Teaching Critical Thinking at the University Level: A Review of Some Empirical Evidence

Abstract

This review was conducted specifically to help us plan a critical thinking program for faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and to evaluate its effects on faculty and students in their classrooms. It seemed appropriate to first weigh evidence before beginning such a program. Thus, the questions listed in the abstract concern measures of critical thinking, effectiveness of conventional curricula, effectiveness of curricula designed specifically to teach critical thinking, and factors associated with successful learning by participants. Because we thought empirical studies would provide the clearest answers to our questions, studies of critical thinking in universities are the only evidence included. Some clarifications may be helpful. Some otherwise excellent studies were excluded because they evaluated critical thinking at the pre-university level (Noyce, 1970; Smith & Tyler, 1942). The review begins with two tables. The first summarizes methodological features of studies reviewed; the second summarizes findings and measures used to quantify those findings. Readers who want a detailed overview of each study and a feature-by-feature comparison of it with other studies, may find the tables and their explanations helpful. Readers who want a quick overview of the evidence may want to skip the tables and read the discussion. Discussion hits high points in the tables and follows the sequence of questions posed in the abstract.