Critical Thinking

Thinking is a part of everyday life. According to (Schwarze, p2, 2001) "Thinking is like talking, a kind of talking to ourselves". Everything that one does requires thought in order for decisions to be made weather positive or negative. Critical thinkers ask probing questions, gather information, and seek to find answers. The topic has been of interest for many years and will continue to be of importance especially in the area of education. Early awareness and development of this necessary skill will set individuals on the path to becoming effective thinkers who will eventually develop into outstanding decision makers. While the saying, "Think before you speak" is somewhat cliché the advice should not be taken lightly. Just as important is thinking about rhetorical questions posed during the course of everyday conversation, media, and the many types of documents one encounters daily. Often the questions are asked that are seldom thought about or answered. Another commonly asked question is what are you thinking? Often the answer is nothing! Is it possible for a person to think about nothing? Thinking supersedes what one may consider more important. This thought is supported by (Kirby, p4. 2002) who states "We think as we live life". Kirby goes on to examine some the 'important" thing in life such as money, love, and breathing and found that all of this things are connected to thinking.

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating and assessing information. The definitions the researcher read about all described critical thinking from different points of view with things in common. The definitions had the importance of a good base in logic, the motivation to ask questions, and the aptitude to see the pertinent answers that may or may not concur with one's prior viewpoint.

Martin Luther King stated, "The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and critically..." this idea is still pervasive among some researchers and educators to day. The idea that critical thinking being taught is support by Glock (1986) who suggest that teachers play a role in strengthening critical thinking skills of students by dealing with the "why" questions of students rather than their "who," "where" and "how" questions. Why questions indicate that one is thinking beyond the information that is being presented. Learners at all levels benefit from being thought critical thinking methods. In the business world individuals are faced daily with decision making situations where critical thinking is required. Braun (2004) found that time is of the essence for both workers and managers and another study found that the issue was lack of critical thinking skills in the work place (Pascarella, 1997).

Like the act of critical thinking, the research, views, and arguments on this topic