Development of a Critical Thinking Test : With the Eight Elements of Thought as a Framework

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Abstract

Although the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has been emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, one of the 21st century competency skills, no specific methods of instruction or evaluation have been suggested in the Course of Study or in its commentary. In an attempt to address this imbalance, the authors introduce a sample English critical thinking appraisal in the form of reading comprehension test based on the eight elements of thought(Paul and Elder, 2006). The eight elements of thought are the “essential dimensions of reasoning that are present whenever and wherever reasoning occurs” (p. 55) and consist of purposes, questions, points of view, information, inferences, concepts, implications and consequences, and assumptions. The sample test has been devised with these elements serving as a basic reference framework to evaluate learners’ critical thinking/reading skills. The test is composed of three sections: basic comprehension questions, critical thinking questions, and text evaluation. Sample answers and comments are also provided. It is the authors’ hope that the test would be of valuable assistance to teachers of English who need instructional and assessment guidance for the development of critical thinking skills in Japanese classrooms.

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