THINKING SKILLS JUNAINOR HASSAN

What is Thinking Skills? Cognitive processes-enabling human forms meaning from and create with information. Habits of the mind (thinking behavior) that define attitudes and dispositions( develop) of good thinkers.  Researchers (Beyer, Marzano, Perkins, Costa, Feurerstein)  believes that student/s can be taught specific meta-cognitive strategies. Becomes more effective and efficient in processing information.  Learn to demonstrate habits of mind or thinking behaviors in daily activities. 

Costa (1985) in Philips 1999, gives meaning to thinking skill as a process by the mind as the result of receiving stimulus of the five senses. The meaning of stimulus then were seen in action. Sigel (1984) says thinking skill is a reflex action, conceptual and resolving activities. Thinking skill by Dewey (1933) in Philips (1999) is an effort of the mind to examine and weight certain information according to specific criteria. Butterworth & Thwaites (2005), thinking skill is a critical thinking and can be argumentative.

CONCLUSION OF DIFINITON A process whereby to give meaning and understanding to stimulus received; to explore any possible idea in order to make decision, to solve problem and also to make justified thinking or action, resolution or judgment towards any issues faced by human being.

Styles in Thinking Logical thinking Critical thinking Creative thinking Analytical thinking Reactive thinking Historical thinking Technical thinking Hypothetical thinking Projective thinking Proactive thinking Constructive thinking

Systematic thinking Pragmatic thinking Positive thinking Negative thinking Value thinking Emotive thinking Intuitive thinking Objective thinking Vertical thinking Convergent and Divergent thinking

Why Do We Think? i. Education & Learning System (classroom learning system) Reaction thinking. Use of critical thinking in order to solve problem. Analytical problem /cases Analyze Find solution and solve problem (Reactive based) (Information+ techniques) ‘Gunung Kinabalu’ affect. Information provided. Without information, NO analysis can be done! ‘Spoon feed’ teaching No Creative Thinking!

ii. Think because Need to Think Prone to reactive thinking. Not capable of bringing or new ideas (creative thinking) In an urgency (environmental or situational forceful condition). Faced by dilemma, out of idea, conflict and do not know the right thing to do. Traditional thinking can result poor decision making and poor performance. NO THINKING TOOLS!

iii. Love to Think! ie. Have the Intention to Think Creative thinker. To resolves matters in a different way; to make BETTER RESULTS! Elements: Choices, decisions, planning or drafting. Important in BUSINESS and COMMERCE/INDUSTRIES WHY? Efficiency & Results oriented To reduce costs ie. Financial cost, labour cost, time, material, supportive material, sources etc. IMPROVEMENT aspects!

iii. To CHALLENGE something that was NOT a PROBLEM! New IDEAS from the existing OLD ideas to develop SUITABLE ideas. Challenge in a POSITIVE ways! Criticize but accept the old ideas by not declining it. Betterment by having the pros and cons (make a table of differentiating ideas=new and improve decision making). Uniqueness from the old ideas. POSITVE RESOLUTION is the THEME!

iv. To Protest Prone to argue and declining other people’s ideas/suggestions. Concept of: PROTESTING & CHALLENGING! Objective: To RECTIFY mistakes in order to make betterment. Example: Demonstration Activists from various groups. To create awareness. To warn. An action to stop injustice system and violence.

v. To Criticize Yunani- ‘Kritikos’ meaning to be able to evaluate. Old meaning: To find fault, to have argumentative factors and reasons New meaning: To find better solutions by criticizing. Two definitions of positive criticism and negative criticism. MOST IMPORTANT in WESTERN CULTURE of THINKING! SIX reasons being laid by Edward De Bono:

To question and receive answer-critical type of thinking especially in education setting (to prove intellectuality) To ATTRACT ATTENTION by denying to open discussion. Intention to bring forward unnecessary issues. Clouding the right and wrong aspects. SELF SATISFACTION! Of envious element: ie. Jealousy and self-proud. To bring shame to others. To over-ride others to become FAMOUS! Ex: Film reviewer, commenter. To Criticize in order to BOOST oneself! To show individual ‘intellectuality’. To save the ‘WORLD’ & the SAFETY of others.

Communication skills vs Thinking skills? Communication skills-skills in verbal (vocabularies, skills in developing good and attractive sentences, good in referencing, knowledge in various concepts, good in general knowledge pertaining to interest) ‘Thinking Trap’ Why?? Ego, one way of thinking (area of interest), not explorative enough, not willing to listen to others, Thinking skills- It’s a potential…a SKILL to be DEVELOP by exploring!