Critical thinking in initial teacher training: conceptual and methodological tensions in the Chilean context

Critical thinking is recognized as an essential skill in twenty-first-century teacher training, although there are still gaps in its conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation in education programs. This study explores how critical thinking is conceived and promoted in a teacher training program from the perspective of 120 students and 19 academics, using a mixed approach with a descriptive-exploratory expost facto design, triangulating information obtained through questionnaires and discussion groups. The findings reveal conceptual discrepancies: students understand critical thinking as a skill, while academics conceive of it as a competency. Students perceive uneven development, in contrast to the more positive assessment of academics. Furthermore, variables such as age and year of entry into the program influences student assessment, unlike teaching experience. It is concluded that there is an urgent need to clarify conceptual frameworks, define more precisely the critical skills to encourage and align coherent pedagogical strategies. The main contribution lies in providing a solid empirical basis for guiding more consistent, contextualized training policies that are sensitive to the student voice, promoting reflective training that is committed to contemporary challenges.