The goal for business educators who want to instill critical thinking skills in
their classrooms is to think of their students not as receivers of information, but
as users of information. Learning environments that actively engage students in
the investigation of information and the application of knowledge will promote
students’ critical thinking skills. However, as with any skill, critical thinking
requires training, practice, and patience. Students may initially resist instructional
questioning techniques if they previously have been required only to remember
information and not think about what they know. They may struggle with
assessment questions that are not taken verbatim from the book. However, by
encouraging students throughout the process and modeling thinking behaviors,
students’ critical thinking skills can improve. The effort is worth the reward:
students who can critically think for themselves and solve real-world problems.