Youth work in Malta as a platform to foster critical thinking skills

Abstract

John Dewey introduced the term critical thinking as an educational goal in 1910. Furthermore, Siegel (1988) believed critical thinking should be a part of the educational system because young people should be able to think critically, as critical thinking is a necessary component of leading a productive life. Since then, extensive research on critical thinking and education in formal educational setups has been carried out, however, there is little focus on any viable alternative educational platforms for developing such skills. This study takes place in a non-formal educational setting where it explores youth work as a platform to foster critical thinking skills in young people. The study focuses on youth workers in Malta and their perception of critical thinking skills in youth work and practical ways to improve the nurturing of critical thinking skills among young people. A qualitative methodology was adopted and fifteen individuals qualified and currently active in youth work in Malta were interviewed. Undoubtedly the findings shows that all the interviewed youth workers believe that youth work has the potential to be a suitable platform to foster critical thinking skills. They highlight several reasons for this, such as approach, time, structure and relationship building. Some of the recommendations mentioned were; awareness, the clear identification of critical thinking as one of the learning outcomes, a better understanding of what it entails and proper training and support. These findings shed light on the current situation, enabling further work to be conducted in this area. This study was inspired by the fact that critical thinking abilities are crucial in social and interpersonal situations where daily decision-making and problem-solving are required. According to research, excellent critical thinkers make better decisions, make more judicious judgments in complicated situations, and are less prone to cognitive bias and heuristic thinking. This importance is highlighted today due to a great deal of information and fast changes occurring in our everyday lives. This large quantity of information and messages can lead us to unreflectively accept or ignore certain information or to keep away from thinking, questioning and reflecting upon information adequately.