How to Encourage Critical Thinking in Science and Math

Posted by David R. Wetzel, Ph.D.

Critical Thinking

Encouraging students to use critical thinking is more than an extension activity in science and math lessons, it is the basis of true learning.

Teaching students how to think critically helps them move beyond basic comprehension and rote memorization. They shift to a new level of increased awareness when calculating, analyzing, problem solving, and evaluating.

Another way to view the power of critical thinking – as students learn how to apply and use higher order thinking skills, they learn how to question the accuracy of their solutions and findings.

Students wonder why they got the results they did and not another outcome. This in turn leads to internalization of concepts, along with all important point of making connections with related concepts.

Teaching Critical Thinking

Some students have the natural ability to ask higher cognitive questions. Specifically when evaluating experimental findings in science or solving math problems. However, many students do not have this innate skill and need to learn how to ask higher order questions.

An important point for encouraging students to use critical thinking is by modeling these skills for your students. Students will inherently follow their teacher’s lead; this is why it is important to practice what we preach.

The following are examples of questions to ask your students to encourage them to think critically (Richard Paul).

Probing

• What additional information do you need to solve the problem?

• How does the data relate to your findings?

• How does the evidence support your conclusions?

• What would you need to do to determine if the solution is true?

• How can you compare this with other problems?

• Are their alternative solutions to the problem? If so, what are they?

• What else may be true if this is correct?

• What effect would _______ have?

• What do you mean by that statement?

Implication

• How could you ask that question differently?

• What did you learn from solving this problem?

• Is this the most important question to ask when solving the problem?

• What questions need to be answered before answering this question?

• What does this presume?

These questions all have one purpose – keeping the train on the track by guiding students through the critical thinking process. When you ask these and similar questions, you are encouraging your students to move from passive to active learning.

Avoiding Questions Easily Answered on the Internet

Questions and problems easily answered through a quick query on the internet are not an effective strategy for teaching critical thinking. Students need questions which require them to create a product to show what they learned. The following examples are referred to “Google-Proofing” in some circles.

• Construct a data table and graph to display a comparison of cost of three competing cell phone companies.

• Design an investigation to determine the best materials for building a hurricane proof house.

• Compare the organs in the human body with other mammals.

• Create a board game based on geometric shapes.

• Redesign an existing product to reduce its carbon footprint.

The goal is to help students learn how to develop higher level questions and make connections when solving math problems or analyzing experimental data.

Quality Thinking In order to support quality critical thinking, the frequency of questions is not as important as the quality of questions. Also, increasing wait-time between teacher-student-teacher is important to success with teaching quality thinking. According to Kathleen Cotton, the following are factors to consider when asking students questions.

• The average level of questions asked by teachers are 60 percent lower cognitive, 20 percent procedural, and 20 percent higher cognitive.

• Increasing the frequency of higher cognitive questions to the 50 percent level produces superior gains in middle and high school student achievement.

• Asking higher cognitive questions does not reduce student achievement on lower cognitive questions.

• With predominate use of lower cognitive questions; students tend toward lower achievement.

The use of higher cognitive questions tends to elicit longer student answers in complete sentences, quality inference and conjecture by students, and the forming of higher level questions. This in turn results in increased student use of critical thinking and classroom participation. There is never a wrong time to begin encouraging your students to use critical thinking skills, so why not start today.

Sources

Cotton, Kathleen, Classroom Questioning, North West Regional Educational Laboratory.

Paul, Richard, Critical Thinking: How to Prepare Students for a Rapidly Changing World, Foundation for Critical Thinking.

The Best Resources in Teaching & Learning Critical Thinking in the Classroom

3 Best Practices of Successful Science and Math Teachers

Posted by David R. Wetzel, Ph.D.

Successful Teaching

What does it mean to be a successful science or math teacher? The definition of success is an elusive thing and measured in many ways. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines success as – resulting in or gaining a favorable outcome. This, without a doubt, is your and every other teacher’s goal for their students.

Among the many ways of measuring teacher success is the ability to engage students in teaching practices which excite and encourage their natural curiosity for learning. When these best practices are used in the classroom, then all other measures of success follow suite. Thus, providing an indicator you’re a successful science or math teacher.

So what are the three best practices successful science and math teachers’ use in their classroom?

Project Based Learning

Teaching strategies which involve project based learning offer students the potential of gaining deeper insights into science and mathematical concepts. This strategy engages students to use critical thinking processes as they develop and answer their own questions.

This teaching strategy also helps students tap into higher order skills, which allows them to make those all important connections between one science or math concept and other concepts.

Other reasons why students are excited and encouraged by practice:

• answering open-ended questions

• researching the problem

• collecting data

• drawing conclusions based on their findings

• working collaboratively with other students

Real World Problem Solving

Problem solving is the essence of scientific and mathematic investigations. Providing students with real-world problems to solve allows them the opportunity to use investigative processes which stimulate higher order thinking skills.

In science, problem solving relies heavily on the effective use of the science process skills as students complete investigations. Two strategies which support problems solving is the use of discrepant events and experimental design for exciting and engaging students.

In math, making connections within and between concepts is critical to understanding math. Unfortunately students are very good with math concepts when treated separately; however, these same students have difficulties when trying to connect the concepts. One strategy for problem solving is the use of  cases studies in mathematics. They encourage connections between concepts, as students rely on and use their prior knowledge and experience in math.

Integrating Technology in Lessons

Using a digital lens stimulates critical thinking skills as students in explore, think, read, write, research, invent, problem solve, and experience the world of science and math. Integrating technology provides them the opportunity to investigate science and math phenomena the same way as scientists and mathematicians.

Digital Media follows the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words!” when it comes to science and math. The use of digital media is ideal for helping students construct background knowledge for developing a better understanding of science and math concepts.

The following are two examples of best practices for integrating technology in teaching and learning science or math.

• Podcasting – integrating podcasts in science and math classes is a good way to support student learning. This strategy leverages the use of digital devices as a means for mobile learning because students use them everyday – iPods, Smart Phones, computers, etc.

• Online Tools – facilitate input and interaction by students as they use the four skills of the language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) to investigate, inquire, hypothesize, conjecture, and explain their findings. Online tools offer enormous advantages for science and math teachers, in terms of helping their students learn using Web 2.0 tools.

These are three best practices for instilling curiosity in your students, while encouraging an atmosphere of student centered learning. Ignoring these and other practices which lead to teaching success and student learning risks diminishing, if not losing, the endowment of natural curiosity which all students have when they are born.