Critical thinking in education in TZ -- a discussion

When working to reform the educational systems nowadays we often hear the mentioning of the term critical thinking in discussions about educational reform, but it's not always clear what it means.

1. How do you define critical thinking?
2. How do you think critical thinking is conceptualized or defined in Tanzanian education policy?
3. How do you think critical thinking is conceptualized or defined in Tanzanian syllabi or curriculum today?
4. (If you are a policymaker, please answer this question) When was critical thinking incorporated into Tanzanian education policy and why?

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.[/FONT]

Gurta said:

Thanks MaxShimba,

Now lets go through our (TZ) education system (the curriculum, the syllabi, the T/L materials etc.) Where do we see the conceptualization of critical thinking? Does the education system in this country address the issue of inculcating the sense of critical thinking in its students? Do the state prepare its teachers as critical thinkers to pass the knowledge and skill to the students to be as such?

I have been a secondary school teacher for nearly good 4 years, and this, to be honest has been one of my serious concerns. i have my observations and experiences as student, teacher-trainee and teacher which I am yet to share as I want to see what others (like you) see!

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Uko sahihimkuu kwa uzoefu wangu wa nyuma kuanzia primary hadi chuo sikuona crtitical thinking inapewa nafasi. Kidogo chuoni kkuna unafuu lakini elimu zetu mwanafunzi tokea chini halelewi katika mazingira ya kumruhusu kutoa maoni yake wether yawe right au wrong.


Kwanza kuna tatizo kutokana na msingi wa elimu za chini mwanafuzi wnakuwa hata waoga kuuliza maswali. Mwalimu anaweza kufufudisha vipindi viwili bila kukutana na swali hata moja. Hizo ni dalili za kutokuwepo na critical thinking

Vile vile kuna tatizo la wanafuzi kukufundishwa kutokujiamini na kujibu maswali. In primary scool nakumbuka likiulizwa swali hata kama nilikuwa najua naogopa kunyoohs kidole na wale waliokuwa wanpenda kujibu maswali sana wanaokenaa wanajipendekeza.

Pia kuna enviroment amabyo walimu wanatengenza (kwa kujua au kutokujua) kati yao na wafunzi inakuwa unfriendly kaisi cha kufanya kuwa na barrier ya comunication kati ya mwalimu na mwanafuzi .Walimu wanajenga mazingiraya kuogopwa badalaya ya kujengamazingiraya kuheshimiwa na na kirafiki ili kurushu mijadala.

Kwa iyo kwangu zaidi ya mitaala naonani sual la style na approach ya ufundishaji na elimu kwa wafundishaji ndioyo inaweza kuwafanya wafunzi kuwa critical thinker zaidi kuanzia Kindergden

naamin critical tkinking is something wich should be cultivated toka stage za chini kabisa

Mfano mwingine tena mfano hai wa critical thinking tunaweza kuuona hata hapa Jamiiforums. Yaani kuna watu hawakubali kutokubaliana kwa hoja.

Kuna members hawezi kukupa au kutoa thanks kwa mtu aliyetofautina naye mawazo japo ana hoja ya wazi. ya ukweli. Ukienda kwenye hasa kwenye forumya siasa utaelewa. Ni wachache wanweza kutoa thanks kwa watu waliowa crash

Kwa hiyo while most or some of us may have citical thinking but most of the time we dont accept or welcome tobe criticised or challenged. Na huu ugonjwa ni sugu zaidi kwa Politician.

Ukisililiza baadhi ya hotuba za obama na viongozi wa nchi zilizoendelea unaweza kusikia ansema kuna kitu fulani hatukufanya maamuzi sahihi. Anakubali kujicriticise inapobidi i .Sasa wasikilize wanasiasa wetuthey are never wrong wich is not true.akikubali makosa basi ujue sio yeye anwanyooshe vidole wengine.

MaxShimba said:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.[/FONT]

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well said Mkuu, that is the most most most corect meaning of the term. Hizi topic za mambo ya thinking mi nazipendaga sana, zinachangamisha akili khasa. Hongera Mkuu sana kwa ufafanuzi.

Gurta said:

When working to reform the educational systems nowadays we often hear the mentioning of the term critical thinking in discussions about educational reform, but it's not always clear what it means.

1. How do you define critical thinking?
2. How do you think critical thinking is conceptualized or defined in Tanzanian education policy?
3. How do you think critical thinking is conceptualized or defined in Tanzanian syllabi or curriculum today?
4. (If you are a policymaker, please answer this question) When was critical thinking incorporated into Tanzanian education policy and why?

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What the reformer means is what Brother Shimba discused, but the problem is hoe to attain the level, watu wetu wamekuwa wanasema tu bila kujua watafikia vipi malengo yao

Thank you very much Gurta for the challenge and MaxShimba for the definition, you are all right. Me as well, have the same experience from primary and secondary schools. I experienced some slight changes at the stage of A-Level and em phased at collage level. The main solution for this is for policy makers to review education system especially in primary and secondary levels. We should move from VERTICAL TO HORIZONTAL EDUCTION SYSTEM in order to open doors for discussion from low levels instead of teachers pretending as GODMEN/rigid

Nikisoma bandiko la Mtazamaji na Galahenga napata hitimisho kwamba swali namba 2 na 3 jibu lake ni moja, kwamba critical thinking kwenye education system yetu haipo popote, si kwenye mitaala wala kwenye sera. I stand to be corrected isije ikawa ni generalization.

....[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action[/FONT]

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Kutokana na definition hii:

Je, mfumo wa elimu unautumika sasa unawezaje kuwaandaa wanafunzi kuwa kuwa na uwezo wa kutumia skills tajwa hapo juu: (conceptualizing, applying [putting into use], analyzing [breaking into parts], synthesizing [putting parts into new whole] and evaluation [judging])?

Samahani kwa maswali mengi; He who questions not, learns NOTHING!

Averos said:

well said Mkuu, that is the most most most corect meaning of the term. Hizi topic za mambo ya thinking mi nazipendaga sana, zinachangamisha akili khasa. Hongera Mkuu sana kwa ufafanuzi.

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Changamsha akili kwa kuchangia kidogo basi mkuu, karibu. What do YOU think?

GALAHENGA said:

..... The main solution for this is for policy makers to review education system especially in primary and secondary levels. We should move from VERTICAL TO HORIZONTAL EDUCTION SYSTEM in order to open doors for discussion from low levels instead of teachers pretending as GODMEN/rigid

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iI agree with your view but the main solution should not only lie in education. education is only a small part.

• Parents wana nafasi na mchango yako kukubali na kuwalea watoto wao katika mazingira mabayo watoto wanaweza kuji express
• Walimu nao hata kwa cariculum zilizopo wakibadilisha style na approaic yao kidgo kuwa sihirikishi badala too much one sided flow
• Politician wanatakiwa kuonyesha mfano kukubali kukosolwa kama wanavyokubali kusifiwa na waonyeshe hawana kinyongo
• Maboss na viongozi maofisini wasi supress advice wa subrodinate wao.
• Wafanyakazi wa kwaida tumezoea kuagizwa tu nini cha kufanya. Sometime tuna mawazo mazuri tu ya kujenga lakini hatuchukui hatua au kutoa ushauri formally

Utashangaa mtu kamaliza degree kaajiriwa na anakula mshahara hajawai kuandika hata memo moja ya advice ya area yake ya kazi kwa bosi au incharge wake. Kuandika memo sio lazima ukosoe. Tunasubiri boss asema sisi tutekeleze. Hii ni kasumba mbaya tujifunze ku initiate kitu no matter position tuliyonayo.

So tukisitiza sana kwenye elimu ni kama tuna assume sisi hatuwezi kuwa critical thinker au tuna assume sisi kizazi cha digital age na cha work force ya sasa hatuna tatizo. Si kweli we should tackle this problem from all dimensions home.. school and at our work places

Nakubaliana na wewe sana Mtazamaji, kwamba jambo hili litazamwe katika maeneo yote kuanzia nyumbani, shuleni na makazini. Mimi nikubaliane na wewe kabisa hasa katika pointi ya wazazi. Tabia na mwenendo wa mtu yeyote hujengwa na makuzi yake wakati angali mtoto na mwenye kupenda kujaribu na kujifunza mambo mbalimbali yanayomzunguka. Mara nyingi na kama si mara zote mtoto huchukuliwa kama ni mtu wa mapokeo ya wazazi tu na si kuhoji lolote na hufikia wakati mwingine hata mambo yanayohusu mstakabali wa maisha yake amekuwa hashirikishwi. Sasa unapozungumzia watunga sera unamaanisha watoto waliokuzwa katika msingi hiyo niliyoeleza hao juu. Kumbe sasa wazazi ndo chanzo pekee cha mabadiliko katika hili, tuwape nafasi watoto wetu kushiriki kikamilifu katika mambo yanayohusu familia ili watoe mchango wao na hatimaye kujengea uwezo kufanya hivyo hata katika maeneo ya elimu na makazini pia. Na hao ndo watakuwa watunga sera wa baadae na hatimaye kizazi kizima kubalika. THEREFORE, CRITICAL THINKING IS NOT ONLY TECHNICAL BUT ALSO BEHAVIORAL CHANGE.