Reasoning (critical thinking) in Edron Curriculum

A good critical thinker goes on to build a meaningful life for themselves and those around them. Such a person requests evidence to make reasoned arguments and arrive at a judgment, avoiding fallacies.

Reasoning is the conscious, deliberate and rational evaluation of arguments according to clearly identified and ideally objective standards of proof (Elizabeth Oljar and D.R. Kouka¹).

In the absence of clear definitions, the terms, reasoning and critical thinking are used interchangeably in this essay.

At the end of high school education, a typical student is equipped with some mathematical skills that are required for everyday life, such as a transaction in a supermarket. However, the article titled Reasoning in School², cites the example of how most people tend to believe the claims of a TV presenter, to argue critical thinking is not taught explicitly in school. This is not true in the case of a typical learner from Edron, as reasoning is embedded in the curriculum followed at The Edron Academy. The following article aims to illustrate how reasoning and critical thinking are taught in our school, and the potential benefits of this on our students when they step into a wider world.

Critical thinking in science might look very different to that in History, yet the grammar of critical thinking remains the same. Simply put, the knowledge claimed must have a source whose reliability is evaluated thoroughly. This is a critical component of the Extended Essay course and also the internal assessment reports that Y13 students produce, in various subjects.

Here is an example of how this is done in Chemistry along with the potential benefits. One student who investigated the use of coffee waste for thermal energy generation, ignored the general presumption that all organic material can be used as a source of thermal energy. A scientific investigation revealed the percentage of the seeds that are truly beneficial for this purpose. After completing the experimental work, the student compared the results with published data and evaluated the results thoroughly. This resulted in the synthesis of a new idea – how to separate the combustible component of the coffee waste. The critical thinking skills learnt through various enquiry-based learning activities in the previous years helped this student to evaluate and also come up with a new idea. One must note that grades are poor indicators of reasoning skills since reasoning is somewhat ambiguous in nature – there is good reasoning and bad reasoning.

The deliberate application of reason was necessary, precisely because our common habits of thought are not particularly reasonable. As an environmental activist once upon a time, and as part of a NGO (which I am not a member of anymore), I felt indoctrinated to reject nuclear energy and carbon capture technologies. I had sought some evidence to study the above two issues, and I have changed my mind since then. The group-think, that sometimes overlooks critical thinking, could lead to dogmas which prevent society from moving forward.

The topical issue, Covid and our collective response to it, highlights the importance of critical thinking. When there is a lack of questioning, misconceptions tend to perpetuate. The world is becoming a more unsafe place is one of those common misconceptions.

Steven Pinker³ used a scientific approach to evaluate this question and has disproved this. Further, in this short, entertaining and persuasive video, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and Steven Pinker⁴ argue, reason is actually the key driver of human progress, even if its effect sometimes takes generations to unfold.

Whether it is scientific progress, such as the robot Perseverance, scouting the surface of Mars or social progress, such as the smoking ban in indoor space, progress requires reasoning. There is no right way to think. But as soon as someone starts to reason they are on the path to progress.

Reasoning is a self correcting process and new babies don’t acquire a world view by magic. Edron students are not taught to come up with the correct answer, but instead to use reasoning to justify their thoughts. After all, education is not a means to an end, rather the gateway to prosperity and freedom.

1. Elizabeth Oljar and D.R. Koukal “How to Make Students Better Thinkers”, https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-to-Make-Students-Better/245576
2. Reasoning in School, The University of Hawai’i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics Education. https://p4chawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/Reasoning-in-School-13-1.pdf
3. Pinker, S. (2011). The better angels of our nature: why violence has declined. New York, Viking.
4. Steven Pinker and Rebecca Newberger Goldstein: The long reach of reason https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk7gKixqVNU

Dr. Balasundaram Bangaru