Metacognition and Critical Thinking: Some Pedagogical Imperatives

Abstract

Critical thinking is apparently universally desirable as an educational outcome. It is rare to find an educational institution that does not mention some critical skills in the list of its graduate attributes. Too often, however, critical thinking permeates the talk and spirit of syllabi but the substance of it fails to materialize. It has become the Cheshire Cat of curricula, in that it seems to be in all places, owned by all disciplines, but it does not appear, fully developed, in any of these.