Towards Critical Thinking and Its Perception in Georgia (Tbilisi Open Teaching University Case)

Abstract

Critical thinking, as the highest expression of thought, has become a subject of major concern in recent years in the Georgian educational field. Although advanced technologies are replacing humans in many spheres of life, people still possess the skills which can never be substituted by machines. One such skill is critical thinking. Therefore, the main purpose of education is to develop and advance this ability. Within the frames of the presented study, we aimed to investigate students’ perception of their critical thinking at Tbilisi Open Teaching University. We also aimed to determine if students saw the necessity of mastering critical thinking skills and which teaching methods they considered as more effective. Up to 500 undergraduate and postgraduate students completed the survey. Findings indicate that students perceive critical thinking skills as the most significant and essential component in their education, but see different barriers while acquiring them. It is also noteworthy to note that students’ awareness of critical thinking skills and methods has considerably increased recently.