基础教育批判性思维技能测试:目标、原则和途径

Critical Thinking Skills Tests in Basic Education:Objectives,Principles and Approaches

批判性思维是有助于创新的认知能力,也是理性社会的基石和推进器,基础教育应以培养批判性思维能力为首要目标。为此,高考和基础教育的测试需要对准批判性思维的探究和实证能力,特别是测试对探究性问题和论证的分析,以及对论证的具体、实质、辩证和发展性的把握。这样的测试必须立足于实际的思维的需要,避免抽象化、规则化、形式化等偏差。实施测试应选用真实的论证文,通过合理、合适和综合的测试手段,考查对论证文的分析理解和评估判断的六大方面的能力。这样的测试,是深刻的改革,需要和教育改革其他方面共同努力进行,以相互促进。

Critical thinking is an integral component of cognitive ability and creativity,and a basis of rational society.Nurturing of critical thinking should be made as a primary goal of basic education.Tests in education from elementary to secondary schools.including National College Entrance Examination(Gaokao),should contain a focus on the assessments of capacities of inquiry and evidence based learning,especially on the abilities to question,to analyze and evaluate questions and arguments,and to construct good arguments with clear,concrete,accurate and dialectical qualities.The tests should be authentic,reflecting the thinking skills needed in real world,rather than being abstractive,artificial,and over-standardized.Argumentative essays from various publications,for example,should be used to construct reasonable,adequate and synt hesized reading tests to assess the comprehension of the arguments in terms of analyses and evaluations.Such tests of critical thinking represent a profound reform in education,and,therefore,will need efforts of all relevant educational and social resources to implement.