Content Knowledge and Critical Thinking Go Hand-in-Hand

Despite what some bureaucrats in British Columbia’s education department might think, there can be no deep understanding and application of knowledge without the memory and recall of basic facts. Being well-informed about a topic is the first step in thinking critically about it. Ignorant people do not think critically—ever.

The reality is that content knowledge and critical thinking have always belonged together. Just as students should not simply memorize facts without understanding the bigger picture, teachers cannot expect students to develop critical thinking skills in the absence of specific content knowledge. Since these two things belong together, we need to stop presenting them as opposites and instead recognize them as partners. Critical thinking requires content knowledge.