I have found that many students who write essays think that “agreeing with a few points, and then refuting a few points” and having positive vs negative is critical thinking.
-This is not true.
No, it is still descriptive rather than critical.
Simply stating findings and analyses without evaluating or critiquing them.
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Note: “Critical” is not “mindless hacking”, it is “thinking and arguing”. Critical thinking means evaluating and reasoning with information. In an essay, the elements of critical thinking can be expressed in the following ways:
Evaluating the validity of experiments, data, and evidence.
Discussing the generalisability of conclusions and possible limitations thereof
Analysing and comparing multiple viewpoints and providing your own evaluation and perspective on each one
Explain your argument and use supporting material to back up your conclusions
Explore future research directions in the field and present your own ideas
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For example, suppose you are writing an essay on environmental protection, here are some examples of expressing CRITICAL THINKING:
Evaluate the effectiveness of pollutant emission limits and make recommendations for improvement
Explore the similarities and differences between environmental protection policies in different countries and analyse the reasons for them
analyse the cost-effectiveness of environmental protection actions and discuss sustainability options
compare and evaluate ideas related to environmental issues and provide their own insights
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In conclusion, when writing an essay, be careful to include the element of CRITICAL THINKING, evaluate and analyse information through critical thinking, and ultimately develop a persuasive and in-depth essay. Such an essay will not only arouse the professor’s interest, but also increase the credibility and academic value of the essay.
