| Critical thinking skills are often not being taught or used in classrooms. Instead, more testing has become the norm, leaving students less equipped to discern information and become well-informed, conscientious citizens. Based on research concerning the importance of critical thinking skills and professional development for teachers, this study assessed the effectiveness of current professional development offered for critical thinking in a suburban school district in the southeastern United States. Seven high school teachers were purposefully selected for participation in the study. Individual interviews were then conducted where teachers were asked 6 questions concerning the effectiveness of the critical thinking professional development they were receiving—specifically, whether it prepared them to teach critical thinking skills and how it could be improved. Interview data were evaluated and coded, and member checks were used to help increase trustworthiness of the findings. Themes suggested that the teachers were ill prepared to teach critical thinking skills after participating in the professional development; even after going through the professional development, several teachers did not have an operating definition of critical thinking. The results from this study can be used to improve the professional development programs being offered so teachers will be better prepared to incorporate critical thinking skills in their classroom activities and teach students to apply these skills. To move forward, society needs critical thinkers. If teachers have the tools to teach students how to be critical thinkers, then society benefits and continues to evolve and progress in a positive direction. |
