The Importance of Including Skepticism and Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Whether it is a fear of causing offense or simply oversight, skepticism is rarely introduced in the classroom, and by association, critical thinking isn't fully implemented. However, this is a dangerous environment for education, as it doesn't bother debunking obvious pseudoscience and quackery. If we want our students to become fully functional and critically thinking adults, we need to teach them skeptical inquiry and the value of questioning all they learn and know. Methods such as the CRITIC system help teach students how to understand the bias in and reliability of different claims.

I spoke with Dr. Alan Peel, who lectures at University of Maryland as part of the Astronomy Department. He also is a co-director of the College Park Scholars program: Science, Discovery & the Universe. Specific to my interests, he teaches the Science and Pseudoscience class as part of the scholars program. This class focuses on the difference between actual science and "pseudoscience": beliefs or practices that are mistakenly thought to have a basis in the scientific method. This class was helpful in establishing criteria for what is science and what isn't. I believe classes like this should be mandatory as they help students develop an understanding of skepticism and critique. Being skeptical develops critical thinking as one has to be able to understand bias, inaccurate results, and the burden of proof, as well as many other concepts. The ability to think critically is key in becoming a successful adult. Recognizing your own bias and questioning claims instead of just taking them as truth from an authority is important in rational decision making and analyzing data.

One might believe that maintaining a skeptical outlook is only important for those who are interested in science. This is happily untrue. Any person would do well to question the validity of scientific claims, if only to not be duped out of their money by such malarky as healing crystals or magnetic power bracelets. Being skeptical allows one to focus on finding the truth in all aspects of life and not fall victim to argument from authority. Critical thinking and skepticism are both traits that we should be instilling into students so that they can be as well informed as possible, as well as open minded to ideas they might initially be biased against.