Excellent Educator
Volume 3 | Issue 7 | April 2026
Developing Critical Thinking in Contemporary Classrooms
Preface
In contemporary classrooms, learning is often visible through activity—students participate, complete tasks, and arrive at correct answers. Yet, beneath this surface, a deeper question remains: are students truly developing the ability to think critically? The studies in this issue highlight that critical thinking does not emerge automatically from engagement alone. Approaches such as discovery learning, interactive environments, and collaborative methods show that thinking develops when students actively explore ideas, question assumptions, and apply knowledge in meaningful contexts. When learners are encouraged to interpret, discuss, and reflect, they move beyond passive understanding toward deeper reasoning and problem-solving.
At the same time, the issue draws attention to challenges within modern learning environments, particularly the growing influence of digital tools and artificial intelligence. While these tools can enhance efficiency and access to information, they also risk promoting superficial learning if not used thoughtfully. Critical thinking depends not on the availability of answers, but on the ability to evaluate, question, and refine them. Importantly, students often carry prior beliefs and misconceptions that can limit deeper understanding, even when answers appear correct. This issue emphasizes that purposeful teaching must not only engage students, but also challenge their thinking—creating learning experiences that build independent reasoning, reflection, and true understanding.
-Dr. E. Mahiban Ross
Chief-Editor
Excellent Educator
Table of Contents
| Page | Article |
|---|---|
| 1 | Discovery Learning and Critical Thinking |
| 2 | Interactive Learning for Critical Thinking |
| 3 | Drama Education and Critical Thinking |
| 4 | Critical Thinking in the Age of AI |
| 5 | Social Media Use and Critical Thinking |
| 6 | Interactive Learning and Critical Thinking |
| 7 | Learning Critical Thinking |
| 8 | AI on Students’ Critical Thinking |
Issue 3(7)-Summaries
Discovery Learning and Critical Thinking
This study examined how discovery learning helps university students build critical thinking while solving mathematical story problems………….Read Summary
Interactive Learning for Critical Thinking
This article highlights how interactive learning strengthens students’ critical thinking by making them active participants in the learning process………….Read Summary
Drama Education and Critical Thinking
This study explored how drama education can improve critical thinking through collaboration and communication…………..Read Summary
Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
This review examines why critical thinking is increasingly important in biological sciences as artificial intelligence becomes more common in research and education…………….Read Summary
Social Media Use and Critical Thinking
This research studied how university students’ social media use relates to critical thinking and found that the strongest predictor was not social media itself, but students’ competence in learning to learn………….Read Summary
Interactive Learning and Critical Thinking
This study tested whether a mobile brain-training application used during class could improve critical thinking in first-year university students……………Read Summary
Learning Critical Thinking
This qualitative study explored how students reflect on their experiences of learning critical thinking in higher education…………….Read Summary
AI on Students’ Critical Thinking
This case study from Albania investigated possible risks of AI-assisted learning for students’ critical thinking and problem-solving……………..Read Summary