Critical thinking requires the ability to navigate numerous contradictory tendencies such as staunch conviction and respectful tolerance; a confidence in and skepticism of facts and data; and the challenge of dominant practices and categories that we may be comfortably replicating.聽聽These contradictions indicate an understanding of critical thinking as a continuing process and that knowledge itself is not static and is perpetually changing. Thus, critical thinking is the process of thinking and analyzing that involves these six operations:聽
First, the identification, understanding, clear explanation, and proposal of analysis of or solutions to real-life problems and/or problematics;
Keywords: real-world problems, analysis, solution
Second, the identification, consideration and use of reliable, accurate and verifiable facts and data;
Keywords: reliable, accurate, verifiable
Third, the practice of self-reflection which is the identification of one鈥檚 own preconceptions and biases and the understanding of how these form one鈥檚 opinion and analysis;
Keywords: reflection, biases, opinions
that perpetuate the marginalization of meanings, identities, and practices related to race, class, gender, and ethnicity.
Keywords: dominant perspectives, race, gender, identities
Fifth, the practice of a healthy skepticism toward knowledge and how it is produced including facts and data considered reliable and accurate;
Keyword: healthy skepticism
Sixth, the embrace of personal qualities such as courage of conviction, scholarly discipline, intellectual humility, and tolerance for other perspectives.
Keywords: conviction, scholarly discipline, tolerance, intellectual humility