Importance of critical thinking

Critical thinking is the self-directed process of evaluating a subject objectively to make rational decisions. People may solve current challenges rationally using critical thinking. Especially as university undergraduates aiming to enter the corporate world critical thinking is crucial for our soft skill development.

According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, critical thinking is a higher order skill which falls under analyzing and evaluating .

Characteristics of critical thinking:

1. Active listening which requires listening and comprehending, asking deep questions while avoiding interruptions, taking non-verbal hints, patience, concentration, and suppressing judgement.

2. Curiosity which leads to asking meaningful questions.

3. Being disciplined enough not to jump to conclusions and actions.

4. Being humble and receptive towards other opinions.

To evaluate the critical thinking ability of the students we held an in-class discussion session on measurements the Sri Lankan cricket board could take to improve the Sri Lankan cricket team’s performance.

Through an interesting discussion session, our team came up with several possible measurements.

Improving batting and bowling line-ups, scouting new young talents, helping to improve the mental stability of the players and improving the unity between members were the main conclusions we made from this discussion.

The main objective of this activity was to individually evaluate one’s critical thinking characteristics and get an idea of what to improve further. From this activity, I felt I needed to contribute more to the conversation even though I was a good listener. Furthermore, I was able to understand how crucial critical thinking is in problem-solving.

In conclusion, making rational decisions through critically evaluating each available option plays a significant role in problem-solving.