Designing the Instructional Process to Enhance Critical Thinking across the Curriculum

Abstract

This article presents an inquiry-based approach to promoting critical thinking in psychology. Students are taught a model of inquiry and how to apply it in cooperative-learning contexts in the classroom as well as individual reading and study settings. The model emphasizes helping students develop a habit of inquiry by learning to ask thoughtful questions—of themselves and each other—about what they read in their textbooks, hear in lectures, and encounter during class discussions. Results of research on the use of this approach are presented as are the theoretical bases for the model's effectiveness.