critical thinking training feedback

Critical Thinking: 40 Useful Performance Feedback Phrases

Critical Thinking: Use these sample phrases to craft meaningful performance evaluations, drive change and motivate your workforce.

Critical Thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally while understanding the logical connection between ideas in a reflective and independent thinking.

Critical Thinking: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

• Highly demonstrates assertive and decisive ability when finding solutions for problems.
• Knows how to communicate ideas and issues easily in a very clear and concise manner.
• Able to piece together elements and come up with proper deductions on issues.
• Knows how to clarify problems and solutions easily so that other people can understand.
• Evaluates ideas and opinions in an unbiased manner without favoritism.
• Thinks through issues in a very logical manner that results in finding the best solution to a problem.
• Demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills by accessing a problem and devising the best possible solution for it.
• Takes in into consideration different and varied perspectives when solving problems.
• Examines the implications and possible consequences to any particular action carefully.
• Solves problems one by one so as not to mix up issues and ideas.

Critical Thinking: Meets Expectations Phrases

• Uses strategic approachability and skill when it comes to solving issues.
• Demonstrates well assertive and decisive ability when it comes to handling problems.
• Tries to always consider all factors at play before deciding on a particular methods or way.
• Gathers all the required facts and figures before starting to solve a particular problem.
• Always seeks to ask questions as a form of finding a sound basis to solving a problem.
• Not afraid to make mistakes and tries to find creative ways to handle any issue.
• Looks at issues in different angles and not in a one-sided way.
• Shows great flexibility when it comes to changing strategies and tact while dealing with different problems.
• Questions regularly to find out if the decision taken will achieve the desired effect.
• Always feels comfortable and confident when seeking help or advice whenever stuck on solving any issue.

Critical Thinking: Needs Improvement Phrases

• Does not take the time to consider all factors available before making a decision carefully.
• Looks at issues in a one-sided manner instead of having different varied ways of looking at it.
• Finds it challenging to arrive at a concrete conclusion after undertaking any evaluation.
• Not willing to do proper research and relies on outdated data and information.
• Does not demonstrate a curious type of attitude to try to find out a little bit more on issues.
• Not willing to accept corrections and take calculated risks when necessary.
• Does not show enough willingness to try to improve the critical thinking skills.
• Does not present ideas and points in a logical order or outline.
• Looks at issues in a biased and unfair way by not evaluating all factors.
• Not willing and inflexible to change tact or strategy when the initial plan fails to achieve the desired effect

Critical Thinking: Self Evaluation Questions

• How well do you research and gather facts and information before solving an issue?
• Give an instance you hurriedly made a decision without thinking it through and what was the result?
• Elaborate on a given occasion that you made the best decision. How did you feel about it?
• How well do you consider all the factors available before making your decision?
• Do you get to appreciate and learn from your mistakes and how do you deal with making wrong decisions?
• Do you always try to inquire further, what could be the missing elements that could achieve a positive outcome?
• How well do you consider having a concrete conclusion when presenting your ideas?
• When expressing your ideas do you deliver them in a logical manner?
• Do you usually look at issues in a one-sided manner or at different angles?
• How flexible are you when it comes to trying different ways of solving problems other than the intended way.

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A Short Guide to Building Your Team’s Critical Thinking Skills

• Matt Plummer

Critical thinking isn’t an innate skill. It can be learned.

Most employers lack an effective way to objectively assess critical thinking skills and most managers don’t know how to provide specific instruction to team members in need of becoming better thinkers. Instead, most managers employ a sink-or-swim approach, ultimately creating work-arounds to keep those who can’t figure out how to “swim” from making important decisions. But it doesn’t have to be this way. To demystify what critical thinking is and how it is developed, the author’s team turned to three research-backed models: The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment, Pearson’s RED Critical Thinking Model, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Using these models, they developed the Critical Thinking Roadmap, a framework that breaks critical thinking down into four measurable phases: the ability to execute, synthesize, recommend, and generate.

With critical thinking ranking among the most in-demand skills for job candidates , you would think that educational institutions would prepare candidates well to be exceptional thinkers, and employers would be adept at developing such skills in existing employees. Unfortunately, both are largely untrue.

• Matt Plummer (@mtplummer) is the founder of Zarvana, which offers online programs and coaching services to help working professionals become more productive by developing time-saving habits. Before starting Zarvana, Matt spent six years at Bain & Company spin-out, The Bridgespan Group, a strategy and management consulting firm for nonprofits, foundations, and philanthropists.  

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100+ Performance Evaluation Comments for Attitude, Training Ability, Critical Thinking

By Status.net Editorial Team on June 19, 2022 — 9 minutes to read

• Performance Review Phrases for Training Skills Part 1
• Performance Review Phrases for Attitude Part 2
• Performance Review Phrases for Critical Thinking Part 3
• Performance Review Examples: Additional Resources Part 4

Performance evaluation comments are a way to provide feedback to employees about their work performance. Evaluation comments can include suggestions for improvement, observations about how the employee performed in specific tasks, or congratulations on a job well done.

In this article you will find performance review examples for the following skills:

• Training Skills The performance review evaluates how well one learns new skills and information through training programs, and applies that new knowledge in the job.
• Attitude The performance review evaluates one’s attitude, work ethic, motivation, and engagement. It looks at aspects like enthusiasm, positivity, adaptability, and receptiveness to feedback.
• Critical Thinking The performance review evaluates the ability to analyze issues objectively, troubleshoot problems logically, challenge assumptions constructively, and evaluate options rationally.

Each section below contains positive (“Meets or Exceeds Expectations”) and negative (“Below Expectations”) examples for the skills listed above. If you are looking for more performance review examples and phrases for different skills, check our main article here (click to open 2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List)

Part 1 Training Skills

Meets or exceeds expectations.

✓ We are impressed with his willingness to give instructions.

✓ He is willing to help his staff find suitable training sessions.

✓ He does not mind taking part in on the job training. He is a valued team member with his enthusiasm.

✓ He encourages all the team members to join in the necessary training sessions.

✓ He is responsible and makes sure that all members take part in the requisite training sessions.

✓ He is able to learn concepts quickly and adopt them into his performance.

✓ He enthusiastically helps his fellow trainees learn complicated lessons in the training sessions by his “can-do” attitude.

✓ He always finds opportunities to take part in specialized training sessions.

Below Expectations

✗ He does not exchange class concepts to with colleagues though she still joins the training sessions.

✗ He does not require his staff to take part in the training sessions.

✗ He appears to think that the training sessions are not important so he does not concentrate on them.

✗ He should not joke in the training classes. He should concentrate on the content of training lessons.

✗ He should take part in more training opportunities and concentrate on them.

✗ He should prepare before coming to training sessions, This will help him understand all knowledge that trainers are imparting.

✗ He does not know how to apply the knowledge learned in training sessions into his performance.

✗ He declares that training sessions are not necessary despite the many new challenges he and his team are facing.

Related: Training Ability: Performance Review Examples (1 – 5)

Related: 2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List

Part 2 Attitude

✓ He builds an atmosphere of trust within his team.

✓ His attitude is an asset to his management skills. He continually builds people up. He deals with difficult situations with incredible posture, and focuses on the positives.

✓ He refuses to be downhearted under incredible pressure. He stands firm and the situation does not affect his attitude. He has a unique mind-set that is highly appreciated.

✓ His attitude is always spot on.

✓ His cheerful attitude makes others feel good when he’s around.

✓ He accentuates the positives in most situations.

✓ He maintains a steady, positive attitude that helps. His employees feel everything is ok, even when it seemingly isn’t.

✓ He always has a positive attitude. He frequently has a smile on his face and you can tell he enjoys his job.

✓ He is cheerful person and people feel delighted to be around him. We are fortunate to have him on our team.

✓ He has an even demeanor through good times and bad, which helps others keep their “enthusiasm”, both positive and negative, in check.

✓ He has a soothing and calm personality. His attitude is one which should be emulated.

✓ He brings a level of enthusiasm to his job that few can. He is always one member of the team we go to when we need a lift.

✓ He is adept at maneuvering around any obstacles that are thrown at him. He finishes his work on time and with accuracy.

✓ He always smiles when he goes to work. He does not mind showing off his positive attitude to the team.

✓ He has never complained about his job or his colleagues.

✓ He always provides assistance when necessary, even beyond his normal fixed duty hours or at weekends.

✓ He begins each day revitalized and ready for any challenges he may face.

✓ He encourages his colleagues at work. He easily builds an atmosphere of trust within his team.

✓ His attitude is a valuable facet of his management skills. He continuously strengthens the connections between among his subordinates. He resolves difficult situations in an amazing manner.

✓ He is firm, determined and confident. His attitude to work is not diminished in any situation. His strong-mindedness is very much appreciated.

✓ He can deal with internal pressure excellently. He maintains the right attitude towards external relationships.

✓ Bill is such as cheerful person that everyone feels good with him around.

✓ He usually focuses his attention on the positives when dealing with problems.

✓ He has a positive attitude and he is willing to share his thoughts about relevant matters.

✓ He congratulates staff on jobs well done. He maintains a good and comfortable environment for his team.

✓ His positive attitude in his management role is his most important and effective skill. He is cooperative with others and tries to connect everybody together. He maintains an incredible posture and focuses on the positives when solving problems.

✓ He is always enthusiastic and helps motivate other team members.

✓ He is very level-headed and handles stressful situations with ease.

✓ He is quick to congratulate coworkers and builds trust within his team.

✗ His choice of language can be inappropriate. His level of voice is also inappropriate at times.

✗ He has a tendency to trigger problems between his coworkers.

✗ He excessively tries to talk about non-work related topics. He should keep his conversations work related.

✗ He has a tendency to be irked over minor things. His volatile nature makes his coworkers uneasy.

✗ He should concentrate more on the positive sides of his duties and his team.

✗ He has a tendency to be disruptive after difficult decisions have been announced.

✗ He fails to maintain his normally positive attitude in stressful situations and often resorts to inappropriate tone and language.

✗ His talents are very valuable to the company; nevertheless, his attitude to work is somewhat lacking.

✗ His demeanor can be unapproachable and this negatively impacts the morale of his team.

✗ He needs to control his temper and attitude, he needs to learn not to react too strongly towards negative situations.

✗ He can be the cause of conflicts between his coworkers.

✗ He has an overly sensitive and pessimistic personality. He is easily upset by problems or difficult situations. He should try to think more positively, focus on the good and avoid being overly concerned with his perceived negatives.

✗ He often has troubles with his coworkers when they work together. He is easily angered and argumentative with his colleagues.

✗ His argumentative attitude in conversations his colleagues can make them angry. He is clearly aware of this but he has made no attempt to change his demeanor when talking about non-work related topics. It is highly recommended that he improves his attitude.

✗ He is somewhat pessimistic and his moods affect other employees.

✗ He is careless and unmotivated, which ultimately slows the team down.

✗ He does not handle stressful situations well.

✗ He complains about coworkers too often. His complaints build resentment within his team.

✗ He is not approachable and is tough to work with.

✗ He continually talks negatively about projects or tasks assigned to him.

✗ He always has a negative attitude towards his work.

✗ His attitude is poor in general impacts his work.

✗ He talks negatively about other team members.

✗ He needs to focus on the positive aspects of his job and his team.

✗ He is constantly disrespects his manager.

✗ He often isolates himself and does not take constructive criticism well.

Click to open 2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List

Part 3 Critical Thinking

✓ He uses sharp ideas and critical thinking ability to solve issues quickly.

✓ He decides the most appropriate solution to an issue by considering the pros and cons of it very cautiously.

✓ He responds to any issue very quickly. He always finds solutions for problems on time.

✓ He has strong reasoning and critical-thinking skills that help him handle problems well.

✓ He is careful and always thoroughly considers everything before he submitting any idea.

✓ He always thinks twice before he meets any problem. He rarely faces difficulty when he is faced with extreme situations.

✓ He uses an arsenal of creative strategies to proactively solve a wide range of problems.

✓ He consistently generates outstanding solutions to the most demanding problems.

✓ He focuses on solutions to problems not the symptoms.

✓ He has powerful analytical skills that he applies to every stage of the problem-solving process.

✓ He establishes workable, prioritized, and highly effective problem-solving plans for each problem.

✓ He varies his problem-solving style to meet the nature and demands of the problem itself.

✓ He approaches all problems with confidence and the expectation that he will generate solid and innovative solutions.

✓ He actively seeks out problems that require the most creative thinking.

✓ He quickly analyzes the pros and cons of any solution before deciding what is the most effective way to resolve a problem.

✓ He can find timely solution to any problem quickly and effectively.

✗ He never considers potential changes in circumstances when making decisions.

✗ He rarely thoroughly thinks decisions through.

✗ He does not have the ability to implement a reasonable solution to an issue.

✗ His suggestions are never unique.

✗ He has a tendency to make decision without thinking through its potential consequences.

✗ He makes decisions hastily without thinking.

✗ He never considers the possible consequences of his decisions.

✗ He never thinks twice before making any decision.

✗ He often does not consider the situations that may occur while during performing his duties.

✗ His decision making process is too hurried.

✗ He employs problem-solving techniques that end up generating even more problems.

✗ He creates more problems than he solves.

✗ He overlooks or underestimates problems until they become major issues.

✗ He analyzes minor issues and lets larger problems fester and grow

✗ He decides on the solution before properly analyzing it.

✗ He comes up with solutions that are incorrect, insufficient, and invalid.

✗ He doesn’t analyze the situation and the potential affect of his solutions carefully before making a final decision.

✗ He is unable to find the most effective solutions for problems because his ideas are always mediocre.

Related: Critical Thinking: Performance Review Examples (1 – 5)

Learn more:

How to Give Performance Feedback? Techniques and Examples (Positive, Negative, STAR Feedback) How to Identify and Handle Employee Underperformance? (5 Steps) Effective Performance Management: How to Coach Employees?

See also: 142 Employee Performance Evaluation Examples (Initiative, Flexibility, Proactiveness)

More Performance Review Examples

• 142 Employee Performance Evaluation Examples (Initiative, Flexibility, Proactiveness, Goal-Setting)
• Employee Evaluation Example [Guide for Managers]
• How to Write an Employee Evaluation [Examples]
• Job Knowledge Performance Review Phrases (Examples)
• How to Write an Effective Performance Review (Essential Steps)
• 100 Performance Review Phrases for Job Knowledge, Judgment, Listening Skills

More From Forbes

Performance management: how to give critical feedback.

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Companies want employees to feel securely employed so they can flourish in their work. Companies also want to address performance issues to ensure quality. Underperforming or dysfunctional employees can wreak havoc on company culture if unaddressed, and overperforming employees can burn out or disengage without reassurance or sustainable workloads.

Performance management strategies equip companies to support employee development so all employees can function at their best while continuing personal and professional development throughout their careers. By empowering leadership at every level to cultivate excellence with their employees and their teams, performance management empowers everyone in the company to thrive. Here's how.

Everyone Needs Feedback

Every employee at every level should participate in performance management. Even top leadership should receive regular reviews from their supervisors (and/or the board). Annual reviews accompanied by goal-setting and monthly/quarterly check-ins embed accountability and growth into company culture and normalize self-reflection, collective awareness and collaboration.

Some companies allow employees to evaluate their supervisors, creating a multidirectional feedback loop for employee growth and development. Such openness to feedback from above and below reiterates the value of every employee’s voice and insights in shaping company culture. Employees feel heard and valued, and decision-makers remain informed about how policies impact on-the-ground operations and employee engagement.

Earlier Is Better

While quarterly, six-month and annual review cycles may suffice for current employees, new employees need feedback early and often as they learn your company and their roles within it. Onboarding should facilitate bidirectional feedback on employee performance and needs so employees feel prepared for their new responsibilities. Has their training prepared them to function independently, or do they need additional instruction? Do employees know who to contact with questions? Are trainers satisfied with the employee’s progress, or are there concerns? If there are concerns, is the employee aware of areas needing improvement and how to address them appropriately?

Regardless of employee tenure, when performance issues arrive, early intervention is key. The longer employees “get away with” poor performance, the harder correction becomes. Sometimes performance slips indicate personal or professional problems which can be resolved, restoring the employee to their former success, or better. Sometimes performance issues point to larger systemic problems like poor leadership, inadequate resources, unsustainable work environments, or flawed policies and procedures.

Enabling poor performance or dysfunction can put morale, or even the company, at risk and impact retention of top talent. Early intervention limits damages and quickly realigns company operations with company values.

Honesty Is Caring

Clear feedback empowers employees to shape their development according to their goals. Honest dialogue about employee strengths and needed improvements helps employees know what’s working and where to focus on growth.

Vague feedback may feel easier to deliver but disserves the employer and employee. “We need you to be more professional” does not specify the issue as attendance, workplace behavior, personal appearance, communication, etc. The supervisor saying, “Please do your job better,” has not indicated what areas of performance are below standard, which are acceptable or what resources can assist the employee. Without specific direction, employees do not have what they need to meet expectations and employers are unlikely to get their desired results.

Let’s imagine employee Jane works for a call center. She has completed training and worked independently for two months. After receiving complaints from customers, Jane’s supervisor calls Jane to the office. If the supervisor says, “Jane, you need to work on your phone skills,” does Jane know what specifically needs improvement? If the supervisor says, “Jane, I’d like you to develop your ability to ask probing questions to meet our customers’ needs efficiently and accurately,” Jane knows the specific way she needs to develop. If the supervisor adds, “Let’s review some of your calls and discuss them together,” then Jane can hear even more precisely where she missed opportunities to engage customers, and she’ll have concrete examples of the kind of thinking and problem-solving her employer needs. Rather than discouraging Jane, this conversation can encourage Jane that she’s performing well and that her employer believes she is both worth further investment and capable of growth.

Accountability Plus Support

In the above example, accountability paired with support offers the ultimate performance management toolkit. Jane knows where she needs to improve, and she knows what resources can help her. She understands that her supervisor expects improvements, and she knows her supervisor has confidence in her.

Some supervisors lean toward support, rarely holding employees accountable. If employees have no consequences for poor performance, what incentivizes them to improve short of their own intrinsic motivators? Support without accountability enables employees to coast, without opportunity to learn or grow.

Other supervisors lean toward accountability, rarely offering support. Without supervisor support, employees can feel targeted and paranoid, impairing their ability to self-reflect or flourish. Accountability without support is punitive, creating a “gotcha” environment rather than a collaborative culture of growth.

Neither enabling nor “gotcha” strategies benefit employees or companies. Ideally, supervisors are clear about their expectations and about available resources for employee improvement. This gives employees a map for success and the right tools to achieve their goals.

Smart Hiring

Performance management processes have the potential to uncover trends among (un)successful employees, which can inform and empower HR to recruit better for job and cultural fit. If employees with particular kinds of experience transition well into your company’s industry, you know you can broaden your applicant pool without sacrificing quality. If employees with certain personalities or demeanors function well in your environment, you can better identify other teammates who can thrive as well.

Whether housed with HR or otherwise, performance management data trends have much to teach HR. In partnership, these two areas have profound potential to strengthen retention and company culture.

Ideally, employee culture keeps focus on your company’s mission and your support for the team doing the work. Performance management strategies rooted in critical feedback empower employees to thrive at every level, now and for many years to come.

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16 constructive feedback examples — and tips for how to use them

Giving constructive feedback is nerve-wracking for many people. But feedback is also necessary for thriving in the workplace. 

It helps people flex and grow into new skills, capabilities, and roles. It creates more positive and productive relationships between employees. And it helps to reach goals and drive business value.

But feedback is a two-way street. More often than not, it’s likely every employee will have to give constructive feedback in their careers. That’s why it’s helpful to have constructive feedback examples to leverage for the right situation. 

We know employees want feedback. But one study found that people want feedback if they’re on the receiving end . In fact, in every case, participants rated their desire for feedback higher as the receiver. While the fear of feedback is very real, it’s important to not shy away from constructive feedback opportunities. After all, it could be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. 

If you’re trying to overcome your fear of providing feedback, we’ve compiled a list of 16 constructive feedback examples for you to use. We’ll also share some best practices on how to give effective feedback . 

What is constructive feedback? 

When you hear the word feedback, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? What feelings do you have associated with feedback? Oftentimes, feedback conversations are anxiety-ridden because it’s assumed to be negative feedback. Unfortunately, feedback has this binary stigma, it’s either good or bad.

But in reality, there are plenty of types of feedback leveraged in both personal and professional relationships. They don’t all fall into one camp or the other. And each type of feedback is serving a purpose to ultimately better an individual, team, or work environment. 

For example, positive feedback can be used to reinforce desired behaviors or big accomplishments. Real-time feedback is reserved for those “in the moment” situations. Like if I’ve made a mistake or a typo in a blog, I’d want my teammates to give me real-time feedback . 

However, constructive feedback is its own ball game. 

What is constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback is a supportive way to improve areas of opportunity for an individual person, team, relationship, or environment. In many ways, constructive feedback is a combination of constructive criticism paired with coaching skills. 

16 constructive feedback examples to use 

To truly invest in building a feedback culture , your employees need to feel comfortable giving feedback. After all, organizations are people, which means we’re all human. We make mistakes but we’re all capable of growth and development. And most importantly, everyone everywhere should be able to live with more purpose, clarity, and passion. 

But we won’t unlock everyone’s full potential unless your people are comfortable giving feedback. Some employee feedback might be easier to give than others, like ways to improve a presentation. 

But sometimes, constructive feedback can be tricky, like managing conflict between team members or addressing negative behavior. As any leader will tell you, it’s critical to address negative behaviors and redirect them to positive outcomes. Letting toxic behavior go unchecked can lead to issues with employee engagement , company culture, and overall, your business’s bottom line. 

Regardless of where on the feedback spectrum your organization falls, having concrete examples will help set up your people for success. Let’s talk through some examples of constructive feedback. For any of these themes, it’s always good to have specific examples handy to help reinforce the feedback you’re giving. We’ll also give some sample scenarios of when these phrases might be most impactful and appropriate. 

Constructive feedback examples about communication skills  

An employee speaks over others and interrupts in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you can cut off team members or interrupt others. You share plenty of good ideas and do good work. To share some communication feedback , I’d love to see how you can support others in voicing their own ideas in our team meetings.” 

An employee who doesn’t speak up or share ideas in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t often share ideas in big meetings. But in our one-on-one meetings , you come up with plenty of meaningful and creative ideas to help solve problems. What can I do to help make you more comfortable speaking up in front of the team?” 

An employee who is brutally honest and blunt.

“Last week, I noticed you told a teammate that their work wasn’t useful to you. It might be true that their work isn’t contributing to your work, but there’s other work being spread across the team that will help us reach our organizational goals. I’d love to work with you on ways to improve your communication skills to help build your feedback skills, too. Would you be interested in pursuing some professional development opportunities?”  

An employee who has trouble building rapport because of poor communication skills in customer and prospect meetings.

“I’ve noticed you dive right into the presentation with our customer and prospect meetings. To build a relationship and rapport, it’s good to make sure we’re getting to know everyone as people. Why don’t you try learning more about their work, priorities, and life outside of the office in our next meeting?” 

Constructive feedback examples about collaboration 

An employee who doesn’t hold to their commitments on group or team projects.

“I noticed I asked you for a deliverable on this key project by the end of last week. I still haven’t received this deliverable and wanted to follow up. If a deadline doesn’t work well with your bandwidth, would you be able to check in with me? I’d love to get a good idea of what you can commit to without overloading your workload.”  

An employee who likes to gatekeep or protect their work, which hurts productivity and teamwork .

“Our teams have been working together on this cross-functional project for a couple of months. But yesterday, we learned that your team came across a roadblock last month that hasn’t been resolved. I’d love to be a partner to you if you hit any issues in reaching our goals. Would you be willing to share your project plan or help provide some more visibility into your team’s work? I think it would help us with problem-solving and preventing problems down the line.” 

An employee who dominates a cross-functional project and doesn’t often accept new ways of doing things.

“I’ve noticed that two team members have voiced ideas that you have shut down. In the spirit of giving honest feedback, it feels like ideas or new solutions to problems aren’t welcome. Is there a way we could explore some of these ideas? I think it would help to show that we’re team players and want to encourage everyone’s contributions to this project.” 

Constructive feedback examples about time management 

An employee who is always late to morning meetings or one-on-ones.

“I’ve noticed that you’re often late to our morning meetings with the rest of the team. Sometimes, you’re late to our one-on-ones, too. Is there a way I can help you with building better time management skills ? Sometimes, the tardiness can come off like you don’t care about the meeting or the person you’re meeting with, which I know you don’t mean.” 

A direct report who struggles to meet deadlines.

“Thanks for letting me know you’re running behind schedule and need an extension. I’ve noticed this is the third time you’ve asked for an extension in the past two weeks. In our next one-on-one, can you come up with a list of projects and the amount of time that you’re spending on each project? I wonder if we can see how you’re managing your time and identify efficiencies.” 

An employee who continuously misses team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been present at the last few team meetings. I wanted to check in to see how things are going. What do you have on your plate right now? I’m concerned you’re missing critical information that can help you in your role and your career.” 

Constructive feedback examples about boundaries 

A manager who expects the entire team to work on weekends.

“I’ve noticed you send us emails and project plans over the weekends. I put in a lot of hard work during the week, and won’t be able to answer your emails until the work week starts again. It’s important that I maintain my work-life balance to be able to perform my best.” 

An employee who delegates work to other team members.

“I’ve noticed you’ve delegated some aspects of this project that fall into your scope of work. I have a full plate with my responsibilities in XYZ right now. But if you need assistance, it might be worth bringing up your workload to our manager.” 

A direct report who is stressed about employee performance but is at risk of burning out.

“I know we have performance reviews coming up and I’ve noticed an increase in working hours for you. I hope you know that I recognize your work ethic but it’s important that you prioritize your work-life balance, too. We don’t want you to burn out.”  

Constructive feedback examples about managing 

A leader who is struggling with team members working together well in group settings.

“I’ve noticed your team’s scores on our employee engagement surveys. It seems like they don’t collaborate well or work well in group settings, given their feedback. Let’s work on building some leadership skills to help build trust within your team.” 

A leader who is struggling to engage their remote team.

“In my last skip-levels with your team, I heard some feedback about the lack of connections . It sounds like some of your team members feel isolated, especially in this remote environment. Let’s work on ways we can put some virtual team-building activities together.” 

A leader who is micromanaging , damaging employee morale.

“In the last employee engagement pulse survey, I took a look at the leadership feedback. It sounds like some of your employees feel that you micromanage them, which can damage trust and employee engagement. In our next one-on-one, let’s talk through some projects that you can step back from and delegate to one of your direct reports. We want to make sure employees on your team feel ownership and autonomy over their work.” 

8 tips for providing constructive feedback 

Asking for and receiving feedback isn’t an easy task. 

But as we know, more people would prefer to receive feedback than give it. If giving constructive feedback feels daunting, we’ve rounded up eight tips to help ease your nerves. These best practices can help make sure you’re nailing your feedback delivery for optimal results, too.

Be clear and direct (without being brutally honest). Make sure you’re clear, concise, and direct. Dancing around the topic isn’t helpful for you or the person you’re giving feedback to. 

Provide specific examples. Get really specific and cite recent examples. If you’re vague and high-level, the employee might not connect feedback with their actions.

Set goals for the behavior you’d like to see changed. If there’s a behavior that’s consistent, try setting a goal with your employee. For example, let’s say a team member dominates the conversation in team meetings. Could you set a goal for how many times they encourage other team members to speak and share their ideas? 

Give time and space for clarifying questions. Constructive feedback can be hard to hear. It can also take some time to process. Make sure you give the person the time and space for questions and follow-up. 

Know when to give feedback in person versus written communication. Some constructive feedback simply shouldn’t be put in an email or a Slack message. Know the right communication forum to deliver your feedback.   

Check-in. Make an intentional effort to check in with the person on how they’re doing in the respective area of feedback. For example, let’s say you’ve given a teammate feedback on their presentation skills . Follow up on how they’ve invested in building their public speaking skills . Ask if you can help them practice before a big meeting or presentation. 

Ask for feedback in return. Feedback can feel hierarchical and top-down sometimes. Make sure that you open the door to gather feedback in return from your employees. 

Start giving effective constructive feedback 

Meaningful feedback can be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. To create a feedback culture in your organization, constructive feedback is a necessary ingredient. 

Think about the role of coaching to help build feedback muscles with your employees. With access to virtual coaching , you can make sure your employees are set up for success. BetterUp can help your workforce reach its full potential.

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

5 types of feedback that make a difference (and how to use them)

Are you receptive to feedback follow this step-by-step guide, handle feedback like a boss and make it work for you, how to give constructive feedback as a manager, should you use the feedback sandwich 7 pros and cons, why coworker feedback is so important and 5 ways to give it, how to give negative feedback to a manager, with examples, feedback in communication: 5 areas to become a better communicator, how to get feedback from your employees, similar articles, how to give feedback using this 4-step framework, start, stop, continue: how to implement this retrospective model, how to embrace constructive conflict, 25 performance review questions (and how to use them), how to give kudos at work. try these 5 examples to show appreciation, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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100 Brief Tips and Findings Regarding Critical Thinking

Celebrating 100 ‘thoughts on thinking’ posts..

Updated June 15, 2023 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

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• There are three core critical thinking skills: analysis, evaluation, and inference.
• The knowledge we store in our heads isn’t necessarily correct; it's just how we understood something.
• We can’t always be politically correct if we want to think critically.

In celebrating the 100th "Thoughts on Thinking" post on Psychology Today , let’s focus on the bread-and-butter of this blog: Here are 100 tips and findings regarding critical thinking (CT) and higher-order cognition :

• CT is a metacognitive process (i.e., thinking about thinking).
• CT consists of skills and dispositions, whilst working in conjunction with reflective judgment.
• Reflective judgment refers to taking one’s time with a decision while engaging epistemological understanding.
• Epistemological understanding refers to the nature of knowledge, the limits and certainty of knowing, and how this affects related reasoning.
• There are three core CT skills: analysis, evaluation, and inference .
• Having CT skills alone is not sufficient; one must have a positive disposition toward CT.
• CT disposition refers to an inclination, tendency, or willingness to perform a given thinking skill.
• CT dispositions include concepts like open-mindedness, organisation, truth-seeking, and skepticism.
• Even educators have a tough time defining CT .
• Critical thinking can be enhanced through appropriate training.
• Explicit CT training is necessary if educators want to see CT improve and flourish across domains.
• There are many types of illogical argumentation and fallacious reasoning that can disrupt appropriate thinking.
• Play "devil’s advocate" to truly see "both sides of the story."
• If we truly care about a topic or decision, we should apply CT.
• Likewise, we probably should only apply CT when we care about the topic or decision.
• It is far from "virtuous" to force emotion -based opinions of virtue/value onto others who do not necessarily subscribe to the same ideology.
• "Leave emotion at the door"—it clouds your thinking.
• Caring about a topic/decision is distinct from being passionate about it. The former is important for CT; the latter can hinder it.
• Application of CT can be categorised into five general areas: argument analysis, verbal reasoning, hypothesis testing, judging likelihood and uncertainty, and problem-solving.
• Humans are poor "natural" statisticians. Learn statistical analysis if you have an interest or find you use statistics often.
• People often don’t know what they don’t know.
• People with low ability in an area typically overestimate their ability in it, whereas people with high ability in an area often underestimate their ability (Dunning–Kruger Effect).
• There is no such thing as "proof," per se—we can only disprove things (through falsification). The word you’re looking for is "evidence" or "justification."
• The knowledge you store in your head isn’t necessarily correct; it's just how you understood something.
• Understanding refers to how a schema is constructed, not necessarily the accuracy of the information.
• Knowledge, in terms of what we know as a society, is theoretical.
• Evidence or justification for said knowledge may be debunked at a later time.
• Creativity is not necessary for CT but, if you conceptualise it as "synthesis," then it can be a core facilitator.
• People love to be right, but they’re likely to hate being wrong more.
• People often dislike change and, more often, dislike changing their minds.
• Changing your mind requires schemas (re)construction.
• Changing your mind might make you question long-held beliefs, which can disrupt your worldviews.
• Disruption of worldviews might yield uncertainty…which can frighten people.
• People generally do not like to be frightened or confused.
• People develop odd, vague, and/or over-simplified "sayings" to explain away uncertainties.
• People develop odd, vague, and/or over-simplified belief systems to explain away uncertainties.
• People often like things, such as information, simplified and organised into nice neat little packages (e.g., TL;DR).
• Just because you believe or wish something was true doesn’t make it so.
• Changing your mind might make you look weak to others in certain situations, but if you emphasise the strength necessary to do this, the weakness can be overturned.
• Changing one's mind requires a positive disposition toward CT.
• Trying to change someone’s mind is difficult and often backfires—reinforcing their previously held belief.
• There is no such thing as "good" CT —you either applied it or you didn’t.
• If you applied CT wrong, then is it actually CT?
• Just because you often apply CT in requisite situations doesn’t mean you do it in all requisite situations.
• It is difficult to measure CT ability . Simply self-reporting that you are "good at it" or "often do it" does not make it so.
• "It depends" is an acceptable answer—just ensure you know a few examples of upon what it depends.
• Numbers don’t lie, but people do—and not even intentionally. It takes a human to interpret numbers, and the interpretation may be incorrect.
• All of our decisions are made with some level of bias ; try your best to curtail it as much as possible.
• It’s OK to say "I don’t know," and it is actually a good indicator of intellectual honesty.
• Be intellectually honest.
• A person said what they said, not how you interpret what they said—if clarity is lacking, ask for clarification.
• You can’t always be politically correct if you want to think critically— controversial topics often require the most CT!
• Argument mapping can facilitate CT.
• Active learning is a fundamental component of CT instruction.
• Only worry about things you can change.
• Keep perspective and be thankful for the things you have.
• Cynicism is not the same as skepticism.
• It’s ill-conceived and dangerous to treat perspectives that you value as global virtues or a moral code that everyone else should value, too.
• Don’t trust your gut— intuition can often be correct; but when it’s off, it’s way off. Instead, engage reflective judgment (see #3).
• Despite what Oprah says, you do not have your own truth. Truth isn’t relativistic in a shared reality.
• There is a need for general, secondary-school training in CT-related processes.
• People often ignore truths that don’t suit them or try to manipulate them to accommodate their bias .
• Relying on personal experience to make decisions is lazy thinking.
• People overestimate the value of their experience in decision-making , which is particularly scary when they have a lot of experience doing things wrong.
• Your mistakes are often unacknowledged, so you may not know you’ve been doing something wrong.
• It’s OK to be wrong—it’s a learning experience. Own up to it.
• Do not underestimate the effect social media is having on your cognitive processing.
• Be open-minded toward others.
• Dispositions of open-mindedness and skepticism complement each other , not contradict.
• People don’t recognise their own irrationality.
• Intelligence and rationality are distinct traits.
• "Learning styles" are a debunked myth.
• "Do your research" is not a thing—20 hours of Googling is not putting anyone on par with expert perspectives.
• Nevertheless, be aware of empirical evidence and broaden your knowledge for topics that matter to you.
• We rationalise poor decisions because we don’t want to look irrational and/or they, in some way, yield an outcome we actually want.
• When engaging in argumentation, be sure of how key issues are defined.
• Difficulty in definition yields difficulty in evaluation.
• Draw and report your conclusions with caution—you could be wrong. Accept that.
• Don’t just read a headline—dig deeper. Read the full article and assess the sources of the claims.
• Ask yourself, are all the reasons presented to you for believing something actually relevant to the central claim?
• Question an author’s intentions and ask, What is the purpose of this piece?
• We are cognitively lazy as a default—put time and effort into your thinking.
• Information can evoke and breed emotions like fear and anger in the reader or listener. If you’re emotional, you’re not thinking rationally.
• The more we have been exposed to certain information, the more likely we are to believe that information—regardless of truth (i.e., the illusory truth effect ).
• Peer pressure isn’t just for teens; we all amend our perspectives to align with those around us (e.g., for social desirability or as a result of the illusory truth effect) .
• Question your perspectives.
• Don’t jump to conclusions, regardless of how interesting, confirming, or comforting they might be.
• Consider the more likely and simpler solutions first—they often provide nice starting points for your decision-making.
• Thinking "outside the box" isn’t always helpful—it often contradicts CT and produces ideas that lack feasibility and logic.
• When you evaluate information , assess its credibility, relevance, logical strength, balance, and bias.
• A theory isn’t an educated guess; it’s an established model for how a phenomenon occurs following many observed replications (e.g., gravity).
• Belief in conspiracy theories might stem from a desire for closure in a complex scenario, lower ability in specific cognitive processes, and/or a function of demographics.
• CT requires practice—engage opportunities that require it.
• Sometimes, even when you know you’re right, it’s better just to leave it— Is this particular argument really worth the aggravation?
• Emotional intelligence —as conceptualised as a maturity that facilitates the management of emotions, with respect to their appraisal and expression—can be a useful self-regulatory tool for CT.
• Priortise the things that matter in your life —your thinking will follow in light of blocking out the noise .
• Context is key for all decision-making.
• Cognitive reframing can be difficult, but it is often necessary for CT and maintaining mental well-being.
• Heuristics , schemas, biases, and intuitions are all the same—automatic, gut-level decision-making sources that are a risky means of making decisions that require CT.

Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, Ireland.

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Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples

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Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.

Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions. These skills are especially helpful at school and in the workplace, where employers prioritize the ability to think critically. Find out why and see how you can demonstrate that you have this ability.

Examples of Critical Thinking

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry. Some examples include:

• A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which the patients should be treated.
• A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.
• An attorney reviews the evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to decide whether to settle out of court.
• A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information to develop a customer service training session for employees.

Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills?

Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution.

Someone with critical thinking skills can be trusted to make decisions independently, and will not need constant handholding.

Hiring a critical thinker means that micromanaging won't be required. Critical thinking abilities are among the most sought-after skills in almost every industry and workplace. You can demonstrate critical thinking by using related keywords in your resume and cover letter and during your interview.

How to Demonstrate Critical Thinking in a Job Search

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listings you are applying for, be sure to emphasize your critical thinking skills throughout your job search.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

You can use critical thinking keywords (analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc.) in your resume. When describing your work history, include top critical thinking skills that accurately describe you. You can also include them in your resume summary, if you have one.

For example, your summary might read, “Marketing Associate with five years of experience in project management. Skilled in conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis to assess market trends and client needs, and to develop appropriate acquisition tactics.”

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include these critical thinking skills in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, mention one or two of these skills, and give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated them at work. Think about times when you had to analyze or evaluate materials to solve a problem.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use these skill words in an interview. Discuss a time when you were faced with a particular problem or challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Some interviewers will give you a hypothetical scenario or problem, and ask you to use critical thinking skills to solve it. In this case, explain your thought process thoroughly to the interviewer. He or she is typically more focused on how you arrive at your solution rather than the solution itself. The interviewer wants to see you analyze and evaluate (key parts of critical thinking) the given scenario or problem.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Top Critical Thinking Skills

Keep these in-demand skills in mind as you refine your critical thinking practice —whether for work or school.

Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, understand what it means, and properly explain to others the implications of that information.

• Asking Thoughtful Questions
• Data Analysis
• Interpretation
• Questioning Evidence
• Recognizing Patterns

Communication

Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of classmates or colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage in critical thinking in a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

• Active Listening
• Collaboration
• Explanation
• Interpersonal
• Presentation
• Verbal Communication
• Written Communication

Critical thinking often involves creativity and innovation. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye that can take a different approach from all other approaches.

• Flexibility
• Conceptualization
• Imagination
• Drawing Connections
• Synthesizing

Open-Mindedness

To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

• Objectivity
• Observation

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is another critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. Employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.

• Attention to Detail
• Clarification
• Decision Making
• Groundedness
• Identifying Patterns

More Critical Thinking Skills

• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Noticing Outliers
• Adaptability
• Emotional Intelligence
• Brainstorming
• Optimization
• Restructuring
• Integration
• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Ongoing Improvement
• Causal Relationships
• Case Analysis
• Diagnostics
• SWOT Analysis
• Business Intelligence
• Quantitative Data Management
• Qualitative Data Management
• Risk Management
• Scientific Method
• Consumer Behavior

Key Takeaways

• Demonstrate you have critical thinking skills by adding relevant keywords to your resume.
• Mention pertinent critical thinking skills in your cover letter, too, and include an example of a time when you demonstrated them at work.
• Finally, highlight critical thinking skills during your interview. For instance, you might discuss a time when you were faced with a challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking skills to solve it.

University of Louisville. " What is Critical Thinking ."

American Management Association. " AMA Critical Skills Survey: Workers Need Higher Level Skills to Succeed in the 21st Century ."

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Technology-scaffolded peer assessment for developing critical thinking in pre-service teacher training: the importance of giving feedback

• Development Article
• Published: 05 December 2022
• Volume 71 , pages 667–688, ( 2023 )

Cite this article

• Camila Barahona 1 , 3 ,
• Miguel Nussbaum 1 ,
• Vicente Martin 1 ,
• Alejandra Meneses 2 ,
• Silvana Arriagada 1 ,
• Angela Di Serio 4 , 5 &
• Isabel Hilliger 1  

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Developing critical thinking is becoming increasingly important as is giving and receiving feedback during the learning process. The aim of this work is to study how technology can scaffold peer assessment activities to develop critical thinking among pre-service teachers and study the relevance of giving and receiving feedback. A series of practice and application activities were introduced using technology-scaffolded peer assessment. Technological scaffolding minimized classroom logistics, while at the same time resolved any personal issues between peers as the tasks were assigned at random. Mixed-methods analysis revealed that technology-scaffolded peer assessment with anonymous feedback aided the significant development of critical thinking activities. It also showed that the feedback that was given was a predictor of the success of these activities. The added value of this work is that we show that for pre-service teachers, in a Reading Methods course, we can improve critical thinking skills with technology scaffolded peer assessment, and that giving feedback shows to be more relevant than receiving it.

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Barahona, C., Nussbaum, M., Martin, V. et al. Technology-scaffolded peer assessment for developing critical thinking in pre-service teacher training: the importance of giving feedback. Education Tech Research Dev 71 , 667–688 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10173-1

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The Peak Performance Center

The pursuit of performance excellence, critical thinking.

Critical thinking refers to the process of actively analyzing, assessing, synthesizing, evaluating and reflecting on information gathered from observation, experience, or communication. It is thinking in a clear, logical, reasoned, and reflective manner to solve problems or make decisions. Basically, critical thinking is taking a hard look at something to understand what it really means.

Critical Thinkers

Critical thinkers do not simply accept all ideas, theories, and conclusions as facts. They have a mindset of questioning ideas and conclusions. They make reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out by assessing the evidence that supports a specific theory or conclusion.

When presented with a new piece of new information, critical thinkers may ask questions such as;

“What information supports that?”

“How was this information obtained?”

“Who obtained the information?”

“How do we know the information is valid?”

“Why is it that way?”

“What makes it do that?”

“How do we know that?”

“Are there other possibilities?”

Combination of Analytical and Creative Thinking

Many people perceive critical thinking just as analytical thinking. However, critical thinking incorporates both analytical thinking and creative thinking. Critical thinking does involve breaking down information into parts and analyzing the parts in a logical, step-by-step manner. However, it also involves challenging consensus to formulate new creative ideas and generate innovative solutions. It is critical thinking that helps to evaluate and improve your creative ideas.

Elements of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves:

• Gathering relevant information
• Evaluating information
• Asking questions
• Assessing bias or unsubstantiated assumptions
• Making inferences from the information and filling in gaps
• Using abstract ideas to interpret information
• Formulating ideas
• Weighing opinions
• Reaching well-reasoned conclusions
• Considering alternative possibilities
• Testing conclusions
• Verifying if evidence/argument support the conclusions

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is considered a higher order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, deduction, inference, reason, and evaluation. In order to demonstrate critical thinking, you would need to develop skills in;

Interpreting : understanding the significance or meaning of information

Analyzing : breaking information down into its parts

Connecting : making connections between related items or pieces of information.

Integrating : connecting and combining information to better understand the relationship between the information.

Evaluating : judging the value, credibility, or strength of something

Reasoning : creating an argument through logical steps

Deducing : forming a logical opinion about something based on the information or evidence that is available

Inferring : figuring something out through reasoning based on assumptions and ideas

Generating : producing new information, ideas, products, or ways of viewing things.

Blooms Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised

Mind Mapping

Chunking Information

Brainstorming

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Collaborative working and critical thinking: adoption of generative artificial intelligence tools in higher education.

1. Introduction

2. literature review, 2.1. generative ai tools in higher education, 2.2. importance and challenges of collaborative work and critical thinking, 2.3. principles and applications of generative ai tools, 2.4. best practices and success stories, 2.5. limitations of existing studies and how this article addresses them, 2.6. comparative table of existing studies, 2.7. cluster analysis and emerging trends.

• Cluster 1 (Red): Artificial Intelligence and Education
• Cluster 2 (Green): Education and Technology
• Cluster 3 (Blue): Higher Education and Innovation
• Cluster 4 (Yellow): Research and Critical Thinking

2.8. Enhancing Collaborative Work with Generative AI Tools

2.9. contribution of artificial intelligence tools to critical thinking, 3. materials and methods, 3.1. context of the population, 3.2. justification of the selection process, 3.3. survey distribution and response rate, 3.4. the rationale for the mixed methods approach, 3.5. inclusion of statistical measures, 3.6. designing activities with generative ai tools using the 4padafe methodology, 3.7. integrating generative ai tools into activities, 3.8. assessing the effectiveness of generative ai-powered activities, 4.1. quantitative and qualitative analyses, 4.2. results of the survey on the use of generative ai tools, 5. discussion, 6. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Ruiz-Rojas, L.I.; Salvador-Ullauri, L.; Acosta-Vargas, P. Collaborative Working and Critical Thinking: Adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools in Higher Education. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 5367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135367

Ruiz-Rojas LI, Salvador-Ullauri L, Acosta-Vargas P. Collaborative Working and Critical Thinking: Adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools in Higher Education. Sustainability . 2024; 16(13):5367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135367

Ruiz-Rojas, Lena Ivannova, Luis Salvador-Ullauri, and Patricia Acosta-Vargas. 2024. "Collaborative Working and Critical Thinking: Adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools in Higher Education" Sustainability 16, no. 13: 5367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135367

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ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF STRUCTURED REVISION AFTER PEER REVIEW ON FIRST YEAR BIOLOGY LAB STUDENT SCIENTIFIC WRITING SELF-EFFICACY AND UTILITY VALUE

Scientific writing is a core competency within the undergraduate biology curriculum (AAAS, 2010), as it has wide-ranging applications in academic and professional life, alongside being a powerful tool for formative learning (Wingate, 2010). Due to its importance in critical analysis and understanding of biological concepts, developing scientific writing is necessary for success within the biological sciences disciplines (Clemmons et al., 2020). Peer review has emerged as a common pedagogical technique to address the need for scientific writing training. The expansive literature on peer review indicates its ability to engage students in critical thinking, increase writing confidence, and improve academic performance on writing assignments (Dochy et al., 1999; S. Gielen et al., 2010; van Zundert et al., 2010). Research on the usage of scaffolded curriculum within peer review has shown increased review validity from students (Cho et al., 2006; Liu & Li, 2014), and integrated plans to revise leads to increased revisions (Wu & Schunn, 2021) and the incorporation of more feedback that is correct (Jurkowski, 2018). However, despite the breadth of peer review research, the number of quasi-experimental and experimental studies assessing the benefits and perceptions of revision is small (Double et al., 2020; van Zundert et al., 2010). This study provides a detailed look at the effects of scaffolded peer review and structured revision on student perceptions of scientific writing self-efficacy and the utility value of the peer review process. After performing peer review, students were given either a supported revision worksheet, wherein students list the feedback received and if it is useful for revisions, or a general revision worksheet, where students list their planned revisions. Quantitative surveys and qualitative reflection questions were administered to gauge the scientific writing ability and the perceived usefulness of peer review and were compared between treatment groups. Little to no difference was found in how students perceived their scientific writing self-efficacy and the utility value of the peer review process. Despite the lack of differences, analysis of the themes within responses reveals alignment with the theoretical frameworks guiding this research. This study provides a rich account of the characteristics of scientific writing self-efficacy and utility value in undergraduate biology students during peer review and revision, which have implications for the future development of an effective scaffolded peer review curriculum.

Degree Type

• Master of Science
• Biological Sciences

Campus location

• West Lafayette

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Additional committee member 2, additional committee member 3, usage metrics.

• Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogy
• Other biological sciences not elsewhere classified