Paulian Approach to Critical Thinking: Assessing an Intervention Program

In the 21st century, the market demands individuals who are creative, innovative, technologically advanced, and adaptive to the processes existing in the institutions they function in. Critical Thinking (CT) plays an important role in improving an individual’s higher-order cognitive capacities, logical decision-making, and self-realisation. The present study investigated the effect of systematised CT procedures on the development of CT abilities and the learning ecosystem of student teachers. The participants for the study were the teacher trainees who enrolled in the Bachelor of Education programme offered by one of the private universities in Gujarat, India. To improve the external validity of the procedures and explore the practical consequences of the ‘Critical Thinking Intervention Program’ (CTIP), validated assessment tools like the Analysis of Article Test and Situation-Based Test were used. The data were collected using multiple case studies, focus group discussions, and descriptive feedback. A mixed-methods research design was used for data collection and analysis. The qualitative data was analysed in four phases: de-contextualization, re-contextualization, condensation, theme creation, and compilation. The study found that the critical thinking intervention programme improved the academic performance of the student teachers. Likewise, it improved reasoning skills, organisation of thoughts, and thought connectivity, supported achieving better work-life balance, developed reflective abilities, developed depth in academic work, and developed metacognitive Skills.