By | ARTHELO P. PALMA | Article Writer |
Critical thinking is the application of higher-order thinking skills such as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating something from what has been learned, remembered, or understood.
Consistent with the revised Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain, higher-order thinking or learning cannot proceed without first going through the lower-order thinking skills.
Revised
Bloom’s Taxonomy – Cognitive Domain
For instance, it is hard to understand a concept without first being able to remember specific facts about it. Similarly, it is difficult to create something new or use information creatively without first examining the information and making judgments about it.
Thus, it is challenging to produce a writing output, the creative product of research, when there is insufficient knowledge of the subject matter that should have been remembered and understood from reading. This is why the majority of those who do not read find writing challenging.
Writing requires higher-order thinking skills. Doing research, which involves writing, necessitates higher-order thinking skills. As a creative process, research requires preparatory activities, such as observation and reading, which allow the researcher to employ lower-order thinking skills to remember and understand essential facts, concepts, principles, ideas, and other relevant thoughts. Remembering and understanding these essential facts, for instance, will lead the researcher to apply, analyze, and evaluate information from prior knowledge, learning or experience, ultimately creating something new, which manifests higher-order thinking skills.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Arthelo P. Palma earned his B.S. in Applied Mathematics (Operations Research) from the University of the Philippines, MBA from the University of Southeastern Philippines, and Ph.D. in Development Research and Administration (Dean's Citation) from the same university. He is an Associate Member of the National Research Council of the Philippines, an International Peer Reviewer, and a Licensed Professional Teacher. Dr. Palma has served as Research Director, Academic Head, Professorial Lecturer, and Research and Community Extension Head. He has been teaching research and data analysis for more than a decade.
