Integrating Critical thinking in Science Education at the Post-truth Era

Abstract

Critical thinking is an essential component of scientific literacy that has raised its importance in the Post-truth Era. Investing efforts in developing teaching designs for the practice of critical thinking is a main goal of current research in science education. This article suggests integrating a critical thinking teaching approach that involves action in which elements of the practice and metacognition combine. Based on the results of a project on critical thinking in science instruction, we present: 1) an analysis of the different views/conceptions of critical thinking and their teaching implications; 2) arguments for critical thinking development in contexts related to post-truth era and the main challenges; 3) our vision about critical thinking instruction and key points for its application in the classroom; 4) an example of design for the practice of critical thinking developed as a result of the joint work of researchers and secondary school teachers.