Critical thinking is a learned skill that requires instruction and practice. Business
education instructors at both the secondary and post-secondary levels can enhance
students’ critical thinking skills by (1) using instructional strategies that actively engage
students in the learning process rather than relying on lecture and rote memorization,
(2) focusing instruction on the process of learning rather than solely on the content, and
(3) using assessment techniques that provide students with an intellectual challenge
rather than memory recall. Several barriers can impede critical thinking instruction. Lack
of training, limited resources, biased preconceptions, and time constraints conspire to
negate learning environments that promote critical thinking. However, actively engaging
students in project-based or collaborative activities can encourage students’ critical
thinking development if instructors model the thinking process, use effective questioning
techniques, and guide students’ critical thinking processes. The examples provided
challenge instructors to think of students as users of information rather than receivers
of information.