Learning to think the right way

By Donald Hiscock

The thinking is that critical skills can improve learning generally

Just when you thought teenagers were more than capable of holding their own in arguments there is now an AS-level course that will make them experts.

Parents beware: sons and daughters are now quick to spot the flaws in your arguments and dismiss your facts as mere opinions.

But AS-level critical thinking is more than just equipping young people with the skills to handle the unreasonable demands of nagging parents.

It provides students with a set of important academic tools.

"Thinking skills are essential," says teacher Norman Pantling.

"Whereas GCSE courses lack the room for individual thought, this course gives the student a mental challenge."

University advantage

The course teaches students to distinguish facts from opinions, how to weigh up the strength of somebody else's case and recognise other people's assumptions.

Offered by the OCR examinations board, critical thinking is different from other AS-level subjects.

It does not involve learning facts but is about learning how to think, reason and write in a coherent and logical way.

The OCR believes that providing young people with these skills will give them an advantage when it comes to finding a university place or employment.

Universities are now looking for students who can write persuasively and put forward arguments Pamela Debattista

Universities like Cambridge are now looking at setting aptitude tests involving critical thinking skills in an attempt to differentiate between the rising numbers of students who are achieving A grades at A-level.

Norman Pantling and his team have been offering the course at Taunton's College in Southampton since the OCR piloted it in 1999.

"You don't actually teach critical thinking skills, you unearth them," he says.

"We start from where the students are thinking and then get them to respect each other's viewpoint. This kind of respect is the bloodstream of education."

Some students at the college agree that by taking critical thinking their chances of getting into their university of choice might improve.

"I know that many universities are now looking for students who can write persuasively and put forward arguments," says student Pamela Debattista.

For Emily London there are more immediate rewards for being on the course: "I did a biology essay recently and my teacher guessed straightaway that I was doing critical thinking.

" Because I was able to pull apart the argument in the question I was given more marks."

"Critical thinking has helped to expand my mind and change the way in which I think about everyday situations and issues," adds Greg Sweet.

Rapid growth

The local education authority in Southampton has also recognised the need to promote critical thinking even earlier.

As part of the city's Pathfinder programme, a government initiative that is part of raising standards in 14-19 education, Taunton's and other colleges have been offering master classes in critical thinking to year 10 pupils.

"We actually underestimated how quickly school students would grasp thinking skills," says Norman Pantling.

"Not only does it give them a taste of college life, but it gives them a challenge."

After completing classes at college, students from Cantell School in Southampton decided to extend this challenge to their head teacher.

They presented such a persuasive argument to him that he had no option but to allow them to enter the AS-level critical thinking exam. They all passed.

With almost 100 students in his college preparing for this summer's exam and a further 60 year 11 pupils who attend classes after school, Norman Pantling is witnessing a rapid growth in his subject.

He offers this advice to parents: "Just make sure your you've sorted out your facts from opinions if you want to win any arguments over whether enough revision is being done."