Schools must prioritize teaching the soft skill of critical thinking before teaching the hard skill of using AI.
The primary goal of education should be to equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to care for themselves and their communities in an ever-changing world. As our modern society places more value on “hard” skills (quantifiable technical skills, such as AI proficiency), will schools neglect teaching essential “soft” skills (intangible interpersonal or problem-solving skills)? Critical thinking in particular is a soft skill that younger generations have limited opportunities to develop. Overprotective parents and increasing reliance on technology as entertainment have reduced children’s chances to solve problems or engage in active decision making. Meanwhile, the American education system’s enthusiastic implementation of standardized testing encourages students to regurgitate information instead of understanding it.
Hard skills like AI must be taught to prepare students to enter a modern workforce. However, society’s current emphasis on the importance of AI may encourage schools to teach students how to use AI prematurely. This could result in students relying on AI before learning the critical thinking skills needed to use AI as a tool instead of a crutch. Schools could exacerbate the existing problem of diminished opportunities for students to develop their decision-making and critical thinking capabilities.
If the American education system allows children to rely on AI without first teaching the ability to think critically, our future generations may lack the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world. Schools must refocus on the ultimate goal of education and prioritize teaching the soft skill of critical thinking before teaching the hard skill of using AI.
Our youngest generations are already in need of opportunities to develop their decision-making and critical thinking capabilities. If the American education system allows children to rely on AI without first developing critical thinking, our future generations may lack the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world. Schools must prioritize teaching the soft skill of critical thinking before teaching the hard skill of using AI.
Currently, the American education system does not prioritize the development of critical thinking skills. This is evident in the widespread adoption of standardized testing. While standardized tests create a valuable benchmark to ensure students are meeting educational goals, they have been found to “provide only a limited assessment of critical thinking” (Rear 2018). They also encourage teaching to the test. Students are taught to follow directions, memorize facts and replicate procedures. Such skills may serve students well on standardized tests, but they fail to foster a genuine understanding of the material being taught.
Originally, an education was supposed to create rational, capable citizens. In The Republic, Plato asserted that the purpose of education was to develop virtuous members of society. In Some Thoughts Concerning Education, Locke determined that an education should prioritize the development of character before intellect. Locke argued that a successful education creates an independent and rational thinker who is an active participant in civil society. Based on these conclusions, a good education is characterized by the development of skills (such as critical thinking) that serve students and their communities throughout their lives. In an era when children have fewer opportunities to develop critical thinking skills independently, schools must compensate for this lack of development to foster engaged citizens.
Schools must focus on critical thinking because modern students have fewer chances to practice the skill in their daily lives. Children from previous generations “had far more freedom to roam, play, and engage in various activities independently of adults than do children today” (Gray 2023). Without the freedom to encounter and troubleshoot problems on their own, children today have limited opportunities to practice complex problem-solving and decision-making. As future generations become increasingly dependent on technology, these problems are likely to continue spiraling.
A 2008 study found that 37.3% of US children aged 4 to 11 years old “had low levels of active play, 65.0% had high screen time [use], and 26.3% had both these behaviors” (Anderson 2008). This number only increased after the pandemic. One study found that “The average rates of school-aged children who had screen time within the range of ≥ 2 h per day were 41.3% and 59.4% respectively, before and after January 2020” (Qi et al. 2023).
Children can use phones to fill dull moments with content instead of actively choosing an engaging activity. The easy entertainment of the internet, increasingly protective parents, and the rise of test-driven teaching has left students with fewer opportunities to develop critical thinking and reflection skills.
If children are already less challenged to think critically at home and in school, encouraging them to rely on AI without first developing critical thinking skills will create a generation that lacks the adaptability needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. Schools must prioritize developing critical thinkers before chasing the benchmark of a student body proficient in modern technology. Students could benefit in the short term from using AI, but the skills generated when learning to write or analyze a text will serve the incoming generation better in the long term.
The brain is a muscle, and its ability to think critically must be developed and kept strong. Students deserve to have a foundation of strong critical thinking before being sent out into the workforce, or most importantly, the world. Teach them how to use AI, but first equip them with the skills they need to think critically in an ever-changing society.
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References:
Anderson, S. E., C. D. Economos, and A. Must. “Active Play and Screen Time in US Children Aged 4 to 11 Years in Relation to Sociodemographic and Weight Status Characteristics: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Analysis.” BMC Public Health, vol. 8, 2008, article 366. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-366.
Gray, Peter, et al. “Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Well-Being: Summary of the Evidence.” The Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 260, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.115385.
Locke, John. Some Thoughts Concerning Education. Dover Philosophical Classics, 2007.
Plato. The Republic. Translated by Desmond Lee, 2nd ed., Penguin, 2007.
Qi, Jing, Yaqin Yan, and Haiyan Yin. “Screen Time among School-Aged Children of Aged 6–14: A Systematic Review.” Global Health Research and Policy, vol. 8, article 12, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41256-023-00297-z.
Rear, David. “One Size Fits All? The Limitations of Standardized Assessment in Critical Thinking.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, vol. 44, no. 5, 2018, pp. 664–675. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1526255.
