A basic framework for teaching critical thinking in school
from Terrell Hayek
c What does critical thinking mean?we proposed that “(c)ritical thinking is suspending judgment while identifying biases and underlying assumptions in order to draw accurate conclusions.”
Of course, there are different definitions of critical thinking. The American Philosophical Association defines it as: “Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. It involves being active (rather than reactive) in the learning process and includes open-mindedness, curiosity, and the ability to explore and evaluate ideas, arguments, and viewpoints.”
But understanding exactly what it is and what it means is different from teaching critical thinking – that is, consistently integrating it into your modules, lessons and activities. Patterns and frameworks have always been helpful to me when making sense of complex (or confusing– which is usually different from complex) ideas. I also find them a wonderful way of communicating some of this meaning-making.
In other words, models and frameworks can help thinking and communicating concepts.
See also Examples of analogies for critical thinking
A framework for integrating critical thinking into your classroom
Obviously, teaching critical thinking in the classroom is different from “teaching” it outside of it, just as it is different from actively practicing and applying critical thinking skills in the “real world.” I have always taught students that critical thinking is something they do seamlessly in their lives.
They analyze plots and characters in films.
They I create create short videos.
They criticism relationships and punishments and grades and video games.
They I appreciate the performance of their favorite athletes and make judgments about music.
Etc. With that context out of the way, let’s look at the framework, shall we?
Levels of Critical Thinking Integration
From individual assignments to complete learning models, each level offers specific strategies and classroom examples.
Level 1 · Quest
Critical thinking in independent tasks
Unit tasks and activities require students to compare, judge, explain or revise rather than just recall or copy.
Integration strategies
- Analogies that connect new ideas with familiar ones
- Selection boards that require selection justification
- Structured debates on claims or interpretations
- The technique of formulating a question
- Multilevel tasks that increase cognitive demand
- Think aloud and routine explanations to students
Examples
- Students create analogies and explain the limits of each.
- The choice of a selection board must be justified in writing.
- Mini debates that require two pieces of evidence.
- Students generate questions and mark those that require judgment.
- A set of tasks that ends with comparing methods or solutions.
- Think aloud where peers identify key decision points.
Level 2 · Unit
Critical thinking as a learning framework
Units are built around questions, problems, or ideas that cannot be addressed without analysis, evaluation, and explanation.
Integration strategies
- Key questions that highlight uncertainty
- Differentiation that offers diverse paths to complex thinking
- Understanding by Design and Reverse Planning
- Choosing topics that invite multiple perspectives
- Embedding dilemmas or conflicts as learning stimuli
- Repeating text sets, data sets, or comparison cases
Examples
- A literary unit around “What makes a character believable?”
- A science unit built on “When should we trust a model?”
- A history department organized around “Whose history is this?”
- A math module that evaluates which solution method is the most transparent.
- A health unit where students weigh trade-offs and defend choices.
- Students revise the main question in three stages to show growth.
Level 3 · Instructional Design
Critical thinking embedded in sequence and structure
Curriculum maps, spirals, and assessment plans reinforce thinking routines over time, not isolated experiences.
Integration strategies
- Spiral concepts and questions between units
- Using the 6 Facets of Understanding to Design Performances
- Rubrics for reasoning shared between subjects
- Planned revision cycles within units
- Vertical alignment of explanation and argumentation skills
- Repetitive prompts for reflection built into pacing guides
Examples
- Quarterly Return to “What Makes Evidence Persuasive?” between courses.
- English and Social Studies use the same rubric for reasoning.
- Students revise previous conclusions with new evidence.
- Routine comparison of evolving interpretations.
- Performance tasks requiring students to explain and apply ideas.
- Weekly use of “What Changed Your Mind?” as a food for thought.
Level 4 · Learning model
Critical thinking as a structure of learning
Thinking becomes identity. Learning models assume that students explore, question, and reason as usual.
Integration strategies
- Project-based learning
- Inquiry-led instruction
- Asynchronous self-directed learning
- Heick’s Taxonomy of Learning
- Studio or workshop critique systems
- Progression based on mastery or competence
Examples
- A one-year project-based course in which argumentation is the main metric.
- Units of inquiry starting with student-generated questions.
- Training contracts that include a rationale for the resources selected.
- Studio critiques focused on logic and evidence.
- Competence progression related to clarity of reasoning.
- Students name the type of thinking they do using a taxonomy.
Level 1: Task-level integration strategies
Purpose / Idea
Assignment-level integration is where students most naturally encounter critical thinking in your classroom. The learning activity itself requires them to interpret, judge, compare, infer or revise rather than simply recall.
- Analogues (see also Learning with analogies)
- Selection board
- debate
- The technique of formulating a question
- Arrangement
Specific examples
- Students rank three solutions and explain the order they chose.
- Students compare two character motivations in a story and support their thinking with evidence from the text.
- Students critique a laboratory conclusion using simple criteria that the class develops together.
- Students comment on their thoughts with short notes such as “I changed my mind here because…”
Examples of integration strategies: Analogues (see Learning with analogies); Selection boards; debate; The A technique for formulating a question; Arrangement
Level 2: Integration strategies at the unit level
Purpose / Idea
At the unit level, critical thinking moves from individual activities to a kind of organizing framework. Instead of being a unit to cover content, it becomes a return to a question, problem, or idea that cannot be understood without analysis and judgment.
Your existing strategies
Integration strategies at the unit level include:
Specific examples
- A unit built around ‘What makes an explanation good?’ and not just “Photosynthesis”.
- Assessments that require students to compare two interpretations or solutions and justify which is stronger.
- Students revisit a key question at the beginning, middle, and end of the lesson to show how their thinking has changed.
Topics (i.e. studying topics that naturally encourage or even require critical thinking)
See also 6 critical thinking questions for any situation
Level 3: Integrating strategies at the level of instructional design
Purpose / Idea
At the level of instructional design, critical thinking is built into the structure of learning over time. Sequencing, spiraling, and curriculum mapping are used to help students encounter and revise ideas in ways that require them to think more clearly and more often.
Specific examples
- A sequence in which students build, test, and revise claims in multiple units rather than a single project.
- Rubrics that assess clarity of reasoning in more than one subject or unit.
- A model where students return to previous work and revise it with new evidence or more mature thinking.
Level 4: Integration at the learning model level
Purpose / Idea
At the learning model level, critical thinking is not something that is added to existing work. This becomes the structure of learning. Models such as project-based learning, inquiry, and self-directed learning assume that students will explore, question, and reason as a normal part of how learning works.
Strategies for integrating at the learning model level include:
Specific examples
- A project-based lesson where the quality of students’ decisions and reasoning is more important than polishing the final product.
- An inquiry unit where students generate their own questions, design investigations and defend their conclusions.
- A self-directed learning structure where students select resources, evaluate their usefulness, and justify their learning path.
– Project-based learning (cf 25 questions to guide teaching with project-based learning)
– Training inquiry (see 14 Teaching Strategies for Inquiry-Based Learning)
-Asynchronous self-directed learning (see our A model of self-directed learning)
