MITRE Corp. has published a new study: Critical Analytic Thinking Skills: Do They Predict Job-Related Task Performance Above and Beyond General Intelligence? Downloadable. 23 pages. Interesting. Offers good definition of critical thinking.

 

I posted it to the Home Page for you last night.

My wife is a teacher. She designed and taught a semester length (18 weeks) class on critical analytic thinking skills, as defined in the Mitre Study, to all the ninth grade class at UMS-Wright Prepatory School in Mobile,AL. She taught three classes of students per day each semester. 

Although designated as a mandatory class, the students generally liked the class in their student evaluations and felt that they learned how to improve therir thinking skills. She also asked the ninth grade teachers if they noticed a difference in student’s thinking in their subject areas during and after completing the course. Every ninth grade teacher provided positive feedback. 

Joel...that is interesting.  I taught a logic course to a group of 8th grade students back in the late 90's/early 00's.  It didn't go nearly as well.  It could have been the age of the kids, but more likely my own ineptitude.  It was focused on informal logic (or syllogisms as Vern describes it...which is more accurate) and the different fallacies that we see on a daily basis.  I have no idea if the kids were able to get anything out of it.  I did though....a decision towards grad school and a different line of work