Critical Thinking Coursework Example

Critical Thinking
Student’s name
Institution
For a student to develop to be a critical thinker one must undergo six development stages in critical thinking. Critical thinking is essential for students as it goes beyond facts memorization. In the twenty-first century, critical thinking alongside creative thinking is key to economic and work prosperity. For a student, critical thinking is paramount as it helps students evaluate their own behaviors as well as thinking on issues relating physical education, health education as well as home economics. Besides, critical thinking help student to make defensible and reasonable decisions concerning community and individual wellbeing. Despite the numerous benefits of critical thinking, to develop to a critical thinker is a process that has six developmental stages as highlighted by Paul and Elder.
By definition critical thinking is the disposition and ability to improve an individual thinking by subjecting it to systematic intelligent self-assessment (Paul, & Elder, 2000). As of such a person is perceived be a critical thinker in the fullest understanding of the term if and only if such a person displays this disposition and ability in their entirety or in most, aspects of his live such as citizen, parent, learner, and friend, professional among others. The six stages of critical thinking are as follows; stage one the unreflective thinker. At this stage one lack the ability to assess his or her thinking explicitly. And of such thinker may develop a variety of skills in regards to thinking unaware and as a result, such skills are applied inconsistently as such person lack self-monitoring of thought.

The second stage is the challenged thinker. For a thinker to move to this stage he or she becomes aware of the determining role played by thinking in his life. The third stage is the beginning thinker.
Any thinker who move to the third stage actively take up the challenge of taking explicit command of his or her thinking across the various domain of his life. It is at this stage that thinkers start recognizing they have some problem in their thinking and initiates attempts to take charge and improve their thinking. The fourth stage is the practicing thinker at this phase thinker develop the sense of required habits in order to take control of their thinking. An individual at this phase recognize the problem in their thinking and counter these problems systematically and globally (“Critical Thinking Development: A Stage Theory,” n.d.). The fifth stage is the advanced thinker at this stage thinker have fully established habits of thought which often pay off. At this stages, thinkers have significant insight in regards to thinking problems at a relatively deeper level of thought. The last stage is the accomplished thinker at this stage thinkers systematically take charge of their thinking and at the same time continues to monitor, revise and re-think their strategy to continue improving their thinking.
In regards to the above-summarized critical thinking stages, stage four the practicing thinker is my current level. The reasons why I am putting myself at this level is that I am committed to regular practice. Of late I have explicitly recognized that for my thinking to improve I have to practice regularly to adopt some regimen of practice. For me to be a good leader efficient decision making is key and this implies that I must have the ability to make an inference. Developing my skills to make inference will enhance my personal and professional life as this skill will enable me to extrapolate and discover all potential outcomes when assessing scenario in my life and as a leader.
References
Critical Thinking Development: A Stage Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/critical-thinking-development-a-stage-theory/483
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2000). Critical thinking: The path to responsible citizenship.