, “constantly” and generalized assumptions such as “Teachers do not understand children”, “Young people do not respect the elderly” and other similar expressions lead to misconceptions, so the words “some” should be used. “sometimes”, “sometimes”, “often”.
Lesson organization. The organization of the educational process is reminiscent of the collective method of teaching by A.G. Rivin - V.K. Dyachenko, since the basis is the work of students in dynamic pairs and groups.
Various combinations of these forms (“cross”, “zigzag”, etc.) are widely used.
The text is given a priority role: it is read, retold, analyzed, transformed, interpreted, discussed, and finally composed.
The student needs to master his text, develop his own opinion, express himself clearly, convincingly, and confidently. It is extremely important to be able to listen and hear another point of view, to understand that it also has a right to exist.
The role of the teacher is mainly coordinating.
A popular method of demonstrating the thinking process is to organize the material graphically. Models, drawings, diagrams, etc. reflect the relationships between ideas and show students the train of thought. The process of thinking, hidden from view, becomes visible and takes on visible embodiment.
Technology "Development of critical thinking" » refers to the frame type. A kind of framework into which the lesson fits is the so-called basic model of technology, consisting of three stages (stages): the challenge stage, the semantic stage and the reflection stage.
Each phase has its own goals and objectives, as well as a set of characteristic techniques aimed first at activating research and creative activity, and then at comprehending and generalizing the acquired knowledge.
First stage – "call", during which students’ previously existing knowledge is activated, interest in the topic is awakened, and the goals of studying the upcoming educational material are determined.
Second stage – "comprehension"- meaningful, during which the student directly works with the text, and the work is directed and meaningful. The reading process is always accompanied by student activities (labeling, making tables, keeping a diary), which allow you to track your own understanding. At the same time, the concept of “text” is interpreted very broadly: it includes a written text, a teacher’s speech, and video material.
Third stage - "reflection"- reflections. At this stage, the student forms a personal attitude towards the text and fixes it either with the help of his own text or his position in the discussion. It is here that an active rethinking of one’s own ideas takes place, taking into account newly acquired knowledge.
This structure of the lesson, according to psychologists, corresponds to the stages of human perception: first you need to tune in, remember what you know about this topic, then get acquainted with new information, then think about why you will need the acquired knowledge and how you can apply it.
Each stage has its own goals and objectives, as well as a set of characteristic techniques aimed first at activating research and creative activity, and then at comprehending and generalizing the acquired knowledge.
In this technology, unlike traditional technology, the roles of teachers and students change. Students do not sit passively listening to the teacher, but become the main characters of the lesson. They think and remember to themselves, share their thoughts with each other, read, write, and discuss what they read. The role of the teacher is mainly coordinating.
From the point of view of a traditional lesson, these stages do not represent exceptional novelty for the teacher. Instead of a “challenge,” it is more common for a teacher to introduce an introduction to a problem or update the students’ existing experience and knowledge. And “comprehension” is the study of new material. The third stage in a traditional lesson is consolidation of the material, testing the assimilation of knowledge.
So what is fundamentally new in the technology of critical thinking? The element of novelty is methodological techniques academic work, which are focused on creating conditions for the free development of each individual. Each stage of the lesson uses its own methodological techniques. There are quite a lot of them. Every critical thinking technique and strategy is designed to unlock students' creative potential. Reflection is the most significant stage, because This is where creative development and awareness of newly acquired information takes place.
Development of critical thinking among junior schoolchildren
1. The concept of technologies and their classification
Researchers date the massive introduction of pedagogical technologies to the early 60s of the twentieth century and associate them with the reform of American and then European schools. Pedagogical technology is a structure of a teacher’s activity in which all the actions included in it are presented in a certain sequence and integrity, and implementation involves achieving the required result and is predictable. Existing pedagogical technologies are similar in their goals, content, methods and means used. But they differ in various parameters.
Health-saving They are used to preserve the health of schoolchildren during the period of study at school, to develop in children the necessary knowledge, skills and habits of a healthy lifestyle. In order to properly organize educational activities (strict adherence to the school schedule; building a lesson taking into account the performance of children; using visual aids; mandatory implementation hygiene requirements; favorable emotional mood). Maintaining high performance in the classroom, eliminating student overwork.
Psycho-saving They are used to develop the mental mechanisms on which students’ creative abilities are based (memory, thinking, imagination). To develop cognitive interests and powers of observation.
Computer techologies They are an effective way to increase motivation and individualize learning, develop creative abilities, and help create a prosperous emotional background.
Humane-personal Sh.A. Amonashvili They are used in work to create conditions in which children receive expanded and in-depth knowledge. They serve to develop the child’s abilities, taking into account his psychological and physical capabilities and characteristics. In the process of use, the child’s personal qualities are revealed to raise a noble person.
Personality-oriented This is a system of work for the teacher and the school as a whole, aimed at maximizing the disclosure and cultivation of the child’s personal qualities.
At the same time, educational material no longer acts as an end in itself, but as a means and tool that creates conditions for the full manifestation and development of personal qualities. This is the teacher’s recognition of the priority of the individual over the collective. Creating humanistic relationships in the classroom, through which each child realizes himself as a full-fledged individual, learns to see and respect the personality in others.
Gaming technologies The inclusion of gaming technologies in the lesson makes the learning process interesting and entertaining, creates a working mood in children, and makes it easier to overcome difficulties in mastering educational material. The moral qualities of a child are formed in games. During the game, children learn to help classmates, take into account the opinions and interests of others, and restrain their desires. Children develop a sense of responsibility, collectivism, discipline, will, and character. The game increases interest in the subject and knowledge of the world around them.
Project-based learning technology It is used to develop children’s independence and the ability to find knowledge in various sources. Students learn to use acquired knowledge, development occurs research skills and systems thinking.
Collaboration pedagogy technology . Partnership and cooperation in the relationship between teacher and child. The teacher and the children jointly develop goals, content, and give assessments, being in a state of cooperation and co-creation.
2. Reasons for the emergence of technology
Among the main motivating reasons for the emergence of new psychological and pedagogical technologies, the following can be identified:
The need for deeper consideration and use of psychophysiological and personal characteristics of students;
Awareness of the urgent need to replace the ineffective verbal method of knowledge transfer with a systemic and activity-based approach;
The ability to design the educational process, organizational forms of interaction between teacher and student, ensuring guaranteed learning results;
The need to reduce the negative consequences of the work of an unqualified teacher.
None of the technologies in the existing school environment is universal. Absolutely each one provides no less than students who are lagging behind in development, training or education. This is due to the fact that the teacher is dealing with mechanically created classes, with a random selection of students, a variation in their level of preparedness and potential capabilities. Large pedagogical systems They cannot be monotechnological, that is, introduce one single technology for all classes and all subjects. Polytechnology in training is inevitable due to the variety of factors influencing the effectiveness of training.
3. Organization of training and education of students using new pedagogical technologies
The use of more advanced pedagogical technologies involves the search for the most convenient forms of organizing the educational and educational process, fundamentally changing their content and procedural aspects. To do this, they strive to increase the “productivity” of training and education, which is achieved by creating a knowledge base that corresponds to the organization of cognitive activity, a favorable emotional background, numerous studies have proven that from the chosen educational technology and the degree of its adequacy to the situation and student population largely depends on the quality of education and upbringing.
Reform should change the style of behavior of the teacher, the ways of his interaction with the student. In procedural changes, the main thing should be:
Reorientation of teachers from an educational and disciplinary model to a personal model of interaction with students;
Consistent elimination of coercion in training, reliance on internal stimulants of activity;
Inclusion of the student himself in educational and cognitive search activities organized on the basis of internal motivation;
Organization of joint activities, partnerships between teachers and students, inclusion of children in pedagogically appropriate educational actions;
Ensuring dialogical communication not only between the teacher and students, but also between students in the process of acquiring knowledge.
The use of innovative pedagogical technologies allows for the most complete implementation of tasks modern education- creating a set of conditions for the development of students that ensure in the future their readiness to live and act successfully in the adult world.
Technology development of critical thinking
A little history. The technology “Development of critical thinking through reading and writing” originated in America in the 80s of the twentieth century. In Russia, the technology has been known since the late 90s and has another name: “Reading and writing for the development of critical thinking.” It is based on the ideas and principles of the theory of J. Piaget about the stages of mental development of a child, L.S. Vygotsky about the zone of proximal development and the inextricable connection between learning and the general development of the child, K. Popper and R. Paul about the foundations of the formation and development of critical thinking, E. Brown and I. Beck about metacognitive teaching, civic and legal education, etc. Indisputable merit active technology developers, in particular Curtis Meredith, Charles Temple and Ginny Still, is that they were able to “translate” the provisions of these theories into the language of practice, and brought their work to the level of pedagogical technology, highlighting stages, methodological techniques and criteria for assessing the result. That is why their developments can be used by a huge number of teachers, achieving effective results in their work.
The technology is personality-oriented and open to solving a wide range of problems in the educational field: developing the qualities of a citizen of an open society involved in intercultural interaction, developing the basic skills of a person in an open information space.
The ideas of technology “translated” into the language of practice sound as follows:
children are naturally inquisitive, they want to explore the world, they are able to consider serious questions and put forward original ideas;
The role of the teacher is to be a thoughtful facilitator, stimulating students to tirelessly learn and helping them develop productive thinking skills;
critical thinking is formed primarily in discussion, written work and active work with texts. Students are well familiar with these forms of work; they only need to be slightly modified;
There is an inextricable connection between the development of thinking skills and the formation of democratic civic consciousness.
What is critical thinking? Let me quote the same authors: “Thinking critically means being curious and using research methods: asking yourself questions, systematically searching for answers. Critical thinking works on many levels, not being satisfied with facts, but revealing the causes and consequences of these facts. Critical thinking involves polite skepticism, questioning generally accepted truths, constantly asking, “What if?” Critical thinking means developing a point of view on a particular issue and the ability to defend this point of view with logical arguments. Critical thinking involves paying attention to your opponent’s arguments and logical comprehension of them.”
I will dwell in more detail on the technology itself. In order to give children the opportunity to actively work with the knowledge they receive, the authors of the technology suggest building a lesson according to the usual scheme: “introduction - main part - conclusion.” A similar scheme applies when solving problems: “introduction to the problem – approaches to solving it – reflection of the result.” Within the framework of the RCMCP technology, these stages received slightly different names and functions (stages).
The first stage is challenge (encouragement), when the topic of the lesson is determined, existing knowledge on the topic is updated, it turns out that children already know about it or think that they want to know, or what needs to be learned, and why they need to know it. For this purpose, various teaching techniques are used, for example, creating a cluster or association, in which the connection of the key word of the lesson topic with other concepts or phenomena is clearly visible. The role of the teacher at this stage is small; children should feel comfortable. At this stage, the “brainstorming” technique is used, which activates the attention of all students (both weak and strong). Children become interested in the subject of conversation. At the challenge stage, students have the opportunity, using their previous knowledge, to make predictions and independently determine the goals of cognitive activity in a given lesson.
The second stage is comprehension (search for answers), searching for answers to the questions posed at the beginning of the lesson. The child works more independently, in pairs or groups. If something is not clear, he can turn to the teacher for help. This is the stage of learning where students have the opportunity to become familiar with new information, ideas or concepts, connect them to existing knowledge, and actively monitor their understanding. To do this, a wide variety of techniques are used: reading the text with stops; compiling tables, Venn diagrams, double entry diaries; developmental lecture, presentation in pairs, “insert” - reading a text with notes, etc.
The third stage - reflection (reflection) - allows you to find out how much the child understands the topic. Both closed (expressing one opinion) and open (expressing several opinions) questions are asked. Answers should be as complete and extensive as possible. Students reflect on what they have learned in class and express thoughts and concepts through the information they have received. This stage is also implemented using various techniques (strategies): group discussion, writing a mini-essay or essay, pentaverse - syncwine, cluster (“bundle”), discussion card, author’s chair. There is a holistic comprehension, generalization and appropriation of the information received, the development of one’s own attitude to the material being studied, and the identification of what is still unknown.
The authors note that this lesson structure is both a learning process and a study of the learning process by the students themselves. These three stages can smoothly transition into one another, but they must be present in every lesson, as this allows you to see a complex thought process that begins with information and ends with its comprehension and decision-making.
Each stage of work in the lesson has its own methodological methods and techniques aimed at completing the tasks of the stage. By combining them, you can plan lessons according to the maturity level of your students, lesson objectives and the amount of learning material. The ability to combine techniques is of no small importance for a teacher - he can feel free when working with this technology, adapting it in accordance with his preferences, goals and objectives. Combining techniques helps to achieve the ultimate goal of using the RCMCP technology - to teach children to use this technology independently, so that they can fully extract the necessary information from any text, can become independent and competent thinkers and learn with pleasure throughout their lives. I'll introduce short description technician of this technology in the form of a table:
Critical thinking is healthy questioning of something. My task is to work towards the end result, to teach children so that the child can find the main thing. The authors say, and I agree with them, that we give the child not a fish, but a fishing rod, i.e. that he himself will “catch it.” “Everyone gets exactly what they put in.” In a changing world, students need to be able to analyze information and decide what is most important, be able to express their attitude to new ideas and knowledge, give a concept to something new, and reject irrelevant and unnecessary information.
The value of this technology is that it teaches children to listen and hear, develops speech, provides the opportunity to communicate, and activates mental activity, cognitive interest, encourages children to take action, so everyone works. Fear goes away, the student's responsibility for his answer increases, the teacher and students participate together in acquiring knowledge.
Teaching critical thinking is not an easy task. There is no list of steps that lead to critical thinking. But, according to the authors of the technology, there are certain conditions and approaches that develop critical thinking:
– students should have time and opportunity to practice critical thinking;
– students should be encouraged during the educational process;
– a variety of ideas and opinions must be accepted;
– an atmosphere in which there is no ridicule or irony over anyone’s opinion should be created in the classroom;
– The teacher must believe in the abilities of each student.
Thus, students who think critically, are involved in an active process of systematic work, and think about their knowledge are able to assert themselves and correctly understand themselves in the world around them.
But there are no roses without thorns. I would also like to dwell on the problems that arise when mastering this technology. One of them is the lack of time, like any other teacher. It takes a lot of effort to develop and compile cards for working in groups; students are not always provided with the necessary texts; many photocopies have to be made. But, in addition to technical difficulties, there is another one - not all students are still active enough; the desire to remain on the sidelines and observe what is happening from the side remains. Some students are waiting for the “correct answer” to be given; there is still no responsibility for their learning. Therefore, it is important to involve everyone in the process of learning and self-discovery. But I am sure that over time, most of the problems will be solved, since this technology - the technology of developing critical thinking through reading and writing - is becoming increasingly widespread, followed by the opportunity to educate a future citizen, an independent, creative person.
INTRODUCTION 3
CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING OF STUDENTS IN LITERARY READING LESSONS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL 6
1.1 Features of the development of thinking 6
younger children school age 6
1.2 The role of developing critical thinking in primary school students 15
CONCLUSIONS FOR CHAPTER 1 20
CHAPTER 2. TRIZ TECHNOLOGY AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING IN LITERARY READING LESSONS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL 22
2.1. Basic provisions of TRIZ technology 22
2.2. TRIZ technology techniques in the classroom literary reading as a means of developing critical thinking in younger schoolchildren 26
CONCLUSIONS ON CHAPTER 2 32
CONCLUSION 34
GLOSSARY 37
REFERENCES 39
Applications 42
INTRODUCTION
The priority task of a modern school is to educate a thinking, internally free personality, capable of forming and convincingly defending one’s own point of view, setting goals and finding effective ways to achieve them, and not just the acquisition by students of a certain set of knowledge, skills and abilities.
An effective way to solve this problem is to develop critical thinking among schoolchildren. Critical thinking implies the ability to see a problem, the willingness to find innovative solutions, the ability to reflect on one’s own intellectual activity, analyze one’s own actions and admit mistakes.
Many teachers and psychologists have worked on the problem of developing critical thinking. The works of L.S. Vygotsky on the zone of proximal development, as well as the ideas of developmental education by D.B., had a great influence. Elkonina.
A student who knows how to think critically masters different ways interpretation and evaluation of information, is able to identify contradictions in the text, argue his own point of view, relying not only on logic, but also on the ideas of the interlocutor.
The Concept for the Development of Education in the Russian Federation until 2020 emphasizes the need to develop in children the ability to think critically, solve complex problems, analyze, weigh and take into account different opinions, make decisions, debate, and communicate with other people. All these conditions are successfully developed in literary reading lessons.
The introduction of a variety of educational teaching technologies in literary reading lessons, according to teachers, is a prerequisite for active cognitive activity of students: non-standard, interesting, creative work, which awakens children's interest in knowledge, as well as the development of critical thinking.
One of the technologies that helps students not only master a certain amount of knowledge, but also contributes to the development of their personal qualities is TRIZ technologies (the theory of solving inventive problems according to G. S. Altshuller). This is one of innovative technologies, capable of increasing the efficiency of education for primary schoolchildren.
Pedagogy and psychology have a sufficient understanding of the formation of theoretical and practical, productive and reproductive thinking of students; there are various holistic concepts problem-based learning as a means of developing creative, problem-solving thinking in the process of acquiring knowledge. However, among all the types of thinking widely studied by psychologists and educators, critical thinking remains poorly described. Therefore the topic course work is relevant.
Object of study:the process of developing critical thinking among younger schoolchildren during literary reading lessons using TRIZ technology.
Library
materials
Introduction…………………………..………………………………………..3
…………………………..………………………………6
Psychological and pedagogical essence of critical thinking of a junior schoolchild……………………………………………………….6
Features of critical thinking of a junior schoolchild…………………………………………………………………………………19
Analysis of practical experience in the development of critical thinking of a junior schoolchild………………………………………………………...27
Diagnostics of the level of development of critical thinking of junior schoolchildren……………………………………..32
Conclusion on the first chapter……………………………………………………………...37
………………………….39
2.1. Taking into account individual characteristics for the development of critical thinking……………………………..……………………………………………………39
2.2. Methods and techniques for developing critical thinking…………….42
Conclusion on the second chapter……………………………………………………48
Conclusion……………………………………………………………..51
References…………………………………………………………….………53
Introduction
The priority task of a modern school is not the mastery of students by a certain set of knowledge, skills, abilities, but the education of a thinking, internally free personality, capable of forming and convincingly defending their own point of view, setting goals and finding effective ways to achieve them.
The optimal way to solve this problem is to develop critical thinking in schoolchildren. Critical thinking presupposes the ability to see problems, the willingness to find non-standard solutions, the ability to reflect on one’s own intellectual activity, analyze one’s actions and identify mistakes. In addition, this type of thinking includes a willingness to abandon one’s decision in favor of a more effective one, openness to new ideas, and the ability to draw objective conclusions, which leads to an understanding of the ambiguity of the world.
A student who knows how to think critically knows a variety of ways to interpret and evaluate an information message, is able to identify contradictions in the text and the types of structures present in it, and argue his point of view, relying not only on logic, but also on the ideas of the interlocutor.
Such a student feels confident in working with various types of information, can effectively use a wide variety of resources at the level of values, a critically thinking student knows how to effectively interact with information spaces, fundamentally accepting the multipolarity of the world around him, the possibility of coexistence of diverse points of view within the framework of universal human values. Consequently, he will be able to adapt more successfully to modern life.
Educators have long established that the main emphasis in teaching should be not on students’ assimilation of the information presented and their mechanical memorization of educational material, but on the development of students’ thinking. It is also necessary to teach analytically, to consider the area under study, which involves decomposition, dismemberment, research of principles, elementary principles, by virtue of which reasoning takes on an evidentiary nature.
It is well known that the intellectual development of a person in our time is determined not by the amount of knowledge, information retained in memory, by the ever-increasing volume of scientific information, but by a person’s readiness to select the necessary knowledge through critical analysis, comprehension of information and the ability to make decisions independently.
The formation of critical thinking of students in the learning process becomes especially great importance not only in connection with the new tasks set for the school in modern conditions. In personality-oriented pedagogy, methods for developing critical thinking should correspond to the development of modern society and increased attention to inner world personality.
Pedagogy and psychology have a sufficient understanding of the formation of theoretical and practical, productive and reproductive thinking of students; there is a holistic concept of problem-based learning as a means of developing creative, problem-based thinking in the process of acquiring knowledge. However, among all the types of thinking that have been sufficiently studied by psychologists and teachers, such an important type as critical thinking is least described. Many teachers strive to find optimal forms and methods of teaching critical thinking, however, almost no attention is paid to the formation of critical thinking in teacher training. Therefore, the topic of the course work is relevant.
Target: to identify the effectiveness of psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of critical thinking of primary schoolchildren
An object: development of critical thinking of junior schoolchildren
Subject: pedagogical conditions for the development of critical thinking of junior schoolchildren
Hypothesis: psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of critical thinking will be effective if:
The choice of forms and methods for developing critical thinking of younger schoolchildren is carried out competently
The process of developing critical thinking will be comprehensive, carried out in all academic subjects and extracurricular activities
The individual characteristics of younger schoolchildren are taken into account
Tasks:
1. To identify the psychological and pedagogical essence of critical thinking of a primary school student
2.Identify the features of critical thinking of a primary school student
3.Analyze the practical experience of developing critical thinking of a primary school student
4. To diagnose the level of development of critical thinking of younger schoolchildren
Methods research:study and analysis of methodological literature on the research topic, pedagogical experiment, conversation.
Chapter 1. Theoretical foundations for the development of critical thinking in primary school students
1.1.Psychological and pedagogical essence of the concepts “thinking”, “critical thinking”
A person not only perceives the world, but also wants to understand him. To understand means to penetrate into the essence of objects and phenomena, to know the most important, essential things in them. Understanding is ensured by the most complex mental process – thinking.
Thinking provides answers to questions that cannot be resolved through direct, sensory reflection. Thanks to thinking, a person correctly navigates the world around him, using previously obtained generalizations in a new, specific environment. Human activity is rational thanks to knowledge of the laws and relationships of objective reality.
Establishing universal relationships, generalizing the properties of a homogeneous group of phenomena, understanding the essence of a specific phenomenon as a variety of a certain class of phenomena - this is the essence of human thinking.
Thinking, being an ideal reflection of reality, has a material form of its manifestation. The mechanism of human thinking is hidden, silent, inner speech. It is characterized by hidden, unnoticeable articulation of words and micro-movements of the speech organs.
The latter are associated with excitations in the speech motor zone of the cerebral cortex. A feature of internal speech is its abbreviation, conciseness, and condensation. But when mental difficulties arise, internal speech takes on an expanded form and often turns into whispered or loud speech. This allows you to better analyze and consolidate abstract speech material: wording, task conditions, etc.
Thinking is a function of the brain, the result of its analytical and synthetic activity. It is ensured by the operation of both signaling systems with the leading role of the second signaling system. When solving mental problems, a process of transformation of systems of temporary nerve connections occurs in the cerebral cortex. Finding a new thought physiologically means closing neural connections in a new combination.
Our knowledge of the surrounding reality begins with sensations and perception and moves on to thinking. The function of thinking is to expand the boundaries of knowledge by going beyond the limits of sensory perception. Thinking allows, with the help of inference, to reveal what is not given directly in perception.
The task of thinking is to reveal relationships between objects, identify connections and separate them from random coincidences. Thinking operates with concepts and assumes the functions of generalization and planning.
Thinking is a generalized and indirect reflection of reality, a type of mental activity in the knowledge of the essence of objects and phenomena, the natural connections that exist between them.
The first feature of thinking is its indirect nature. What a person cannot know directly, directly, he knows indirectly, indirectly: some properties through others, the unknown - through the known. Thinking is always based on the data of sensory experience - sensations, perceptions, ideas - and on previously acquired theoretical knowledge. Indirect knowledge is mediated knowledge. The second feature of thinking is its generality. Generalization as knowledge of the general and essential in the objects of reality is possible because all the properties of these objects are connected with each other. The general exists and manifests itself only in the individual, in the concrete.
People express generalizations through speech and language. A verbal designation refers not only to a single object, but also to a whole group of similar objects. Generalization is also inherent in images (ideas and even perceptions). But there it is always limited by clarity. The word allows one to generalize limitlessly.
Thinking is the highest mental cognitive process, characteristic only of humans.
A person has two levels of cognition:
1. Sensual (using sensation and perception)
2. Intellectual (using thinking).
Both levels are interconnected and the second cannot exist without the first.
Thinking is associated with other cognitive processes and speech. Thinking and speech are one, because speech is a means of thinking. From an anatomical point of view, thinking is a product of complex analytical and synthetic activity of the brain and, first of all, the cerebral cortex.
Thinking acts mainly as a solution to tasks, questions, problems that are constantly put forward to people by life. Solving problems should always give a person something new, new knowledge. Finding solutions can sometimes be very difficult, so mental activity, as a rule, is an active activity that requires focused attention and patience.
Currently, there are many definitions of critical thinking. Among them, with a certain degree of convention, we can highlight:
1) laconic, but lacking specificity formulations:
Critical thinking is a special type of mental activity that allows a person to make a sound judgment about a point of view or behavior model proposed to him
2) definitions of philosophical orientation, focusing on theoretical aspects:
Critical thinking is a sequence of mental actions aimed at testing statements or systems of statements in order to determine their inconsistency with accepted facts, norms or values.
There are levels of critical thinking, each of which has its own type of argumentation, characterized by different relationships between logical and cognitive components: 1) empirical level - critical verification of facts;
2) theoretical level – critical testing of theories;
3) metatheoretical level - critical examination of norms and values.
One of the main features of critical thinking is the indispensable presence of transcendental reflection, which requires the thinking subject to self-report on which of the functions of consciousness thinking is used for: value orientation, for cognition or search for means to achieve a goal.
Critical thinking presupposes the presence of reflection skills regarding one's own mental activity, the ability to work with concepts, judgments, inferences, questions, the development of analytical abilities, as well as to evaluate the similar capabilities of other people. Critical thinking in general is characterized by a practical orientation. Because of this, it can be interpreted as a form of practical logic, considered within and depending on the context of reasoning and the individual characteristics of the reasoning subject.
The mechanism of critical thinking includes mental operations that determine the process of reasoning and argumentation: setting a goal, identifying a problem, putting forward hypotheses, making arguments, justifying them, predicting consequences, accepting or not accepting alternative points of view. It involves the ability to apply basic intellectual skills (knowledge and understanding) to synthesize, analyze and evaluate complex and ambiguous situations and problems. These include the skills of identifying a problem, clarifying the situation, analyzing arguments, comprehensively studying the issue, developing criteria for evaluating solutions and the reliability of information sources, and avoiding generalizations.
Critical thinking is the use of cognitive techniques or strategies that increase the likelihood of obtaining a desired end result. This definition characterizes thinking as something characterized by controllability, validity and purposefulness - the type of thinking that is used when solving problems, formulating conclusions, probabilistic assessment and decision making. At the same time, the thinker uses skills that are reasonable and effective for a specific situation and the type of problem being solved.
Critical thinking is reflective in nature and has to do with communication and personality psychology. It is connected not only with the cognitive (cognitive), but also with the motivational sphere, with self-awareness. When we are dealing not with the thoughts of people, but with the phenomena of the material world, then ordinary thinking is quite sufficient for us.
Critical thinking is social and independent thinking. Information is the starting point, not the end point, of critical thinking. Critical thinking begins with asking questions and understanding the problems that need to be solved. Critical thinking strives for persuasive argumentation.
Critical thinking is a fulcrum, a natural way of interacting with ideas and information. You need the ability not only to master it, but also to critically evaluate, comprehend, and apply it. When receiving new information, students must learn to view it from different perspectives and draw conclusions regarding its value and accuracy. Lessons need to involve information in which the student must realize that learning is more related to his personality and interests, rather than to the methods and means of teaching given by the teacher.
With all the variety of definitions of critical thinking, one can see in them a close meaning that reflects the evaluative and reflective properties of thinking. This is an open thinking that does not accept dogma, developing by imposing new information for life personal experience. This is where it differs from creative thinking. Critical thinking is the starting point for the development of creative thinking; they develop in synthesis, interdependently.
Critical thinking helps a person determine his own priorities in his personal and professional life. Scientists and teachers identify the following signs of critical thinking:
Productive thinking (forms a positive experience from everything that happens to a person);
Independent and responsible thinking (work at the first stage is individual, the student takes responsibility for his learning outcome);
Reasoned thinking (thought-out decisions are supported by convincing arguments);
Individual thinking (forms a personal culture of working with information);
Social thinking (work is carried out in pairs and groups, interaction in the form of discussion).
In order for a student to be able to use his critical thinking, it is important for him to develop a number of qualities, among which D. Halpern identifies:
Ready to plan. Thoughts often arise chaotically. It is important to organize them, to build a sequence of presentation. Orderliness of thought is a sign of confidence.
Flexibility. If a student is not ready to accept the ideas of others, he will never be able to become a generator of his own ideas and thoughts. Flexibility allows you to wait to make a judgment until the student has a variety of information.
Persistence. Often, when faced with a difficult task, we put off solving it until later. By developing perseverance in mental tension, the student is sure to achieve much better results in learning.
Willingness to correct your mistakes. A critical thinker will not justify his wrong decisions, but will draw conclusions and use the mistake to continue learning.
Awareness. This is a very important quality, which presupposes the ability to observe oneself in the process of mental activity, to track the progress of reasoning.
Search for compromise solutions. It is important that decisions made perceived by other people, otherwise they will remain at the level of statements. [ 29 ]
Critical thinking begins with questions and problems, not with answers to the teacher's questions. A person needs critical thinking, which helps him live among people and socialize.
Critical thinking means that the student uses research methods in learning, poses questions and systematically seeks answers to them.
There are four essential components of a group task for independent work students:
It contains a situation of choice that students make, focusing on their own values;
Involves a change in the role positions of students;
Builds trust among group members in each other;
It is performed using techniques that the student uses constantly.
While completing a group task and communicating with each other, students participate in the active construction of knowledge and in obtaining the necessary information to solve the problem. Schoolchildren acquire a new quality that characterizes the development of intelligence at a new stage, the ability to think critically. [ 17 ]
Modern life sets its priorities: not simple knowledge of facts, not skills as such, but the ability to use what has been acquired; not the amount of information, but the ability to receive it and model it; not consumerism, but creation and cooperation. The organic inclusion of work on the technology of critical thinking in the school education system provides the opportunity for personal growth, because such work is addressed, first of all, to the child, to his individuality.
Critical thinking takes nothing for granted. Using it, a person poses questions to himself and systematically seeks answers to them using research methods and certain techniques for working with sources of information. Critical Thinking Starts with Questions And problems, and not with answers to all the student’s questions by the teacher.
Critical thinking involves thinking correctly in achieving important and reliable knowledge about the world. A critical thinker is able to answer certain questions by collecting important information, sorting it efficiently, drawing logical conclusions from this information and arriving at important and reliable knowledge about the world. In the most general sense, critical thinking is an ability and people are not born with the ability to think critically. Critical thinking is a skill that needs to be taught.
Writing skills play a vital role in the development of critical thinking, as they allow you to capture unformed thoughts or an image, examine them from all sides and “awaken your consciousness.”
Written speech deepens understanding: the writer records a thought, then studies it written down, and as a response to this recorded thought, a new, even more interesting one arises.
Written speech sharpens curiosity and makes children more active observers, since in order to record something, you need to study it, find out more about it.
Written language develops reading skills in children because they begin to “read like writers” and, accordingly, better understand how to construct a text to achieve a given goal.
Critical thinking is one of the types of human intellectual activity, which is characterized by a high level of perception, understanding, and objectivity of approach to the information field surrounding it.
Unlike ordinary thinking, critical thinking replaces vagueness, imprecision and uncertainty of judgment with clarity, accuracy and specificity in the expression of opinions. Inconsistency, illogicality, superficiality, banality, partiality give way to consistency, logic, depth, significance, impartiality of critical thinking
As A.P. Korochensky rightly notes, “criticism does not come down to denial, to revealing the nature of the negative and its transitory nature. Evaluative criticism means not only the ability to judge and reject through denial... phenomena that do not withstand critical scrutiny,
but it is even more aimed at identifying the positive in the course of critical knowledge and affirming the positive.
Teachers who develop critical thinking in the classroom offer to consider various judgments, points of view on the problem, create conditions for the student to develop an independent opinion, decision, conclusion, “try to use all kinds of pair and group work in their classes, including discussions, and pay great attention to developing the qualities necessary for a productive exchange of opinions: tolerance, the ability to listen to others, responsibility for one’s own point of view
Reflecting on the problems of the theory of the development of critical thinking/vision, D. Buckingham emphasizes that “it is especially important to distinguish the difference between cynicism and criticism. Cynicism is a more general and more distant concept than criticism; this implies a total detachment from the text. ... Roughly speaking, it uses a form of the popular cliché - "the news is propaganda", "everything it tells you is a lie", although it can also take more refined forms.
Adhering to an orientation towards the development of critical thought, J. Gonnet believes that the main thing here is to help the student become a free, tolerant citizen of a democratic society with autonomous thinking
After analyzing hundreds of scientific works, R. Paul, E. Binker, E. Martin and K. Adamson identified 35 main indicators of critical thinking:
A. Affective:
1) independence of thinking;
2) understanding of egocentric and sociocentric motives;
3) impartiality of judgment;
4) vision of the relationship between emotions and beliefs;
5) refraining from hasty judgments;
6) courage of thinking;
7) conscientious thinking;
8) persistence in solving intellectual problems;
9) confidence of reasoning;
B. Macrocognitive:
10) generalization without striving for simplification;
11) comparison of similar situations, application of knowledge to a new context;
12) expanding the angle of view: considering the issue from different angles, expressing various arguments, hypotheses;
13) clarity of expressed positions, conclusions, beliefs;
14) clarity of presentation, thoughtful choice of words;
15) development of evaluation criteria: clarity of basic values and norms;
16) assessment of information reliability;
17) depth of thinking: highlighting the most significant issues;
18) analysis of arguments, explanations, beliefs, hypotheses;
19) development/evaluation of specific solutions;
20) analysis and assessment of human actions/behaviors;
21) critical approach to reading: understanding the essence, critical assessment of what is read;
22) critical listening (dialogue “without words”);
23) establishing interdisciplinary connections;
24) the ability to conduct a “Socratic conversation”, through dialogue to come to an understanding and assessment of the partner’s beliefs;
25) reasoning in dialogue: comparison of different views, approaches, hypotheses;
26) the ability to reason dialogically: assessment of views, approaches, hypotheses;
B. Microcognitive:
27) comparison/contrast of abstract concepts of reality;
28) accuracy and criticality of statements;
29) analysis and evaluation of statements;
30) analysis and evaluation of findings;
31) the ability to highlight information related to the issue under consideration;
32) consistency of explanations, conclusions, forecasts;
33) assessment of evidence of a statement;
34) the ability to see the inconsistency of reasoning;
35) analysis of direct and indirect consequences of an event/phenomenon
Analysis of these indicators leads to the idea that not all of them can be strictly attributed specifically to critical thinking (see, for example, indicators 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 19 , 23), rather, they relate to the process of thinking as a whole. However, in general, these indicators are undoubtedly useful to take into account in the process of developing critical thinking for audiences of any age.
Considering critical thinking as an essential component of development modern man and synthesizing numerous definitions, we can offer the following option:
Critical thinking is a complex reflexive thinking process that includes associative perception, synthesis, analysis and evaluation of the mechanisms of functioning in society and coming to a person through the media of mass communication. At the same time, the development of critical thinking is not the final goal of education, but its constant component.
There is an opinion that critical thinking is very close to logical (understood as the process of constructing the logic of evidence for a decision, the sequence of actions, understanding the internal logic of the problem being solved, producing the logic of actions taken to solve the problem) and systems thinking (understood as the process of considering an object and a problem in its entirety connections and characteristics), but is the direct opposite of creative thinking: “Creative thinking is thinking, the result of which is the discovery of a fundamentally new or improved solution to a particular problem. Critical thinking is the examination of proposed solutions to determine the scope of their possible application. Creative thinking is aimed at creating new ideas, and critical thinking is aimed at identifying their shortcomings and defects. For effective solution tasks require both types of thinking, although they are used separately: creative thinking is an obstacle to critical thinking, and vice versa.
We often teach our children that to criticize is to be impolite. Closely related to this is the next barrier - fear of retribution: by criticizing other people's ideas, we can cause retaliatory criticism of our own. And this, in turn, can give rise to another obstacle - a revaluation of one’s own ideas. When we like something we've created too much, we become reluctant to share our solution with others. Let us add that the higher a person’s anxiety, the more inclined he is to protect his original ideas from outside influence. Finally, it should be noted that if creative imagination is overstimulated, the critical ability may remain undeveloped. Unfortunately, failure to think critically is one possible unintended outcome of efforts to increase student creativity. The thing to remember is that for most people, life requires a healthy mix of creative and critical thinking.
1.2.Features of critical thinking of a primary school student
At primary school age, children's intellect develops intensively. Mental functions such as thinking, perception, memory develop and turn into regulated voluntary processes.
The thinking of a child of primary school age is at a transitional stage of development.
During this period, a transition takes place from visual-figurative thinking to verbal-logical, conceptual thinking. Verbal and logical thinking is formed gradually throughout primary school age.
Jean-Jacques Piaget, who studied children's thinking, found that the thinking of a 6-7 year old child has the following features:
1) ideas about the space of the basic properties of things have not been formed, i.e. they do not understand the principle of conservation
2) inability to take into account several characteristics of an object at once and compare their changes - centering: children tend to pay attention to only one, the most obvious characteristic of an object, ignoring the rest.
The phenomenon of centering determines the child’s inability to take into account the point of view of other people; his own view of the world seems to him the only correct one.
These features of children’s thinking are clearly demonstrated by Jean Piaget’s classic experiments using conservation tasks:
The subject, showing him the objects shown in the figure on the left, was asked whether these objects were the same (Is the number of beads in both rows the same? Is the water level in both vessels the same? Is the clay in the two lumps the same?). Then, in front of the subject’s eyes, the shape of one of the objects was changed: 1) one row of beads is placed at large distances from each other, and the second row is not changed; 2) water from one vessel is poured into a vessel of a different shape (for example, narrower); 3) one of the lumps of clay is rolled into a long sausage.
After this, the subject was asked again: Are these two objects now the same? Are the number of beads in the two rows the same? Is there the same amount of water in the two vessels? Is there the same amount of clay in the sausage and in the lump?
The child may indicate that, in his opinion, there are more objects placed in a row if they are placed at large intervals; that in one vessel the amount of liquid has become less; that a piece of plasticine, in his opinion, shrinks if you roll it out of a ball into a “sausage” or strip.
The correct solution of these problems shows that the child’s thinking corresponds to the stage of specific operations. Children who cannot cope with these tasks are at the pre-operational stage of thinking.
Particular difficulties arise for younger schoolchildren when establishing cause-and-effect relationships. It is easier for a younger student to establish a connection from cause to effect than from effect to cause. This can be explained by the fact that when inferring from cause to effect, a direct connection is established. But when making an inference from a fact to the cause that caused it, such a connection is not directly given, since the specified fact can be a consequence of a variety of reasons that need to be specially analyzed. Thus, with the same level of knowledge and development, it is easier for a primary school student to answer the question: “What happens if the plant is not watered?” than to the question: “Why did this tree dry up?”
As learning activities are mastered, mental operations become less associated with specific practical activities or visual support.
During training, children master the techniques of mental activity, acquire the ability to act in the mind and analyze the process of their own reasoning.
Mastery of analysis begins with the child’s ability to identify various properties and characteristics in objects and phenomena. To develop this skill, it is necessary to show children the technique of comparing one object with others that have different properties.
To develop in children the ability to identify various properties, it is useful to look for the causes of phenomena (why does a duck swim, but a chicken doesn’t?), analyze proverbs and sayings (like water off a duck’s back), riddles (what is heavier than 1 kilogram of iron or a kilogram of fluff).
Each mental action in its development goes through a number of stages. It begins with external practical action with material objects, then the object is replaced by a diagram, then the action is performed in terms of loud speech, then with speaking to oneself, and finally the action becomes mental.
By the end of primary school age, the following groups can be distinguished among children:
1) Theorists - children who easily solve problems in verbal terms;
2) Practitioners - children who need support for clarity;
3) Artists are children who have vivid imaginative thinking.
A child’s cognitive activity and curiosity are constantly aimed at understanding the world around him and building his own picture of this world. Thinking is inextricably linked with speech. The more active a child is mentally, the more questions he asks and the more varied these questions are.
Primary schoolchildren use the broadest typology of questions: what is this?, who is this?, why?, why?, for what?, from what?, is there?, does it happen?, from whom?, from where?, how?, whom ?, what?, what will happen if?, where?, how much
As a rule, when formulating a question, children of primary school age imagine a real situation and how they would act in this situation.
Children's judgments are usually individual and based on personal experience. Therefore, they are categorical and usually relate to visual reality. When explaining something, the younger schoolchild prefers to reduce everything to the specific and loves to read books with a plot full of all sorts of adventures.
All these data indicate a large qualitative shift in the thinking of a schoolchild compared to the thinking of a preschooler; at the same time, they also reveal the boundaries of this new stage of thinking; thought still hardly goes beyond the comparison of immediate facts; complex systems of mediation are still inaccessible to her. [ 20]
Mastering them characterizes the next stage in the development of thought. Operating already at this stage with diverse concepts of things, phenomena, processes, the child’s thinking is thus prepared to understand the concepts themselves in their properties and relationships. Thus, within this stage of thinking, prerequisites and opportunities are created for the transition to the next stage. These possibilities are realized in the child as he masters a system of theoretical knowledge during his education.
When a child enters school, the entire system of relationships with the surrounding reality undergoes a restructuring: he enters into new relationships with the world, his activities become socially significant. A teacher appears in the life of a first-grader - a representative of culture, a bearer and transmitter of patterns of behavior and new forms of knowledge. The transition to educational activity is carried out against the background of a contradiction that arises within the social situation of the child’s development: the preschooler “outgrows” the developmental potential of role-playing play, the relationships that he developed with adults and peers “about the game.” More recently, relationships regulated by the playing role game rules, were the source of the child’s development, but now this situation has exhausted itself. The attitude towards the game has changed, the preschooler understands more and more clearly that he occupies an insignificant position in the social environment. Increasingly, he has a need to do work that is “necessary” and “important” for others, and this need develops into the student’s internal position. The child acquires the ability to “go beyond” a specific situation and look at himself as if from the outside, through the eyes of an adult. That is why the crisis that arises during the transition to schooling is called the “crisis of loss of spontaneity.”
A change in the content of a child’s life occurs due to a change in leading activity, which is preschool age there was a role-playing game. To form the prerequisites for a new leading activity - educational - Board games with rules that are close to it in their content and form. When mastering higher forms of gaming activity, the child is reoriented from the final result to the methods of completing the task, since only actions mediated by patterns and rules lead to success and winning in the end. Play remains significant for a child throughout primary school age, but now it is no longer the leading type of activity. In educational activities, the relationships with an adult (teacher) necessary for the further development of the child are most fully represented, and through training the student gets the opportunity to acquire the fundamentals of theoretical knowledge, which in this age period are the source of his development. Educational activity determines the nature of all types of activities of a primary school student: play, communication, etc.
At the beginning of education, the child has only a desire to learn, which is not even learning motivation in the proper sense of the word. The main components of educational activities are carried out by the teacher. Gradually, all actions become jointly divided, then performed by students independently, the teacher only offers tasks and samples.
V.V. Davydov believes that it is within the educational activity of a child of primary school age that the main psychological new formations characteristic of him arise: educational and cognitive interest, arbitrariness of cognitive processes and reflection of one’s own actions.
The development of arbitrariness and imagination in primary school contributes to the formation of other new formations of primary school age: meaningful analysis of an object aimed at identifying the essential relationships of the task, reflection - the student’s focus on a method of action, planning - setting a goal, building actions, predicting the result, searching and choosing the optimal one solutions. The prerequisites for the development of these new formations are the ability of children to see the integrity of the context of a situation and the ability to occupy a “point” outside, to maintain a supra-situational position.
According to the provisions of L.S. Vygotsky about the formation of higher mental functions; by the end of elementary school, students’ perception and memory become voluntary, conscious, and mediated. During training, further intellectualization of mental processes occurs. Children learn the general method of action, cause-and-effect relationships, learn to highlight the essential, build conclusions and logical chains. Children's thinking develops, gradually becoming theoretical. Particularly significant in the development of thinking is the formation of an internal plan of action and reflection (awareness of oneself as a subject of activity, awareness of ways of carrying out activities).
The child’s perception changes, developing into organized orientation and research activities. Thinking changes the nature of perception, which is intellectualized. The students’ memory also becomes organized, meaningful. The task of remembering what they are used for is clearly highlighted. various ways and means, the most important of which is speech. It becomes more and more arbitrary and conscious, the vocabulary and semantic content of speech units increase, and the grammatical design of the statement becomes more complicated. Students’ graphic activity develops in all its components, on the success of which much depends in learning.
Self-control and self-esteem, which are formed through the internalization of external control and evaluation, also become new formations of primary school age.
The student’s personality also changes. Based on the arbitrariness of behavior, self-control and self-esteem formed in educational activities, the method of self-regulation changes, self-awareness arises and develops. First, the child becomes aware of himself in terms of his school success. In relation to an adult, he is not yet critical; an adult is a model of behavior for a child. Gradually, criticism towards adults increases, and interest in communicating with peers increases.
Characteristic Features developed critical thinking are: evaluativeness, including the value side of evaluation, openness to new ideas, reflection on the basis of one’s own critical judgments. Learning the actions of critical thinking involves mastering such skills as: using arguments in disputes, looking at old ideas from a new point of view, distinguishing facts from assumptions, distinguishing a reasonable value judgment from an emotional one, identifying cause-and-effect relationships and detecting, if any, errors in them , see inconsistencies and errors in the material being studied and find rational ways to eliminate them.
The study of the phenomenon of “critical thinking” shows that this type of thinking can develop spontaneously, but spontaneous development does not ensure the formation of critical thinking at a high level. Only in the process of learning activities can such structural elements of this type of thinking be formed, such as the search for possible irregularities; vision of positive and negative sides in the object of knowledge; distinguish a subjectively derived value judgment from a fact-based judgment; searching for ways to justify detected errors. Thus, the development of critical thinking should be carried out in conditions associated with solving educational problem problems.
As research shows, younger teenagers are sensitive to educational activities related to the formation of the above listed structural elements of critical thinking. It is necessary to emphasize that the content and organization of a teacher’s work, for example, with younger teenagers, associated with the formation of a focus on critical assimilation of the information received and teaching the correct formulation of critical judgments can also contribute to the solution of other pedagogical tasks, such as, for example, teaching students how to independently acquire knowledge and rational inclusion of the results of educational work in upcoming activities. In our case, we are talking about shaping the focus of younger adolescents’ thinking on:
Detection of factual errors in texts;
Find and provide arguments to support your statements;
Avoidance of various types of errors in your judgments;
Verification and reconciliation of information in accordance with established facts;
Identification of established and suspected facts;
Rejection of statements without appropriate grounds.
Naturally, when teaching, for example, the listed mental actions, one must not forget that any training aimed at improving students’ ability to think is aimed at putting into practice what they have learned. Therefore, it is necessary to use problem-cognitive tasks in educational activities that make it possible to prepare students for the use of developed skills in solving various problems outside of school in real-life situations.
1.3.Analysis of practical experience in the development of critical thinking of a primary school student
An analysis of the literature shows that there are special methods for developing critical thinking.
Studying the results of research (L.S. Vygotsky, J. Steele, K. Meridita. C. Temple, J. Piaget, etc.) and our practical experience shows that in education the structure of technology for the development of critical thinking is harmonious and logical, since its the stages correspond to the natural stages of a person’s cognitive activity.
First of all, scientists have come to the conclusion that the basis of the technology for developing critical thinking is the structure of the lesson, consisting of three stages: challenge, comprehension, reflection. Each stage has its own goals and objectives, methodological methods and techniques aimed at fulfilling the tasks of the stage. (Table 1).
By combining them, the teacher can plan lessons according to the maturity level of the students, the objectives of the lesson and the amount of teaching material. The possibility of combination is of no small importance for the teacher himself - he can feel free when working with this technology, adapting it in accordance with his preferences, goals and objectives.
Technology for the development of critical thinking - stages and methodological techniques
Table 1
Technological
stages
Activity
teachers
Activity
students
Possible
techniques and methods
Stage I (phase)
Call
Updating existing knowledge;
Arousing interest in obtaining new information;
The student sets his own learning goals.
It is aimed at challenging students’ existing knowledge on the issue being studied, activating their activities, motivating them for further work, giving them the opportunity to think purposefully, expressing their thoughts in their own words, and structuring the subsequent process of studying the material.
The student “remembers” what he knows about the issue being studied (makes assumptions), systematizes information before learning new material, and asks questions to which he wants answers.
Compiling a list of “known information”:
story-assumption using keywords;
systematization of material (graphic): clusters, tables;
true and false statements;
mixed up logical chains;
brain attack;
problematic issues, “thick” and “thin” questions, etc.
Information received at the call stage is listened to, recorded, and discussed. Work is carried out individually, in pairs or groups.
Stage II
Understanding the content
Obtaining new information;
Adjustment by the student of the set learning goals.
Aimed at maintaining interest in the topic while directly working with new information, gradual progression from knowledge of the “old” to the “new”
The student reads (listens) to the text using the teacher’s suggestions active methods reading, making notes in the margins or taking notes as they comprehend new information
Active reading methods:
"insert";
"fishbone";
"ideal";
maintaining various records such as double diaries, logbooks;
searching for answers to the questions posed in the first part of the lesson
At the stage of understanding the content, direct contact is made with new information (text, film, lectures, paragraph material). Work is carried out individually or in pairs. In group work, two elements must be present - individual search and exchange of ideas, and personal search certainly precedes the exchange of opinions.
III. Reflection
Reflection, the birth of new knowledge;
Setting new learning goals by the student.
The teacher should: return students to the original assumption notes; make changes; give creative, research or practical tasks based on the information studied
Students correlate “new” information with “old” information, using the knowledge acquired at the stage of understanding the content.
Filling clusters and tables.
Establishing cause-and-effect relationships between blocks of information.
Return to keywords, true and false statements.
Answers to the questions asked.
Organization of oral and written round tables.
Organization of various types of discussions.
Writing creative works.
Research on specific issues of the topic, etc.
At the reflection stage, analysis, creative processing, and interpretation of the studied information are carried out. Work is carried out individually, in pairs or in groups.
The use of critical thinking technology in pedagogical activities makes it possible to develop (cognitive abilities and cognitive processes of the individual: different types of memory (auditory, visual, motor), thinking, attention, perception. Also, the development of critical thinking is aimed at satisfying the individual’s needs for respect, self-affirmation, communication, play and creativity.
The technology of critical thinking gives the student increased efficiency in perceiving information, increased interest both in the material being studied and in the learning process itself; the ability to think critically, the ability to take responsibility for one's own education, the ability to work in collaboration with others, improving the quality of education for students, the desire and ability to become a lifelong learner.
The technology of critical thinking gives the teacher the ability to create an atmosphere of openness and responsible cooperation in the classroom, the opportunity to use a teaching model and a system of effective methods that contribute to the development of critical thinking and independence in the learning process, to become practitioners who can competently analyze their activities, and to become a source of valuable professional information for other teachers.
The technology of critical thinking presupposes equal partnerships, both in terms of communication and in terms of constructing knowledge generated in the learning process. Working in the mode of critical thinking technology, the teacher ceases to be the main source of information, and, using technology techniques, turns learning into a joint and interesting search.
Requirements, installations of technology for the development of critical thinking:
1)Give students the opportunity to express their point of view on the topic being studied freely, without fear of making mistakes or being corrected by the teacher.
2) Record all statements: any of them will be important for further work. At the same time, on at this stage there are no “right” or “wrong” statements.
3) Combine individual and group work: individual work will allow each student to update their knowledge and experience; group - hear other opinions, express your point of view without the risk of making mistakes.
After analyzing the psychological and pedagogical literature, we came to the conclusion that a critically developed person is capable of:
Solve problems independently;
Show persistence in solving problems;
Control yourself;
Collaborate with other people;
Be tolerant of uncertainty;
Establish multiple connections between phenomena;
Consider several possibilities to solve the problem;
Build and justify various conclusions and forecasts;
Set thoughtful goals for yourself;
Apply skills and knowledge in a variety of situations.
1.4. Diagnostics of the level of development of critical thinking of junior schoolchildren
In order for the process of developing critical thinking of younger schoolchildren to be carried out successfully, knowledge about the levels of development of critical thinking of students is necessary, since the choice of types of exercises and tasks should depend on the level at which the student is.
Based on the understanding of the term “critical thinking,” which denotes one of the types of human intellectual activity, which is characterized by a high level of perception, understanding, and objectivity of approach to the surrounding information field, we have identified the following criteria for identifying the levels of development of critical thinking.
Criteria and indicators for the development of critical thinking
table 2
Criteria
Indicators
Measurement methods
Ability to compare
Predominance of comparative analysis skills. Ability to make assessments.
Working with a sample
Ability to make logical judgment
Awareness of mental activity. Ability to correct mistakes.
Working with tall tales
Forecasting ability
Clarity of presentation. Ability to argue. Ready to plan.
Working with pictures
Levels of development of critical thinking
Table 3
Level
Level manifestations
Nascent criticality
(short)
Weak skills to give an assessment, to prove that one is right, a low level of formation of mental operations (analysis, synthesis, comparison, etc.), the predominance of weak skills of comparative analysis, inability to identify obvious errors, contradictions that are predominantly absurd in nature
Clarifying criticality
(average)
Low level of organization and focus, incomplete experience in proving and refuting, lack of an active position, ability to clearly record contradictions (errors)
Positive criticality
(high)
The ability to detect and explain the causes and sources of errors noticed by them, but also to propose a way to eliminate them, stable skills and abilities of basic mental operations, the ability to logically justify assessment and self-assessment
For the purpose of practical substantiation of the conclusions obtained during theoretical study Pedagogical research was carried out on the problems of developing critical thinking in younger schoolchildren.
15 second grade students from secondary school No. 1 in Novokuznetsk took part in the experiment.
We conducted an experiment to identify the level of development of critical thinking.
The study included several stages.
Stage 1 - working with the sample. During specially organized training, children were first told about a toy watering can, accompanying the story by showing it. The experimenter highlighted the main parts of the watering can. One of the watering cans did not have all the parts.
“Look carefully at the green and white watering cans, compare them and tell me how they differ.” Thus, the children were led to look for errors. Then, by comparing objects at different distances, the children looked for individual errors.
Stage 2 - working with fables. Fables were read to the children. At this stage, children, using the instruction “find mistakes,” aimed at assessing their own position. Listen carefully, tell me about the mistakes and shortcomings you noticed. Does it happen as you think? During the stage, children must not only notice absurdities, but also justify their judgments.
Stage 3 – working with pictures. Samples of pictures were selected that reflected the work of people in various professions. A conversation was held about the work of a doctor and a policeman with pictures shown, in which the children were supposed to be introduced to the features of these professions. Look at the picture and tell me who is drawn? Point to possible consequences events depicted in the picture. [ 3 ]
Research on Comparison Abilities
Table 4
Levels
Number of persons
Short
Average
High
The experimental data showed that criticality was expressed in a clear form: the subjects did not limit themselves to listing the differences, but offered their corrections orally, completely restoring the correct version of the item.
Study of logical judgment abilities
Table 5
Levels
Number of persons
Short
Average
High
The study also found that the content of experimental material affects the level of manifestation of criticality in children. The subjects, despite the change in the material, showed great activity in searching for errors, tried to prove the impossibility of the described event, justifying their judgments with generalized everyday observations.
Forecasting ability research
Table 6
Levels
Number of persons
Short
Average
High
The formation and manifestation of critical thinking in schoolchildren cannot be considered as a spontaneous process; it depends on many factors. The manifestation and “increase” of the level of critical thinking depends on the nature of the guiding signal, the sequence and structuring features of the experimental material. The manifestation of critical thinking in children also depends on the nature of the tasks presented. Children independently discover mistakes and justify them with the general judgment “this does not happen,” but sometimes there are also cases when they try to explain why this cannot be done. The level of manifestation of criticality largely depends on how actively children are involved in the search for errors and absurdities in the object of knowledge.
Conclusions on the first chapter
In the course of psychological and pedagogical research, we proved the relevance of the problem of developing critical thinking.
In our study, we will consider “critical thinking” as one of the types of human intellectual activity, which is characterized by a high level of perception, understanding, and objectivity of approach to the information field surrounding it.
We have identified the characteristics of critical younger schoolchildren. The manifestation and “increase” of criticality in children of primary school age is directly dependent on various factors, among which a special place is occupied by the forms of presentation of the object of knowledge and the nature of communication with other people. Forming an assessment mindset (to compare objects) gives the child the opportunity to study almost all the details of the standard and activates the process of detecting errors during stage-by-stage comparison.
The formulation of questions by adults activates the child’s mental activity, which, in turn, affects the increase in the level of criticality.
We have identified three levels of manifestation of critical thinking: the level of “emerging” criticality, the level of “clarifying” and “positive” criticality. All these levels of critical thinking have their own specific characteristics.
We conducted the first ascertaining experiment, the results of which indicate the predominance of a close to average level of development of critical thinking.
Chapter 2. Psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of critical thinking of primary schoolchildren
2.1. Taking into account individual characteristics for the development of critical thinking
The goal of modern education is the development of those personality traits that she and society need for inclusion in social and value-based activities.
At each age stage of human development, both general properties inherent in a social group and specific, individual characteristics are formed. Children of the same age differ from each other in typological characteristics of higher nervous activity, thinking, physical and spiritual development, abilities, interests, etc. Thus, the class consists of students with different development, different preparedness, different academic performance and attitude to learning, different characteristics of attention and memory. Already from the first grade, a teacher often teaches in relation to the average level - average development, average preparedness, average performance. This often leads to the fact that “strong” students are artificially restrained in their development and lose interest in learning that does not require mental effort from them: “weak” students, on the contrary, are often doomed to chronic lag and also lose interest in learning that requires they cause too much mental stress. The question arises of how to structure the educational process so that the “weak” student can do it and find it interesting, while the “strong” student does not lose the desire to work because of the ease and simplicity of learning.
A differentiated approach involves taking into account the diverse individual characteristics of students and is carried out in a classroom-lesson learning system and involves a reasonable combination of frontal, group and individual forms of work.
The essence of the individual approach is to conditionally divide the class into several moving groups, at certain stages of the lesson, depending on the learning capabilities of the students. Each group masters skills at a different pace and has its own version. By implementing a differentiated approach to teaching, it is possible to use a variety of forms individual training:
As you can see, an individual approach involves tasks of different difficulty and complexity to achieve the same ultimate learning goals. Individual training is based mainly on the selection of individual tasks, depending on the preparation of students, their psychological and personal characteristics, taking into account the students’ difficulties. Individual tasks, in turn, are ineffective and impossible without taking into account the psychological structure of the individual.
When working with individual tasks, it is important to take into account the zone of current and proximal development. And for this it is important to constantly monitor the results of the work, diagnose both after studying each topic and during the study of the topic.
The types of individual tasks depend on the goal set by the teacher.
Three points are of particular importance in individual work with schoolchildren:
1) When communicating with them, a warm, cordial, friendly attitude is very important. A child’s anger, suspicion, and mistrust must be contrasted with kindness, warmth, and gentleness;
2) The teacher must be able to identify the positive that exists in the personality of every student, even the most difficult, the most pedagogically neglected, and try to rely on this positive in the work of re-educating him. It is not so easy to see the positive in the personality of a neglected schoolchild: on the one hand, it is often hidden, not on the surface, and on the other hand, it is sometimes subjectively difficult for a teacher to force himself from this position to take a closer look at the student who is bringing him a lot of trouble. Some teachers simply don’t want to see anything good in a bad student, and some believe that there are students who are “generally bad” and have nothing good in their personalities. Of course, this opinion is wrong.
Identifying and using the positive that exists in the personality of any schoolchild is not always easy, but this method of education is very effective and will fully reward the teacher for the work expended. The psychological effect of this technique is two-way. Firstly, a difficult student is often sincerely convinced that he is bad, that nothing good will come of him. Awareness of his incorrigibility and inferiority negatively affects his behavior. When, with the help of adults, a child discovers something positive and good in himself, then this consciousness has a beneficial effect on his actions. Having seen something good in yourself, you no longer want to continue doing bad things. Secondly positive sides The personality of a difficult student opens up the opportunity to introduce him to relevant activities that are interesting to him, and this leaves him neither the time nor the desire to engage in reprehensible activities.
3) Often good results are achieved by openly expressed trust in the moral strength of schoolchildren. They really appreciate the fact that they are trusted, despite their bad fame, bad reputation, they trust them, whom no one has ever trusted with anything! However, suspicious children sometimes have difficulty believing that they are really trusted, that this trust is sincere. They treat the trust placed with caution, as another attempt to influence them, another educational technique. And if they have already developed an attitude to oppose any education, then trust is subject to the same fate.
There are three conditions under which a bet on trust is justified:
The first condition: as already noted, trust should be natural and relaxed, and not an obviously artificial device. The child must believe in the sincerity of the teacher and correctly perceive the very fact of trust expressed to him;
The second condition: the teacher must be more or less confident that the student’s bad traits have not become so ingrained as to completely drown out healthy moral tendencies;
Third condition: the teacher, having placed trust in the student, should not take the position of a passive contemplator of the results of his experiment, but patiently and tactfully help the student get comfortable with new role, constantly keep such a student in the spotlight, provide him with timely help and support.
If the success of each student’s learning and the development of critical thinking worries the teacher, then he will definitely implement an individual approach to teaching. [ 1]
2.2. Methods and techniques for developing critical thinking
The development of thinking in primary school age plays a special role. With the beginning of education, thinking moves to the center of the child’s mental development and becomes decisive in the system of other mental functions, which, under its influence, become intellectualized and acquire a voluntary character.
The pedagogical conditions for the development of critical thinking in children of primary school age is, first of all, the use of various means and methods. Considering that, after all, the majority of teachers work according to traditional programs, there is a need for practicing teachers to methodological material aimed at developing logical thinking and mental operations that could be used in the classroom.
By combining methods and techniques for developing critical thinking, the teacher can plan lessons in accordance with the maturity level of the students, the objectives of the lesson and the amount of educational material. The possibility of combination is of no small importance for the teacher himself - he can feel free when working with this technology, adapting it in accordance with his preferences, goals and objectives.
“Brainstorming” allows not only to activate younger schoolchildren and help solve problems, but also to form non-standard thinking.
Purpose of use:
Finding out what children know about the topic;
Sketching ideas, assumptions on the topic;
Activation of existing knowledge.
This technique does not place the child within the framework of right and wrong answers. Students can express any opinion that will help find a way out of a difficult situation.
In order for the presentation during the brainstorming to be correct,
It is better to use a number of rules:
2–3 minutes are allotted for thinking and expressing your thoughts;
The statement cannot be immediately criticized and evaluated;
All answers are recorded on the board;
The information written on the board is analyzed;
The most optimal solutions are jointly selected.
“A basket of ideas, concepts, names...” - a direct question is asked about what students know about a particular topic.
First, each student remembers and writes down in a notebook everything he knows about a particular problem (strictly individual work, duration 1-2 minutes).
Then information is exchanged in pairs or groups. Students share known knowledge with each other (group work). Time for discussion is no more than 3 minutes. This discussion should be organized, for example, students should find out where their existing ideas coincide and where disagreements arose.
All information is briefly written down in the form of abstracts by the teacher in a “basket” of ideas (without comments), even if they are erroneous. You can “dump” facts, opinions, names, problems, concepts related to the topic of the lesson into the idea basket. Further, during the lesson, these facts or opinions, problems or concepts, scattered in the child’s mind, can be connected into logical chains.
“True – false statements” - children choose “true” statements, relying on their own experience or simply guessing. There is a mood to study a new topic, they stand out key points. In one of the next lessons we will return to this technique to find out which of the statements were true.
"Forecasting Using Open Questions"
Reading the text in parts and asking open questions: what will happen to the characters next? Why do you think so? What did the heroes look like? Describe further events, etc.
Taxonomy of questions: simple, clarifying (Do you think so? That is, you said?), explanatory (Why?), creative (there is a particle “would” in the question, elements of convention, assumption, forecast), evaluative (clarification of criteria for evaluating certain events, phenomena, facts) practical (What would you do in the place of the hero? Where in ordinary life?)
“Reading with stops” - this strategy fits well into reading lessons. It is also used in extracurricular activities. The material for its implementation is a narrative text. At the beginning of the lesson, students determine by the title of the text what the work will be about. During the main part of the lesson, the text is read in parts. After reading each fragment, students make assumptions about the further development of the plot.
The teacher’s task: to find the optimal places to stop in the text. This strategy helps students develop an attentive attitude to the point of view of another person and a calm rejection of their own if it is not sufficiently reasoned or the arguments turned out to be untenable.
"Fishbone" (fish skeleton)
The head is the question of the topic, the upper bones are the basic concepts of the topic, the lower bones are the essence of the concept, the tail is the answer to the question. Entries should be brief and contain key words or phrases that capture the essence.
"Zigzag"
Stage 1 - students are divided into groups, in groups the number of groups is equal to the number of groups.
Stage 2 - they are seated in groups of experts, by number, each group receives a specific task, they study in the group, and draw up reference diagrams.
Stage 3 – return to home groups, take turns telling new material.
"Two-Part Diary"
The diary consists of two parts: quotes and thoughts, feelings, associations. When reading a new text, attention is paid to quotes that made you think, aroused any feelings or emotions. Entries are made in a diary.
"ZHU"
Filling out the table: I know - I want to know - I found out
At the first stage, students restore their own knowledge on the topic of the lesson by recording questions that interest them in a table. During the study of the topic, the third column is filled in - answers to the questions posed, new information on the topic.
"Advanced Lecture"
At the first stage of the lesson, students’ knowledge on the topic is activated and discussed in pairs and groups. Concepts are grouped. A summary is being drawn up.
The second stage is active listening.
One student notes confirmed information, the second student writes down new information and exchanges opinions on problematic issues.
“Mutual inquiry” - reading the text in pairs, one part at a time. The roles of student and teacher change. Students pose questions to each other about what they read. Questions are recorded. The best questions are asked of the class.
"Do you believe that..."
The class is divided into two teams. One team makes fantasy assumptions, and the other analyzes them.
“Logical chain” - after the text, students are asked to construct events in a logical sequence. This strategy helps when retelling texts.
"Carousel" - group work. Open-ended problematic questions are formulated based on the number of groups. It is necessary to prepare colored markers, A3 sheets with questions written on them, one on each. At the teacher's signal, the sheets are passed clockwise. Students work together to answer each problematic question without repeating themselves.
“Cross-discussion” - a binary question is given based on the text read. Students work in pairs and write down arguments in favor of each version. They are divided into groups with opposing opinions. Different points of view are expressed and proven. The arguments of one group are the counterarguments of the other. The groups sit in different corners of the room. Students can change their point of view and move from group to group during the discussion.
"Cube"
Graphic organization of material. A task is given on the sides of the cube. In groups, students fill in the faces of the cube on the spread. Poll - a cube is thrown, students give an answer to the task of the dropped side.
"The last word is mine"
At the last stage of the dispute, students are asked to write down a quote from the text that proves their opinion and comment on it. Read the quote out loud, the opponent comments on it, and the last student reads his explanation. This is where the dispute ends.
A cinquain is not an ordinary poem, but a poem written in accordance with certain rules. Each line specifies a set of words that must be reflected in the poem.
Line 1 – heading, which contains the keyword, concept, theme of the syncwine, expressed in the form of a noun.
Line 2 – two adjectives.
Line 3 – three verbs.
Line 4 is a phrase that carries a certain meaning.
Line 5 – summary, conclusion, one word, noun.
1. The rules for writing syncwine are explained.
2. Several syncwines are given as an example.
3. The theme of the syncwine is set.
4. The time for this type of work is fixed.
5. Options for syncwine composition are checked
“Cluster” is a way of graphically organizing material that makes it possible to visualize the mental processes that occur when immersed in a particular topic (after listening to a teacher’s story, reading an educational text, when preparing to write an essay, etc.).
A cluster is a reflection of a nonlinear form of thinking. This method is sometimes called “visual brainstorming.”
Methodology for this technique:
Stage 1 - in the middle of a blank sheet of paper (chalkboard) a keyword or phrase is written, which is the “heart” of the idea or topic.
Stage 2 - students write down everything they remember about this topic. As a result, words or phrases are “scattered” around, expressing ideas, facts, images suitable for a given topic (the “chaos” model).
Stage 3 - systematization is carried out. Chaotic records are combined into groups, depending on which aspect of the content reflects a particular recorded concept or fact (the “planet and its satellites” model).
Stage 4 - as you write, the words that appear are connected by straight lines to the key concept. Each of the “satellites”, in turn, also has “satellites”, and new logical connections are established. The result is a structure that graphically displays our thoughts and determines the information field of this topic.
Conclusions on the second chapter
An important condition for learning is the development of the child’s critical thinking, which should be spontaneous, carried out through age-specific activities and pedagogical means, and also take into account differentiated approach to teaching.
By implementing a differentiated approach to training, it is possible to use various forms of individual training:
Different options for the same type of tasks;
Tasks of varying degrees of difficulty;
Helping students complete assignments;
Time mode for completing a task;
Different types of keys, supports, diagrams, algorithms, etc.
There are also a variety of educational materials available for developing critical thinking. Combining techniques helps achieve goals and objectives so that students can become independent, competent thinkers and enjoy lifelong learning.
The pedagogical conditions for the development of critical thinking in children of primary school age are: the inclusion of children in activities during which their activity could clearly manifest themselves within the framework of a non-standard, ambiguous situation, the use of various means and methods, teaching schoolchildren to compare, generalize, analyze, learning and development critical thinking of younger schoolchildren should be relaxed, carried out through age-specific activities and pedagogical means, and the use of a variety of developmental materials.
Conclusion
Critical thinking is not innate, which means that throughout all years of schooling it is necessary to comprehensively develop students’ thinking (and the ability to use mental operations), teach them to think critically.
It is of great importance for the development of thinking, because in this way the child’s circle of knowledge and ideas expands significantly, new concepts are built into a coherent system, and the student uses inferences more often.
Critical thinking is not only possible, but also necessary to be developed at every level of school. Academic performance increases, the level of knowledge acquisition, the quality of training, and most importantly, the motivation of children to learn increases! In my opinion, this is the greatest problem of the modern school, which can be successfully resolved. Also, the fact that the problem of developing critical thinking is extremely important is evidenced by a huge number of different material, theses, trainings, seminars, methods, as well as numerous testing of these methods in real life. By developing critical thinking in schoolchildren, teachers thereby encourage them to solve problems independently, to create new opportunities, and to search for the necessary information. People who were taught to solve problems as children are later able to solve a much wider range of problems than those who were not taught this.
Nowadays, it is very important to develop critical thinking in children - so that the child begins to enjoy reading books, learns to analyze them and draw independent conclusions, so that he learns to ask smart questions and creatively find answers to them. Teaching is interesting when it brings tangible joy from learning new things, from the feeling of one’s own involvement in the world of knowledge revealed in the book. Based on these teaching methods, a child studying history, geography or literature will not later say that it was not clear, not necessary or not interesting. And teachers and parents will be confident that their children know the subject and can think critically and creatively.
Teaching children to think critically means asking the right questions, directing their attention in the right direction, teaching, drawing their own conclusions and finding a solution. Students like those types of learning activities that provide them with material for thought, the opportunity to demonstrate initiative and independence, and require mental stimulation, ingenuity and creativity.
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