How Socratic Method develops Critical Thinking
... Anyone who has been involved with the educational system in recent years is aware of terms “critical and creative thinking”. ... It is important therefore, to determine which of these teaching styles promotes and develops a child’s ability to critically and creatively think to the greatest degree. Before beginning to contemplate this issue however, one must establish the reasons as to why these types of thinking are of such importance to a child’s education. Firstly, many educational professionals have researched the idea of critical and creative thinking and have attempted to identify the important role they play in developing a child’s education. To begin, creative thinking is generally considered to be involved with the creation or generation of ideas, processes or experiences whereas critical thinking is concerned with their evaluation. For instance, Case, Roland and LeRoi Daniels, (1995-2000) state that, “Critical thinking is not a unique type of thinking that is different from other types of thinking, rather it refers to the quality of thinking. ... Patricia Clements, (former Dean of Arts at the University of Alberta) says that critical thinking is "independence of mind; it enables a reasonable rejection of received truths in the absence of evidence. ... " It is this concept of quality of thought which must be fostered and developed in a child’s thinking process. Once the concepts of creative and critical thinking are learned, the process can be applied to any subject area not only in the student’s education but in their everyday lives as well. ... Although every student will have their individual method of internalizing information, its effectiveness is further developed by using the creative and critical thinking process. This thinking process allows the student to interpret the information and question its validity. Practicing critical thinking enables the student to have ownership over their learning as they are no longer required to take what the teacher says as the stead-fast rule.