Teaching Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills in Gifted Education

Karnes and Bean Chapter 9

Teaching Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills in Gifted Education

Today, gifted students in our classrooms differ from their age peers in many ways.  Most importantly, gifted students are able to perceive information at a greater capacity and show their knowledge in a more productive way.  Gifted students are able to demonstrate information in an advanced, complex manner using their higher level creative and critical thinking skills.  

Unfortunately, curriculum and teachers have steered away from incorporating analytical and critical thinking skills for gifted students in the classroom.  Many factors have led to the neglect of these important skills in gifted student education.  Generally, when teachers design units for gifted students they refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy.  Bloom’s Taxonomy has received much praise for its idea to encourage higher order thinking skills, however, the higher level skills incorporated often do not focus on a thoughtful analysis of an issue.  Many teachers believe that by following Bloom’s Taxonomy they are planning units based on higher level skills, however, they are not demonstrating lessons that encourage an in depth understanding of a skill that Bloom’s implied.  In order for students to accurately analyze and use the critical thinking process, they must first understand how to conduct a meaningful analysis and evaluation of a given topic.  Many teachers have not been taught how to lead students through the evaluation process and conduct a thorough analysis.  There are few teacher education programs and resources available to aid teachers in the critical and analytical thinking process.  

Another common misconception pertaining to Bloom’s Taxonomy is how student’s demonstrate a thoughtful analysis.  Teachers using Bloom’s Taxonomy often believe that higher order thinking skills revolve around definitions, the ability to compare/contrast, sequencing, classification, etc.  However, Bloom’s intended for a more thoughtful thinking process when distinguishing between concepts.  The Bloom model lacks clarity for teachers when incorporating higher level thinking skills into their classrooms.  For instance, students must be able to evaluate an idea based on some basic information.  Often, teachers leave out this basic information when requiring students to evaluate a work.  

Overall, Bloom’s Taxonomy does work when designing units based around analytical and critical thinking skills, however, educators lack the knowledge that the Bloom’s model is much more abstract that what is seen on paper.  Therefore, analytical and critical thinking skills have been neglected while educating our gifted youth.  Schools and counties should provide constant professional development for all teachers about Bloom’s Taxonomy and how it requires much more than the verbs the model suggest. Also, professional development should be geared around encouraging higher level thinking in all classrooms.   Personally, this chapter has been extremely beneficial.  I am currently designing units with my Professional Learning Team incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy.  However, up until now I have not considered the idea that Bloom’s does require much more abstract thinking.  I plan on taking a more in depth look at how to encourage my students to look more abstractly at an idea and the steps it takes to reach this understanding.