Critical thinking in education: Contributions and possible directions

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses previous research on critical thinking in education. The aim of the proposed conference paper is to develop a theoretical framework and identify innovative directions for future research on the basis of previous research analyses of critical thinking in education. The paper includes a review and commentary on critical thinking concepts and previous research within the context of Croatian and international research. The results of previous research show the importance of developing and implementing teaching for critical thinking, as it increases the quality of the learning and teaching. Research shows that the teacher plays an important role in stimulating pupils' critical thinking, foremost by applying active learning and teaching methods. In the conclusion, on the basis of the definition of the concept of critical thinking and a review of current research, a construct for teaching critical thinking is developed through its categorization and operationalization, which also presents a possible direction for future research.