Teaching Economic Values Developing Critical Thinking and Developing Critical Thinking

Rationale Value Education as a new focus in the curriculum which address to the basic question of Economics: What ought to be?

Rationale "The economics curriculum in secondary education has a strong tradition in positive economics, which emphasizes its objective and scientific nature. The proposed curriculum also encourages students to formulate and explore normative questions. As a study that places prominence on the making of choices, economics has much to contribute to the enquiry of issues that involve values and preferences. When students investigate controversial issues, they will learn to draw conclusions based on logical analysis, and at the same time be made aware of the value judgments underlying the choices they make. Such analytical power and awareness are essential to making reasoned choices, as well as to develop intellectual capacity in general." (Proposed Subject Framework of Economics in the New Senior Secondary Curriculum)

Rationale 3. Value Education as a broadening of learning experience

Justice: Economic Justice is a Basic value to teach Economics at school level Equality: By filling the Socio- economic gap between different classes Fraternity: Respect of individual’s dignity Liberty: Economic Liberty

Human Values: Ethical Human Being: Power of Reasoning: Power of Analysis Cognitive Development Competence in problem Solving skill in enquiry and decision making National Value/ Social values: Democratic Citizenship: Provide Training of cooperation: Development of national attitude: Development of habit of adjustability and flexibility: Development of skill in responsible group participation: International Values: Development of International understanding: Values of International Brotherhood International Cooperation: Business and Economic Values: Moral Values Based Economics Activities: Value Based Entrepreneurship Professional Ethics: Business Ethics: Consumer Ethics:

Human Values: Ethical Human Being: Power of Reasoning/ Rational Thinking: Power of Analysis Cognitive Development Competence in problem Solving skill in enquiry and decision making National Value/ Social values: Democratic Citizenship: Provide Training of cooperation: Development of national attitude: Development of habit of adjustability and flexibility: Development of skill in responsible group participation:

CRITICAL THINKING

What is Critical Thinking Socrates was a Philosopher, born c. 470 BCE…c.399 BCE, in Athens Greece…The Socratic tradition in which probing questions were used to determine whether claims to knowledge based on authority could be rationally justified with clarity and logical consistency… Critical thinking is reflective reasoning about beliefs and actions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is always true, sometimes true, partly true, or false. Critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic method of Ancient Greece.

What is Critical Thinking Socratic method is defined as "a prolonged series of questions and answers which refutes a moral assertion by leading an opponent to draw a conclusion that contradicts his own viewpoint.”

Critical thinking involves “identifying and challenging assumptions and exploring alternative ways of thinking and acting” (Brookfield 1987 71).

Sumner's Definition of Critical Thinking “Critical thinking is the examination and test of propositions of any kind which are offered for acceptance, in order to find out whether they correspond to reality or not. The critical faculty is a product of education and training. It is a mental habit and power. It is a prime condition of human welfare that men and women should be trained in it. It is our only guarantee against delusion, deception, superstition, and misapprehension of ourselves and our earthly circumstances.”

Critically thinking students should be able to separate fact from opinion; to step into alternative positions, to understand their underlying premises, and evaluate each with informed and reasoned justification. Critical thinking is generally stimulated by the posing of a problem or the asking of a question, neither of which would have a single right answer.

Qualities for Critical Thinking Claims Arguments Evaluating Repairing Reasoning with Special Kinds of Claims Compounding Counter Argumented General Normative

Reasoning about Experience Process of Critical Thinking 1. Question the source. : 2. Question the assumptions. 3. Question how the variables are defined.  4. Question the validity of the statement.  5. Question the statistics. Reasoning about Experience Cause and Effect