The scientific method originated centuries ago, but it is taught only to a limited degree in science classes. It is proposed that the scientific method is not just a method for scientists, but also offers a general approach to problem definition and solving and serves as a guide to problem prevention and solution-challenging. The Scientific Method…

Providing a low-key, nonthreatening way for teachers and parents to build partnerships for kids, this book presents short, concrete activities in English and Spanish to foster communication between teachers and parents and between parents and children. While the activities in the book are designed for kindergartners, none of the activities have…

This study examined the process of invented spellings among first grade students, focusing on the conscious thoughts of students as they invented spellings, including strategies and attitudes. The researcher became a participant-observer in a first grade classroom, comprised of 28 students. Based on observations of the writing environment and on…

"Thinking Science," the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) curriculum, is a program designed for 11-14 year olds (in the first two years of secondary school) which encourages them to reflect on their own thinking and to develop their reasoning power in tackling novel problems. This study presents results that represent the…

Teaching reasoning and judgment to children under the auspices of philosophy is an idea that has emerged recently in the modern era. It is theorized that, through practice in logic and ethics, children will begin to apply reasoning skills to their own life situations, think for themselves, and become better critical thinkers, all in a context that…

The use of critical thinking and collaborative learning enhances the research process by establishing a disciplined yet supportive research and publication procedure. In addition, these methods provide common assumptions about the validity and reliability of research findings, while encouraging diverse points of view. Critical thinking helps…

The usefulness of the Cognitive Engagement in Cooperative Learning (CECL) model for evaluating the learning outcomes associated with various cooperative learning activities is explored. The instructions that a set of learners is given, however broad or specific, is called a script. These scripts are associated with different learning outcomes…

Noting that hearing and reading the words of real people can personalize for students the study of social studies, language arts, and science, this book presents 230 quotations and prompts to enrich curricula and themes in grades 4 through 8. After an introduction and advice on using quotations in the classroom, quotations and prompts in the book…

More than 800 students at geographically isolated Southern Arkansas University, many of whom are commuters, would be considered nontraditional students. For the most part, these individuals study harder and produce work of higher quality than many students entering college directly from high school. Critical thinking skills are especially…

The contrasting assumptions of the didactic and critical theories and approaches to teaching and learning are set out in this paper. The assumptions have to do with: (1) whether students should be taught how, rather than what, to think; (2) the relationship between knowledge and thinking; (3) what constitutes an educated, literate person; (4) how…

If critical thinking is to be seriously considered as a possible vehicle for educational reform, an exploration of relevant theories of reason is required. This paper offers an analytic framework for understanding theories of reason, presents an overview of recent work in empirical psychology that is related to root conceptions of rationality, and…

Suitable methods can be developed and instructional devices can be designed for the teaching of argumentation analysis to students of varying interests, ages, and capacities. Until 1950, the study of argumentation in the Netherlands was either purely practical or a continuation of the classic logic and rhetoric traditions. A number of new research…

In his pioneer investigations of deductive logical reasoning competence, R. H. Ennis (R. H. Ennis and D. H. Paulus, 1965) used a multiple-choice format in which the premises are given, and it is asked whether the conclusion would then be true. In the adaptation of his work for use in Jamaica, the three possible answers were stated as…

This paper presents an overview of the effectiveness of writing and cooperative learning in developing thinking skills in technical theatre education. The paper first offers a statement of purpose and an outline of a survey of university technical theater personnel and design students in an introduction. The four parts of the paper then discuss:…

Noting that the ability to think critically and creatively can be encouraged even in the very young, this book provides practical strategies and lesson plans for introducing children in kindergarten through grade 3 to the fun and rigors of skillful thinking. The first set of four lessons is designed to start children thinking and to lay the…