2025/10/28 by Olga Zlatkin‐Troitschanskaia, James W. Pellegrino, Tim N. Bartnik · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Education and Critical Thinking Development #Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences #Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
paper · doi:10.4324/9781003484776-10
Critical thinking (CT) is increasingly recognized as an essential skill for education, employment, and civic engagement in the 21st century. With the rapid evolution of digital technologies, misinformation, and the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), the demand for strong CT skills has never been more urgent. This chapter provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent theoretical, empirical, and instructional advances in CT research. It traces the evolution of major theoretical perspectives, offers a structured overview of CT's multifaceted nature, and explores its core components. The chapter places CT in contemporary contexts by examining emerging related constructs and frameworks, particularly those addressing digital environments and AI-mediated interactions, and shows how these developments extend and reshape traditional CT paradigms. Major assessment approaches are reviewed—analytic, holistic, and mixed methods—alongside key findings from recent empirical studies. Instructional strategies aimed at fostering CT are critically evaluated, with evidence of their effectiveness discussed. The chapter concludes by outlining future directions and key challenges for CT education. These include the pivotal role of CT in the AI era, evolving epistemological and disciplinary understandings, and the imperative for ensuring cross-cultural validity in CT assessment.