Scientific thinking and critical thinking: transversal competences for learning

Abstract

Scientific thinking arises in science education mainly from the contributions of the science-technology- society-environment approach to science education, which aims to promote epistemic knowledge about scientific practice. On the other hand, critical thinking arises within the framework of philosophy, but cognitive psychology contributes to its main development in recent decades. In previous works, both concepts have been developed and specified along two taxonomies that help to categorize and clarify them; scientific thinking develops along a decalogue of aspects and skills, and critical thinking develops four dimensions: creativity, reasoning, complex processes (problem solving and decision-making) and evaluation. This communication elaborates both concepts, from the careful comparison of their specific contents, to demonstrate their deep similarity and the mutual relationships that connect them, despite they had been generated in different research traditions and expressing themselves with different technical formalisms and languages. As a consequence of the similarity, the understanding of both concepts and their development as transversal learning competencies are deepened and clarified, in order to improve their implementation in research and in general and science education by teachers. As a conclusion of the mutual similarity and the transversal nature of both concepts, it is claimed that critical thinking contributes to improve scientific education and vice versa, the development of scientific thinking also contributes to critical thinking skills, and both improve learning from a competency perspective.