Teaching Critical Thinking in Political Science: A Case Study

Many argue that critical thinking is a democratic necessity, a valuable career readiness skill, and a key learning outcome of political science education. Research suggests that critical thinking training is most effective when students are explicitly taught critical thinking skills and develop valuation of and self-efficacy in utilizing these skills. This paper reports on a case study of explicit critical thinking skills awareness and practice training in a second-year political science class. Pre- and post-test analyses found statistically significant increases in students' self-rated valuation of critical thinking and self-efficacy. The instructor felt that the explicit linking of the class course material to the critical thinking sessions promoted quality class discussions of the core course material.