Critical Thinking Practices in the 21st Century: An Avenue for Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme

Critical thinking, which is one of the crucial life skills, is the pathway to developing a critical mind. Critical thinking not only helps students to adjust to complex situations and find the best possible way to cope with the problem, but it also develops a truth-seeking attitude among students to identify what is right and wrong information, what to believe and what is not and also helps them make the right decisions and judgments based on relevant evidence. Critical Thinking should be given importance at any stage of education, such as school education, higher education, and, most importantly, teacher education. Teacher education plays a pivotal role in forming and developing teachers who are the main stakeholders of society. In teacher education, both pre-service and in-service education are an integral process and inseparable. In-service teachers are the ones who are already in the system, while pre-service teachers are the ones who are getting the professional training to be prepared for the next generation. Therefore, integrating critical thinking skills in pre-service teacher education is a prerequisite. Hence, the present paper mentions the importance of fostering critical thinking skills among pre-service teachers as they are the ones who inculcate these skills among students. This paper also highlights different ways and strategies to promote critical thinking skills among pre-service teachers. Keywords: Critical Thinking, Pre-service Teachers, Pedagogies, Classroom Practices, and Strategies.