Abstract:
Thinking is the highest mental
activity present in human. All human
achievements and progress are simply
the products of thought. The evolution
of culture, art, literature, science and
technology are all the results of thinking.
Thought and action are inseparable. All
our deliberate action starts from our
deliberate thinking. Thus, thinking
is a tool for adapting ourselves to the
physical and social environment in
which we are in.
The forms of ‘thinking’ that
schools have traditionally valued
and taught have been confined to
logic, analysis and argument; and the
teaching of those equally important
but missing, components of thinking
such as the creative, the lateral, the
reflective and the generative, have all
but been neglected (de Bono, 2000:
McGrath, 1998). It is clear that the
new educational paradigm demands
‘thinking, independent learners’ and
in order to create this profile among
the students, educators themselves are
being invited to consider appropriate
strategies to facilitate the expected
outcomes. Gagne also supported the
argument that “The central point of
education is to teach people to think,
to use their rational powers, to become
better problem solvers” (Gagne, 1985).
Creating a classroom with a strong
thinking culture encourages students
to develop good thinking dispositions,
skills, and habits of mind.