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Pros and Cons of Controversy

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Submitted By robyndunkle
Words 952
Pages 4
1.93% of higher education faculty believe critical thinking is an essential learning outcome.

A 2005 report by the Association of American Colleges and Universities demonstrated the need for efforts to promote critical thinking by highlighting the disparity between the 93% of higher education faculty that perceive critical thinking to be an essential learning outcome and the 6% of undergraduate seniors that actually demonstrated critical thinking proficiency.

Source: Ian J. Quitadamo and Martha J. Kurts, "Learning to Improve: Using Writing to Increase Critical Thinking Performance in General Education Biology,” CBE Life Sciences Education, Feb. 2007.

2.Critical thinking is considered the second most important life skill after interpersonal skill.

In a 1994 survey of over 11,000 college graduates, the "ability to think critically” ranked as the second most important skill out of 16 in their daily life (#1 was interpersonal skills).

Source: Cooperative Institutional Research Program, "1994 Nine Year Follow-Up Survey (of 1985 Freshmen),” Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, 1995.

3.Learning and discussing controversial issues in school helps students become more informed and more active citizens.

A 2007 survey of 5,400 secondary students found that: "Students who regularly take part in classroom discussion are more likely to:

•Vote in later life
•Support basic democratic values
•Take part in political discussions
•Follow political news in the media
•Be interested in the political process
•Have confidence in their ability to influence public policy”

Source: Keith Barton and Alan McCully, "Teaching Controversial Issues...Where Controversial Issues Really Matter," Teaching History, June 2007.

4.Learning about controversial topics in school increases students’ political participation.

Studies by Lee Ehman in 1966

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