Critical thinking is at risk: Background information

The Foundation for Critical Thinking (TFCT) made the following observations:

• Many people believe that critical thinking should be free and that scholars qualified to teach critical thinking should do so for free. Accordingly, they do not think they should have to pay for critical thinking textbooks, courses or other resources when there is “so much free material online” – despite how erroneous that material may be.
• There are many misguided academicians and some outright charlatans, pushing forth and capitalising on a pseudo – partial or otherwise impoverished concept of critical thinking.
• Most people, including faculty, think they already know what critical thinking is, despite how few have studied it to any significant degree, and despite how few can articulate a coherent, accurate, and sufficiently deep explanation of it.
• People rarely exhibit the necessary level of discipline to study and use critical thinking for reaching higher levels of self-actualisation. In part, this is due to wasting intellectual and emotional energy on fruitless electronic entertainment designed to be addictive and profitable rather than educational and uplifting.
• On the whole, fair-minded critical thinking is neither understood, fostered nor valued in educational institutions or societies.
• People are increasingly able to cluster themselves with others of like-mind through alluring internet platforms that enable them to validate one another’s thinking – even when their reasoning is nonsensical, lopsided, prejudiced or even dangerous.
• Critical thinking does not yet hold an independent place in academia. Instead, “critical thinking” is continually being “defined” and redefined according to any academic area or instructor that, claiming (frequently unsupported) expertise, steps forward to teach it.

The 21st  century is a century dominated by the WorldWide Web. It is also a century frequently referred to as the century of the environment, knowledge and communication. However, the century requires people who can easily and comfortably engage in critical thinking, critical reading, critical analysis, critical reasoning, critical writing, critical review and critical synthesis and future-ready professionals who are ready for a more challenging future.

It is against this truism that the Centre for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis (CCTAA) was innovated by the three scholars – F.C Oweyegha-Afunaduula, Balunywa Mahiri and Hyuha Mukwanason.

The origins of CCTAA

CCTAA is an offspring and brainchild of the Career Skills, Governance and Management Consults (CSGMC) – a consultancy firm based in Kampala, Uganda, with great focus knowledge exchange through the new knowledge production strategies, cultures or systems of interdisciplinarity, crossdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity and extradisciplinarity (i.e. nondisciplinarity). These open avenues for alternative analysis, thinking and reasoning in ways different those exhibited under disciplinarity and multidisciplinarity, which does not challenge disciplinarity.

The CCTAA was established in June 2018 at the headquarters of the CSGMC in Seeta, Mukono. At the CSGMC, critical thinking, alternative analyses, critical writing, critical reading, critical syntheses and critical reviews have been going on in the areas of knowledge exchange, inclusive development, general governance, water governance, environmental sustainability, political economy and university and other tertiary education institutions management.

Achievements of CCTAA

At the end 2017 the staff of the CSGMC delivered a critical paper on Transboundary Water Governance for Inclusive Development and Environmental Sustainability in the Nile Basin at the first Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) Summit. The summit, organised by the NBD, was held Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda on November 29-30, 2017. One of us (F.C. Oweyegha-Afunaduula) was the keynote speaker on the subtheme “Knowledge Exchange and Water Governance” of the keynote title Governing Water Resources for Inclusive Development in the Nile Basin.

Three critical books have been written since the innovation of CCTAA:

• The Challenges of Contemporary University Management in Uganda under the title When Individual and Institutional Interests Clash: A Treatise on Dilemmas at the Islamic University in Uganda (2004-2018) by Balunywa Mahiri
• Writings, Thoughts and Meditations of Oweyegha-Afunaduula: A Comprehensive Exploration of a Ugandan Mind by Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2024) Panama Books (Publisher). IN PRESS.
• History of Political Leadership of Uganda: a Treatise on Political History and Leadership of Uganda from 1894 to the Present by Oweyegha-Afunaduula (2024). Penguin (Publisher) – in press

Numerous critical articles have also been written and published in Uganda and Kenya in print and on digital media.

CCTAA is not-for-profit idea

The CCTAA is a not-for-profit body corporate. It was founded to serve as the crusader and implementer of new knowledge production and exchange in in Uganda, the Nile Basin, East Africa, Great Lakes Region and Africa. It serves as an alternative academic and research institution and a centre for critical intellectual and ideological excellence. 

The objectives of CCTAA

• To offer critical thought of existing alternative views in the social, economic, political, health, environmental and other areas that the centre may determine from time to time.
• To create a cadre of young people in the academia who can engage in critical thinking, critical reading and critical analysis and writing.
• To construct and evaluate arguments, identify relevant ideas and systematically solve problems.
• To recognise problems and find workable means for meeting those problems.
• To cultivate a culture of sharing experiences on matters of national, regional and international importance.
• To foster intellectual and academic debates with the strategic purpose of contributing to knowledge production, storage and dissemination.
• To enable critical thinkers to understand the importance of privatisation and order of precedence in problem-solving.
• To comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity and discernment.
• To interpret data carefully and systematically so as to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments
• To recognise the existence or nonexistence of logical relationships between propositions.
• To draw warranted conclusions and generalisations
• To put to test the conclusions and generalisations made
• To reconstruct patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider knowledge and experience
• To render accurate judgements about specific things and qualities in everyday life.
• To offer consultancy services to key actors (government, research consortiums, NGOs, CSOs, et cetera) in the field of policy advocacy, peace human rights and any other area that may be determined by CCTAA
• To popularise alternative knowledge production and exchange systems.
• To share research experiences and findings among the academic and non-academic stake holders
• To foster debate and conversations and provide platforms on contemporary issues of development, gender, leadership, governance, management and knowledge exchange
•  To train in critical thinking, problem-solving and capacity building, institutional development and related areas
• To disseminate and publish occasional papers, books, research findings, and any other serialized critical thought sand meditations
• To popularise the Japanese Zena Approach of Big Mind and Small Mind
• To produce a new cadre of future-ready professionals who think, practice and innovate outside the box

CCTAA mission

Inspired by immense and fruitful experiences of its founders and associates, the CCTAA is:

“To provide outstanding learning, research, knowledge storage, and engagement programmes that serve the economic, social, environmental and cultural needs of the citizens of Uganda, Eastern Africa, Great Lakes Region, Nile Basin, Africa and the world at large guided by critical thinking.”

The Center recognises and embraces the critical importance of diversity in preparing academicians  intellectuals for global citizenship; hence, the Center is committed to a culture of excellence, inclusion, accessibility, transparency, knowledge sharing, objective criticism and academic freedom and gender balance – as can be seen from its objectives, scope, principles and core values.

CCTAA mission

Apart from bridging the current gap in the broad and compost area of critical thinking, research, analysis and intellectual discourse in East Africa and beyond, the CCTAA’s vision is to nurture and offer the best-prepared, confident and analytical leaders in academics, policy formulation and implementation and other aspects of public life for the national and global communities.

By emphasising critical thinking and alternative analysis, the centre is to be a nexus for critical thinking, creativity, alternative analysis, debate, critiques and writing that focus on the critical issues of the time; and to serve as a catalyst for the betterment of society. 

Scope of CCTAA

By its very nature, CCTAA is interdisciplinary, crossdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and extradisciplinary (non-disciplinary). It seeks effective communication and interaction between diverse knowledge communities in a knowledge society.

 The Center, therefore, welcomes critical thinkers from across the curriculum or discipline categories and groups – from the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities – as long as they have a penchant for criticism and critique on any issue of public interest.

In this regard the Centre invites decision and policy-makers, teachers, playwriters, artists, novelists, poets and motivation speakers and others, concerned with questions of advancement of critical thinking, alternative and related critical analysis. The Centre seeks to change the mindset for knowledge construction and reframing in the 21^st century.

To this end the Center is committed to developing, promoting, illuminating and nurturing the core critical thinking skills that all critical thinkers and by extension, critical readers, critical writers, critical reviewers, critical synthesisers and critical analysts must have.

These skills are: observation, interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, metacognition, curiosity, skepticism, humility and enthusiasm. This is because a critical thinker needs to have reached a level of maturity in development and is expected to possess a certain attitude via these skills. He/she must be creative, innovative, analytical, effective in communication, open-minded and able to solve problems.

Principles of critical thinking

Here elements of positivism and post-positivism are applied, and the scientific method with regard to analysis and knowledge presentation and dissemination will act as the principal guiding ideology. Hence, the principles of critical thinking will include, inter alia

• Gather complete information
• Understand and define all terms
• Question the methods by which the facts are derived
• Question the conclusions
• Don’t expect all of the answers
• Question the source of facts
• Examine the big picture
• Look for the hidden assumptions and biases
• Examine multiple causes and effects
• Watch for thought stoppers
• Understand and evaluate one’s own biases and values
• Consider alternative analyses and possibilities

Principles of CCTAA

CCTAA’s basic principles as an organisation include the following:

• Knowledge is acquired through scientific research, including thinking, reasoning and questioning existing knowledge (orthodoxies)
• Belief is not knowledge but opinions acted upon as if they were facts
• Critical thinking is an active, dynamic process based on applying analysis, the synthesis of data and ability to assess thoughts, ideas and information
• It is only from learning how to think that one can learn what to think through or about
• Learning how to think does not involve text, note or script memorisation
• To become an educated person of the 21^st century, one needs to learn how to gather, analyse, synthesise, assess and apply data for oneself
• Critical thinking is a search for meaning in what another author or speaker says, implies or insinuates, thereby making sense of it or separating sense from nonsense
• One’s attitude towards learning is all-important in being a critical thinker
• One is not necessarily born with the skill of critical thinking but must learn it by doing or by interchange/exchange of knowledge, information, thoughts, and ideas with others assessing the same thing

Values of CCTAA

In all of its activities, the CCTAA isguided by the following values:

• Excellence in all of its endeavours
• Integrity, accountability, and responsibility in the process of providing services to participants, staff, clients and the wider community
• Nurturing and sustenance of an innovation and result-oriented culture amongst participants, staff members, researchers and other thinkers
• Promotion and embracing of teamwork as a core principle of the Center
• Transparency or openness and consistency in all activities
• A unique identity, image and niche in all its academic endeavours
• Pursuit of academic freedom as far as possible
• Inclusiveness of diverse cultures and identities, including gender, religion and race.
• Collaboration between disciplines and programmes and with community partners and stakeholders
• Value for money in all its operations 
• Generation of critical thinking and alternative analyses of issues at hand as core functions of the Centre with highest priority
• Production of Future-ready Professionals

Core values of CCTAA

In all of its activities, the CCTAA is to be guided by the following core values:

• Open-mindedness, creativity, confidence, problem-solving attitude and stance as well as effective communication
• Integrity, accountability inquisitiveness, and responsibility in the process of providing services to staff, clients, and the wider community
• Nurturing and sustenance of an innovation and result-oriented culture amongst participants and stakeholders
• Integrative teamwork as a core principle of the Centre
• Transparency, openness and consistency in all activities
• Inclusiveness of diverse cultures and identities, including gender, religion and race.
• Collaboration between disciplines and programmes and with community partners and stakeholders

Organisation and governance of CCTAA

• Board of Trustees: the policy-making body
• Board of Directors; appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Centre members of the organisation
• Programme Committee; composed of leading African researchers and policy makers plus international resource persons
• Committees of the Board. These will include standing committees and any ad hoc committees that the Board of trustees may set up
• The Secretariat, based in Kampala, is to manage the programme and provide technical support to researchers, thinkers, other analysts and participating institutions. A CEO appointed by the Board of Trustees will head the secretariat

This organisational structure can be modified by the Board without prior notice.

With the approval of the board of trustees, the board of directors may set up committees to facilitate its activities

CCTAA’s training programme on critical thinking, critical analysis and problem-solving for public service leaders

Critical thinking has been defined as “thinking in which you do not simply accept all arguments and conclusions presented to you but question such arguments and conclusions”. Traditionally, it has been seen as “thinking in which conceptionalising, applying, analysing, synthesising or evaluating information is carried out to reach a conclusion or solution. Critical thinkers write and analyse critically.

To do critical writing (i.e. making reasoned conclusions in writing using many sources to support your ideas or avoid unsubstantiated statements), one needs training in critical thinking. To do critical alternative analysis (i.e. apply alternative analysis models and techniques to information) one needs training in diverse analysis tools and skills.

In practical terms critical thinking is “the ability to think clearly and rationally using available information to solve problems in teams and organisations”. It allows us to think outside the box, see consequences, construct, deconstruct and evaluate arguments, identify relevant ideas and systematically solve problems.

CCTAA conducts a Training Programme on Critical Thinking, Critical Alternative Analysis and Problem-Solving for Public Service Leaders.

This is a five-day intensive training programme. Globally there are similar training programmes such as GROMACS training, PMC training, ERC training and many others. However, no such training exists in East Africa, the Nile Basin, and the Great Lakes Region. If there is it is not known to us. CCTAA wants to be the first to train public service leaders and potential leaders on critical thinking, critical alternative analysis and problem-solving for effective decision-making.

We believe that mastering critical thinking and critical alternative analysis to impart alternative problem-solving skills, can help leaders at all levels of society to make better and effective decisions or recommendations – essential competency in today’s knowledge workplaces. Every knowledge worker should be a critical thinker and critical analyst.

Critical thinking and critical analysis help those who can engage in the two human enterprises to deal with change quickly and effectively.

Once those who undergo the training go back to their teams or organisations, they are able to critically analyse problems, issues and challenges systematically from diverse knowledge or information sources. They are able to examine and improve their thought processes, ask the right questions, challenge assumptions and consider varying viewpoint. They are also able to see properly, identify and systematically work through a problem comprehensively, ensuring clarity when it is time to make decisions and recommendations.

CCTAA seeks to provide the best training services and benefits to our valued clients in Uganda, East Africa, the Nile Basin Region, the Great Lakes Region and beyond.

Highlights of the training on critical thinking and alternative analysis

• Strategies for applying critical thinking in teams and organisations
• Solving problems using the range of techniques available on the market
• Understanding personal preferences and adapting them to situations and other people
• Practical application of critical thinking, critical writing and problem-solving tools in the workplaces
• Developing critical thinking, critical analysis and problem-solving skills within teams, organisations and business units

The Competencies to be developed

Recognising when to use critical thinking and critical analysis in business, administrative or management situations

• Thinking clearly and solving problems rationally
• Analysing information from diverse sources of solving problems
• Developing, evaluating and selecting new ideas
• Critical self-reflection and self-evaluation for justifying decisions

Training methodology

• Presentations that share both theory and industry best practices with practical sessions in accordance with adult learning principles (Andragogy)
• 60℅ of the training will be experiential; 40 per cent will be theoretical; participants put in practice the skills they develop and enhance during the training course; small and whole group exercises; videos; case studies; peer exchange and exchange visits
• Brainstorming
• Role plays
• Discussions
• Reflecting and discussing own professional issues and experiences
• A lot of time spent in one-to-one interaction and in small groups to address challenges, issues and problems participants face
• Enable participants to leave with new ideas and skills they can implement immediately they get back to their teams and organisations
• Case studies are to be included in each module to demonstrate the variety of ways organisations are using critical thinking, creative thinking, critical writing, critical analysis and problem-solving

Organisational impacts

• Comprehensive brainstorming and surfacing solutions to other unsolved problems
• Looking beyond and embracing new ideas to address problems
• Encouraging members to work together to solve problems
• Developing multiple solutions and being able to select the most appropriate
• Avoiding making mistakes and jumping to wrong conclusions
• Making decisions that deliver in the long-term
• Gathering internal and external factors before making decisions
• Making decisions that take all stakeholders’ views in account

Personal impact

• Make logical connections between ideas
• Explain own reasoning in rational ways
• Participate in and evaluate discussions and debates
• Detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning
• Systematically solve problems on your own and in teams or organisations
• Justify own opinions and recommendations

Who should participate in the training?

• Senior management team members
• Programme managers/directors
• Project managers
• Heads of functional units
• School headmasters and university executives
• Members of parliament and members of councils
• Members of the executive
• Permanent secretaries
• District leaders
• NGO leaders
• Judges and judicial officers
• Lawyers running their own law firms
• Scientists
• Young entrepreneurs
• Motivational speakers
• Regional and sub-regional leaders
• Spiritual and religious leaders
• People with leadership potential preparing for their next role
• Military, police, prisons and intelligence officers
• Student leaders
• Electoral officers
• Resident district commissioners (in Uganda)
• Resident city commissioners (in Uganda)
• Political party leaders
• Media people
• Business people

How the training programme will be carried out

• Intensive courses will be carried out for specific categories of people throughout the year.
• Each course conducted will take five days to cover the following course units:

Day 1. Becoming a Critical Thinker and Critical Analyst

Day 2. Taking Systematic Approach to Problem Solving.

Day 3. Understanding Your Personal Preferences.

Day 4. Skills for Critical Thinking, Critical Analysis and Problem-Solving.

Day 5. Applying Critical Thinking and Critical Analysis in Your Team and Organisation.

What will be covered under each course unit?

Day 1

• Becoming a critical thinker, critical writer and critical analyst
• Definitions of critical thinking and critical writing – rational, skeptical, unbiased analysis, evaluation of factual evidences
• The core skills we need for critical thinking and critical analysis
• Key traits of critical thinkers and critical analysis
• Developing the ability to reason logically and rationally
• How to engage in reflection and independent thinking
• Assessing our critical thinking and critical alternative analysis abilities
• Complementary thinking skills including creativity and imagination
• Using the cognitive reflection test

Day 2

• Taking systematic approach to problem-solving
• Identifying, articulating and clarifying the issues, challenges and problems to be solved
• The main problem-solving models
• Identifying possible solutions using the CREATE Model
• Implementing solutions using alternative analysis
• Overcoming obstacles to solving problems
• Winning support for a preferred solution
• Problem-solving technique for individual
• Problem-problem solving technique for team
• Exercise: Applying problem solving to a workplace scenario

Day 3

• Understanding your personal preferences
• Assessing your preferred approach to thinking
• Enhancing whole brain thinking – left brain and right brain
• Recognising and adapting to the preferred thinking style of colleagues and team members
• Exploring your creativity and imagination
• Identifying things that stimulate our creativity and imagination
• Eliminating personal barriers to innovation
• Stretching outside your personal style of thinking reasoning

Day 4

• Skills for critical thinking, critical alternative analysis and problem-Solving
• Recording the creative process using mind maps, concept charts, flow charts, triangulation and meta-thinking
• Building knowledge with data and information
• Tools and techniques to become more creative
• Critical reading skills and practice
• Critical writing skills and practice critical analysis skills and practice
• Speaking and listening critically
• Reasoning and arguing logically
• Using words to influence and persuade
• Presenting evidence and justifying opinions and advice

Day 5

• Applying critical thinking to your team and organisation
• Encouraging group creative thinking
• Brainstorming options for use in teams
• How to challenge assumptions in constructive ways
• Ensuring teams avoid GROUPTHINK, which is encouraged by political parties and political leaders, churches and mosques.
• Encouraging critical thinking in team presentations
• Developing a personal action plan based on own strengths and areas for developing identified during training programme

Pertinent information

• CCTAA will develop modules for each course unit
• CCTAA prefers to deal with institutions rather than individuals
• Each institution eager to have critical thinkers, critical writers, critical analysts and critical actors who can solve problems critically will select the people it wants to expose to the training programme
• Since the programme is continuous throughout the year, it will select participants periodically and in succession
• CCTAA will find accommodation for participants for the 5 days of the training
• Each participant will pay $12,000 to participate in the course
• All materials required for the course will be provided
• Return air tickets for participants from outside Uganda

NOTE: If individuals apply to participate a different fee may apply.

• A Tell report By / F.C. Oweyegha-Afunaduula, Balunywa Mahiri and Mukwanason Hyuha

Some useful further reading on critical thinking

Birt Jamie (2024). 6 Types of Critical Thinking Skills (With Examples). Indeed, October 16, 2024.https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/critical-thinking-examples, Visited on 24 December 2024 at 12:53 pm EAT

Coursera (2024).  What are critical thinking skills and why are they important. Coursera, October 31 2024 https://www.coursera.org/articles/critical-thinking-skills Visited 24 December 2024 at 13:08pm EAT.

Papathanasiou IV, Kleisiaris CF, Fradelos EC, Kakou K, Kourkouta L. Critical thinking: the development of an essential skill for nursing students. Acta Inform Med. 2014 Aug;22(4):283-6. doi: 10.5455/aim.2014.22.283-286. Epub 2014 Aug 21. PMID: 25395733; PMCID: PMC4216424.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2022). Critical Thinking. SEP, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-thinking/ Visited on 24 December 2024 at 12:58pm EAT

THE FOUNDATION FOR CRITICAL THINKING (?). Critical Thinking is at Risk. https://www.criticalthinking.org/store/catalogs/thinkers-guides/224 Visited on 24 December 2024 at 13:35pm EATUniversity of the People (2024). Why is Critical Thinking Important and How to Improve it. UoP, July 8 2024. https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-is-critical-thinking-important/ Visited on 24 December 2024 at 13:14pm EAT

University of the People, “Why is Critical Thinking Important?: A Survival Guide, https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-is-critical-thinking-important/.” Accessed October 30, 2024.

Young Ron (2023). The power of Critical Thinking: Enhancing Decision-Making and Problem-Solving. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2023/07/28/enhancing-decision-making-and-problem-solving/ Visited on 24 December 2024 at 13:03pm EAT

Critical analysis

Indeed (2024). How to Write a Critical Analysis in 5 Steps (With Tips). Indeed, October 11 2024. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-critical-analysis Visited on 24 December 2024 at 13:50 pm EAT

The University of Adelaide (?). How to Undertake Critical Analysis. https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ua/media/333/how-to-write-a-critical-review.pdf Visited on 24 December 2024 at 13: 54pm EAT.

University of Leicester (2009) What is critical writing? available online https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/study-guides-pdfs/writing-skills-pdfs/criticalwriting-v1%200.pdf

Critical Writing

University of Technology Sydney(?). How to write critically. https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/academic-skills/how-write-critically Visited on 24 December 2024 at 13:59pm EAT

Critical Review

The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin. Madison (?). How to Write Critical Reviews. https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/crinonfiction/ Visited on 24 December, 2024 at 14:52pm EAT

Critical Synthesis

Depraetere, J., Vandeviver, C., Keygnaert, I., & Beken, T. V. (2020). The critical interpretive synthesis: an assessment of reporting practices. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24(6), 669–689. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1799637

Critical Reasoning

Unacademy (2023). Types of Critical Reasoning and their significance. Unacademy, https://unacademy.com/content/nta-ugc/study-material/logical-reasoning/types-of-critical-reasoning-and-their-significance/ Visited on 24 December 2024 at 14:14pm EAT

Critical Reading

Knott, Deborah (?). Critical Reading towards Critical Writing.  New College Writing Centre, University of Toronto Canada. https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/researching/critical-reading/ Visited on 24 December 2024 at 14:08pm EAT

Independent Thinking

Indeed (2024). What is an Independent Thinker (With a List of Traits). Indeed, July 30 2024. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/independent-thinker Visited on 24 December 024 at 14:59pm EA