Researchers Identified Six Stages of Critical Thinking

While another published a step-by-step textbook to help people improve their critical thinking skills

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Thinking is a pretty wild thing to think about if you think about it. If thinking were physical, I’d compare it to water because it takes many forms and densities, and its contents — i.e., our thoughts — determine how nourishing or toxic it is.

Critical thinking, however, is arguably the most challenging of our many thinking styles because it involves continuous self-examination and reflection, which can be uncomfortable. Yet, it is one of our most valuable thought processes. Unfortunately, critical thinking is a declining skill in the United States, so I decided to see what researchers are learning about it.

What is Critical Thinking?

I found a free textbook titled Mastering Thinking by Michael Ireland, a research scientist specializing in research methodology and critical thinking, on the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, website.

Ireland’s textbook, published in August of 2024, provides a fascinating explanation of the human mind and a step-by-step instruction manual for developing critical thinking skills. I’ll discuss some of it later, but first, I…