Developing skills in critical thinking and evaluation
Have you ever received feedback on your assignments stating that your marks could be improved with greater critical engagement with the material, or through writing more analytically and critically?
If the answer is ‘yes’, then you are not alone in this. I have taught many students over the years and whenever I have asked this question, the majority of hands go up. That is why I wanted to make this the focus of one of my first blogs.
Whilst the majority of students get this kind of feedback, what I have discovered is that students tend not to know what it actually means or what to do about it. The trouble is that critical thinking and evaluation is not really a skill that is explicitly taught at university but rather is assumed to be something that will develop over time as you progress in your degree.
I think it is important to help students to understand what critical thinking and evaluation are early on, however, which is why I used to teach it in a core study skills module to first-year undergraduate students. Before this module was introduced, I would come across students in their third year who still did not understand what critical thinking or evaluation meant and how to build it into their work. Once the module started, I saw a positive shift in the standard of work that students were producing early in their degrees.
What is critical thinking?
A strong piece of work will not just describe, it will also be analytical or evaluative. So instead of simply describing the claims and arguments of others, you will go even further to explore and explain the underpinning assumptions, perspectives and evidence. You will question what you have read, rather than accepting it as true.
Thinking critically does not mean being negative. It means that you are able to make a balanced judgement by carefully considering all aspects of a topic. You need to demonstrate that you can weigh up arguments for and against a particular issue and so develop reasoned arguments. You need to be able to examine the issue, evaluate the evidence used to support it and consider the implications.
Let us use a short exercise to illustrate this.
Start by choosing a topic which you feel strongly about. You might feel strongly against abortions, for instance, the legalisation of certain drugs, the importance placed on home ownership in society, the availability of private schooling or something else. So, choose a topic that you feel strongly against.
Now write down all of the reasons that you feel so strongly against your selected issue. Try to come up with as many reasons as possible and explain them well, using evidence to back up your claims.
Okay, now try to change how you look at this issue. Can you tell me all the arguments that people might make for it? Try to overlook your own opinions here and gather together as many points as you can that people might make for your chosen issue. Again, explain them effectively, using evidence.
Once you have finished, take a look at your list. You should have a good balance of points for and against your chosen issue.
If so, what you have shown is that you can argue both sides of an issue, despite the fact that you feel strongly about one side of it. You have also backed up your ideas with evidence to give them greater credibility.
The point is that even if you do have strong feelings about something and you eventually conclude your argument with the same opinion, you need to be able to look at both sides of the debate and present arguments for both sides effectively first. Rather than presenting a one-sided argument, you are showing that you can look at and consider viewpoints which do not always fit with your own.
So, it is all about providing a balanced argument. By considering counterarguments and evidence against your own position, you are demonstrating an ability to assess and evaluate the evidence. This should also help you to establish and justify your own conclusions, displaying the strength of your own arguments.
As McMillan and Weyers (2012: 137) explain:
In many fields...there is often no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer, simply a range of stances or viewpoints. It is therefore possible that your answer may differ significantly from the viewpoints of your fellow students and possibly also that of your tutor. You will probably be given credit for constructing your own argument with evidence to substantiate your position, rather than simply following a ‘line’ expounded in lectures or a standard text. Even if your tutors disagree personally with your conclusions, they will mark your work according to the way you have presented it.
You might find that by looking at both sides of the debate, you end up changing your mind. That is okay, as long as you present a solid line of argument throughout the essay.
How do I develop my critical thinking?
Hopefully, you will now have a better idea about what critical thinking actually is. The next step is to take a look at how you can develop your critical thinking skills. To get started, you can:
Look at how work has been viewed by others.
It can be helpful to look at how other sources have cited the evidence, data or arguments that you are using to build your own argument. This can help in your own evaluation of what you are looking at, by establishing its accuracy, methods, how it compares to other works and how it has been received. It is also useful for developing your understanding of differing perspectives and viewpoints.
Don’t simply rely on other people’s interpretations of work.
Whilst it is important to review people’s interpretations of work, when writing your essay, make sure that you have also read the primary source. This is particularly the case with a subject like Sociological Thinking where you will be expected to read the original work of the theorist you are writing about, rather than solely relying on other writers’ interpretations of that work. The latter will be important, but it should be used alongside your own understanding of the original work.
Pay attention in lectures and seminars.
Listening to and engaging with others in academic discussions can be really helpful for understanding the range of opinions, perspectives and interpretations on an issue. Be receptive to different ideas and opinions and draw on these when thinking about and writing your own work to help you develop a balanced argument.
Read widely to develop your understanding.
Students often ask me how many sources they need to read for an essay. This is a difficult question to answer because the important thing about reading is that you gain a strong understanding of a topic. It is not necessarily the reading in itself, but your level of understanding and how you present the work and provide evidence on what you have read. Having said that, the more reading you do, the more you are likely to understand the material and the more questions you are likely to ask, which may contribute to a more critical perspective.
When you read, you need to adopt an approach which helps you to analyse and evaluate the text, enabling you to become more constructive in your work.
How do I analyse and evaluate information?
1. Examine an issue or argument from all angles. Remember to avoid simply using material that supports what you think. You may have an idea about one side of the debate, but is there another? What are the different perspectives on this issue? What do different authors say? Do they all agree? If not, what do they say and why?
2. Look at the evidence upon which different arguments are based to help you assess their accuracy. What reasons underpin the claims? What evidence are they based on? How strong is the evidence? What are the flaws? How does the evidence compare with that provided by other writers or researchers? Where is the data from? What methods were used to obtain data? Are these sufficient?
3. Identify assumptions underpinning previous work. What perspectives do authors come from? Where do they work and does this have an impact on their viewpoint? Do the authors present a balanced viewpoint? Is there evidence of bias?
4. Think about the audience. Who is the intended audience of the work? Why was the work written? Who stands to gain from the work and who might be disadvantaged?
5. Look at the strengths and limitations of claims, explanations, findings and conclusions. Some of the other questions might be helpful for assessing strengths and limitations, but you might also like to ask yourself: What is the contribution to knowledge? What is the value? What is important about it? What has been overlooked? What could have been done better?
6. Assess the date of the work. When was it written? Is it recent or dated? What implications does this have? Have ideas changed since it was published?
How can I demonstrate critical thinking in my work?
Critical thinking is illustrated through the way you present your work and the type and level of discussion you provide.
In terms of presentation, you should try to maintain and present a position of objectivity when you approach a topic, by being aware of any preconceptions you have which may affect your opinion or viewpoint. You should evaluate the work as thoroughly as possible and from all sides, so you need to avoid introducing personal biases into your analysis. When it comes to writing, you can communicate your balanced viewpoint with phrases such as: ‘it has been argued that…’ or ‘it can be argued that’…’ or ‘the evidence seems to indicate that…’, ‘there is some suggestion that…’.
In terms of discussion, this is about going beyond description. When you are writing, don’t simply describe. Make sure that you always explain and evaluate the material you include too. If you include a quotation, for example, don’t let it speak for itself, explain what it means in the context of your work and what it contributes to your argument. If you present an author’s work, explain its relevance to your argument and evaluate the work (you can use the questions above to guide you here).
I need more information. Where can I look?
There are many different sources offering advice on how to critically analyse or evaluate the data that you use. They are all very good, and you can pull the ideas together to really develop your own skills of evaluation. Some useful sources include:
Cottrell, S. (2019) The Study Skills Handbook. Fifth Edition. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan.
McMillan, K and Weyers, J. (2012) The Study Skills Book. Third Edition. Harlow: Pearson.
Moore, S., Neville, C., Murphy, M. and Connolly, C. (2010) The Ultimate Study Skills Handbook. Berkshire: Open University Press.
Potter, M. (2011) Study Skills. Second Edition. Surrey: Crimson Publishing.
Walmsley, B. (2006) Teach Yourself Good Study Skills. London: Hodder Education.