Teaching Critical Thinking in Higher Education

By Dr. Kathleen Tate  |  06/08/2026

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Students who enter undergraduate and graduate programs of different academic disciplines should be equipped with critical thinking skills that will help them navigate their courses. However, that is not the case and students’ critical thinking skills typically need more development. When preparing future professionals and contributors to society, professors should attend to teaching critical thinking and structure opportunities to apply it in authentic ways using a variety of strategies and tools.

What Is Critical Thinking in Higher Education?

There are different ways to define critical thinking, and many experts and organizations have offered their own definitions of critical thinking over the course of several decades.

First, UK scholars Tom Burns and Sandra Sinfield observed that critical thinking is the “art of making clear, reasoned judgements based on interpreting, understanding, applying, and synthesizing evidence gathered from observation, reading and experimentation.”

Second, the international group Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cautioned that it is challenging to create a good definition of critical thinking and that there are a plethora of definitions for it. They offer a simpler definition, saying that critical thinking is “questioning and evaluating ideas and solutions.”

Third, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) includes critical thinking as one of its eight career readiness competencies:  

• Career and self-development
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Equity and inclusion
• Leadership
• Professionalism
• Teamwork
• Technology

NACE defines critical thinking as identifying and responding “to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.” Their sample behaviors of critical thinking include:

• Making decisions and solving problems using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment
• Gathering and analyzing information from a diverse set of sources and individuals to fully understand a problem
• Proactively anticipating needs and prioritizing action steps
• Accurately summarizing and interpreting data with an awareness of personal biases that may impact outcomes
• Effectively communicating actions and rationales, recognizing the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of stakeholders
• Managing multiple tasks well in a fast-paced environment

Why Is Critical Thinking Important in Higher Education?

Employers clearly expect employees to:

• Be critical thinkers
• Make difficult decisions
• Navigate various viewpoints
• Handle multiple tasks well

Consequently, higher education courses need to provide learners with knowledge and a foundation in their areas of study. In addition, students from different academic disciplines should have opportunities to evaluate and apply the concepts and skills they learn in real world scenarios. This type of work may involve viewing problems and identifying solutions through a historical, current, and/or future frame.

Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Higher Education across Disciplines

There are many approaches that may be infused into educators’ course discussions, activities, and assignments to help learners develop critical thinking. However, measuring the application of critical thinking skills needs to be specific and based on established indicators.

For example, professors must introduce students to explicit definitions, aspects, and expectations in the online or in-person classroom. In terms of academic and career relevancy, it should be clear what they are learning, how to apply it, and why they should apply it.

Also, teaching students the right techniques and modeling examples matters. Creating a risk-free environment for debating, exploring, and critiquing ideas where students have no fear of using their critical thinking skills is important. Teaching students to talk through different perspectives on how to solve subject area issues in engaging ways better prepares them for future career trajectories in their lives.

Examples of different academic disciplines where instructors could teach critical thinking skills include:

• Business – When studying business, students could utilize case studies to examine real-life business scenarios and improve their understanding of business problems. Analyzing real problems helps students learn about different perspectives and approaches to complex problems, collaborate with others, reflect introspectively, and think fast to provide solutions that make sense.
• Education – Teacher education students may complete a final student teaching project that requires them to analyze classroom data related to either classroom behaviors or academics. They could also pinpoint an issue that emerges from that analysis along with potential solutions. After implementing an intervention-type of method, they could then reflect upon its effectiveness.
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – For educators, there are many methods to cultivate critical thinking among STEM students, especially in the sciences. Experiments in labs, virtual labs, and the field require students to use various tools, follow safety rules, and construct arguments for hypotheses and findings. To be more motivating and effective, experiments should allow for some choice as well as a strong connection to interests and career goals.

General critical thinking activities and assessments for students may include:

• Completing research or action research projects
• Acting in skits and role-playing activities
• Participating in debates
• Creating poems, cartoons, videos, collages, songs, jingles, interactive posters, or blogs

The Link Between Creativity and Critical Thinking in Higher Education

Researchers Ji Hoon Park, Yitian Li, and Weihua Niu reported that over time, experts view creativity and critical thinking as either separate or overlapping constructs or view creativity as falling within critical thinking. Although there are differing perspectives on the relationship between creativity and critical thinking skills, many experts agree and include the ability to think convergently and divergently when defining creativity.

Mark Anthony Panciera of The Pacific Institute® stated that “nearly 90% of hiring companies want creative thinking skills, yet many [organizations] say recent graduates lack them.” He also noted that:

• Creative thinking, creativity and problem solving, and analytical skills are keys to organizational success.
• The qualities of a critical thinker help employees innovate, adapt, and improve results.

Alenoush Saroyan, writing for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), added that creativity – or creating something – is at the highest level of Benjamin Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy educational framework.

Recommendations for Teaching Critical Thinking in Higher Education

If they are not doing so already, there are many areas for higher education institutions to work on to help students access their critical thinking and higher order thinking domains.

First, universities should work to clearly define critical thinking and follow indicators for it, using NACE standards or similar standards. For their students, educators can also create their own definitions of critical thinking based on research.

Second, a college’s administration should support its faculty in teaching and assessing critical thinking skills in courses across different academic programs. Educators Ou Lydia Liu, Lois Frankel, and Katrina Crotts Roohr offer some ideas for assessing critical thinking in higher education. Additional training and resources may be needed for faculty members.

Third, as class content and assessments are revised, pertinent student outcome data should be collected and analyzed. There should be an opportunity to connect students' critical thinking skills, instruction, and assessment to artificial intelligence (AI) skills and learning. Data about student success with critical thinking as well as their ability to use critical thinking and AI should be useful.

Fourth, a critical thinking community should be developed to help its members think more critically. It could involve:

• Educational leaders
• Faculty members
• Students
• Field experts
• Practitioners from the community

Seeking ongoing input from employers should be a priority. This step may include a critical thinking or creativity club, organization, task force, or partnership council.

Finally, educators and leaders should join creativity or critical thinking special interest groups in national and international professional organizations, so that they can network and keep up with the latest research and evidence-based practices. Faculty members might partner with students in studies and presentations to help apply and expand their abilities beyond the classroom setting.

The Master of Education in Online Teaching at APU

For adult learners seeking to improve their teaching knowledge and skills, American Public University (APU) offers an online Master of Education in Online Teaching. In this degree program, sample courses include different perspectives on teaching and communicating, maximizing student achievement through effective assessment, and classroom management for the 21st century.

For this master’s degree, students can choose from one of eight concentrations. One concentration that might be of special interest includes the online learning concentration, which offers courses such as online learning for the adult and the K-16 learner and instructional design in online learning.

For more information about this degree, visit APU’s education degree program page.

Note: This program has specific admission requirements.

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