Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

In international education programs such as the IB and the GCE, the acquisition of critical thinking skills is highly valued. Central to the concept of critical thinking is the act of questioning. The notion that teachers should encourage students to question ‘everything’ is often uncritically endorsed. However, on closer inspection, philosophical and practical questions emerge. For example, in the area of Ethics, should teachers encourage students to question all moral and cultural positions? Should teachers encourage students to question whether slavery is wrong? Should teachers encourage students to question whether rape is wrong? While discussions around the reasons why rape is wrong should be fostered, should teachers also encourage students to question the evil of rape itself? Or should this “questioning” be “questioned?” Should teachers ever engage in explicit values teaching? Is this telling students what is right, and what to think? In the area of History, a critical thinking approach requires that students evaluate primary and secondary historical sources for their reliability, and for the presence of bias. But here, again, questions emerge. Is a 15 year-old equipped to judge whether the work of Noam Chomsky is reliable? Is a 15 year-old equipped to judge whether Jay Winter is “biased?” And yet, the idea that students should not interrogate the work of high profile intellectuals reeks of authoritarianism. This study explores conflicting visions and concerns around the critical thinking paradigm, suggesting ways forward by proposing concrete strategies for the development of discerning engagements.