Abstract
Stephen Brookfield has written extensively about the use of critical thinking and critical reflection in the adult learning process throughout his distinguished career. His latest effort Teaching for Critical Thinking provides an engaging and useful guide to teaching critical thinking in adult and higher education settings. Written for educators from all disciplines and academic backgrounds, this book offers a clear theoretical foundation and a plethora of practical teaching strategies. This book is also clear and comprehensive, as Brookfield writes in a collegial tone and practices what he preaches by using self-critical analysis throughout the book. Based on his extensive teaching experience and scholarship, this is a must read for both new and veteran adult educators looking to introduce or expand their teaching of critical thinking.
In the first three chapters, Brookfield masterfully lays his theoretical foundation, orienting readers to his four-step critical thinking process which includes the (1) hunting and (2) checking of assumptions, followed by (3) examining of alternative viewpoints and (4) the taking of informed action. He also reviews his typology of assumptions and presents a comprehensive summary of the five major traditions of critical thinking. Added to this foundation are five themes resulting from his work with the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). The CIQ is one of Brookfield’s most widely known critical thinking activities and is a five-item evaluation instrument that elicits anonymous student feedback. These findings suggest that critical thinking is a social process that needs to be modeled by teachers and is developed over time, requiring repeated opportunities to practice this skill.
Brookfield deftly turns from the theoretical to the practical with his description of general critical thinking activities in Chapters 4 and 5, ranging from beginning to advanced levels of difficulty. In Chapter 6, he describes additional activities designed to help students become critical readers and writers. He introduces these activities with the assertion that while college students are expected to be able to conduct a literature review or write a thesis or dissertation, they are given limited guidance as to how to develop the requisite critical thinking skills. He presents activities that promote critical thinking in class discussions in Chapter 8. Chalk Talk is one prediscussion activity that seems particularly intriguing and beneficial to students whose native language is not English. It involves a time of silent reflection during which students write their comments on the board prior to a class discussion, allowing students time to gather their thoughts and compose reflective comments.
Brookfield wraps up this “conversation” by sharing the challenges, risks, and misunderstandings he has experienced when implementing his critical thinking framework. He then relates these issues back to the theoretical foundation presented in the initial chapters and finishes with an admission of the assumptions he holds about teaching critical thinking. He states, “I know that no matter what the context, being able to think critically is crucial to your survival and to helping you make choices that are in your best interests” (p. 259). These words serve as Brookfield’s powerful rationale for overcoming the challenges of implementing his critical thinking framework into adult and higher education learning environments.
Brookfield asserts that critical thinkers seek and evaluate relevant assumptions of a situation. Are there assumptions held by the author that affect the quality of this book? The first is an assumption that the reader accepts the importance and utility of teaching critical thinking skills. Brookfield does not engage in any persuasion; he assumes that the reader is ready to integrate critical thinking into the curriculum. Additionally, Brookfield is a leading critical theorist and reaffirms this stance in the book. However, he may have underestimated the strength of this perspective on his framework. Despite the clarity of Brookfield’s writing, this could present a challenge for readers unfamiliar or unaligned with critical theory. In summary, Brookfield also asserts that the final step of the critical thinking process is to take informed action. This work provides an excellent resource for educators desiring to do just that. The combination of the theoretical and practical presented in a thoroughly engaging style marks this as an invaluable resource for educators in adult and higher education settings.