The Importance of Critical Thinking in Science

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Critical thinking is a very important concept in regards to science, especially since science and the concepts therein have been fluctuating from the time of their origins. As stated in Kirst-Ashman’s book; Critical thinking is the careful scrutiny of what is stated as true or what appears to be true and the resulting expression of an opinion or conclusion based on that scrutiny, and (2) the creative formulation of an opinion or conclusion when presented with a question, problem or issue, (Kist-Ashman, 2011, p. 33). Critical thinking allows for individual assessments of topics and can be applied to any question posed in any situation. It allows for individuals to think for themselves and evaluate situations on their own to determine the final outcome. In behavioral science and in respect to social work, critical thinking is imperative in order for case workers to make the best decision in any given situation dealing with human interactions and human behavior. This is witnessed in Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and can be further applied in Person-In-Environment (PIE) theory. Evidence Based Practice (EBP) builds from critical thinking as it is a concept that utilizes the best available ideas with experience. Raines (2004, p. 71-85) and the University of Minnesota (cited in http://hsl.lib.umn.edu/learn/ebp/mod01/index.html) further states EBP can be broken down into five steps; 1. Formulate an answerable question (what questions need to be addressed?) 2. Identify what resources are already available to answer the question (where can the answer to these questions already be found, what research has already been done?) 3. Critically review the evidence to assess its validity (is the information established correct, does it ha... ... middle of paper ... ...6. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 16185299). Spokane, A.R., Meir, E.I., Catalano, M.(2001). Person-Environment Congruence and Holland’s Theory: A Review and Reconsideration. Journal of Vocational Behavior 57, 137-187. Retrieved on October 1, 2011 from http://www.gigusa.org/resources/eg/33.pdf Weiss-Gal, I.. (2008). The Person-in-Environment Approach: Professional Ideology and Practice of Social Workers in Israel. Social Work, 53(1), 65-75. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1461476451). eLearning Portal, (2011) Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http://www.elearnportal.com/courses/social-work/social-work-and-aging/social-work-and-aging-person-enviroment-perspective University of Minnesota (2011).Evidence-Based Practice. Retrieved October 1, 2011 from http://hsl.lib.umn.edu/learn/ebp/mod01/index.html

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