You’re interested in a sustainability career. How can you develop your critical thinking skills?

1 What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to think logically, rationally, and creatively about a topic or situation. It involves asking questions, gathering information, evaluating evidence, and making informed decisions. Critical thinking is essential for sustainability professionals, who need to deal with complex and uncertain issues, such as climate change, resource scarcity, and social justice.

2 How to improve your critical thinking skills?

There is no single formula for improving your critical thinking skills, but there are some general steps you can follow. First, you need to be curious and open-minded about different perspectives and sources of information. Second, you need to practice your analytical and reasoning skills, such as identifying assumptions, arguments, and fallacies. Third, you need to challenge your own biases and assumptions, and seek feedback from others. Fourth, you need to be creative and innovative, and explore alternative solutions and scenarios.

3 How to apply critical thinking to sustainability problems?

Sustainability problems are often wicked problems, which means they have no clear definition, no definitive solution, and multiple stakeholders and consequences. To apply critical thinking to sustainability problems, you need to use a systematic and holistic approach. One possible framework is the DPSIR model, which stands for Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Response. This model helps you to identify the causes, effects, and solutions of a sustainability problem, and evaluate their implications.

6 How to measure your critical thinking progress?

To measure your critical thinking progress, you need to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, and track your performance and feedback. You can use self-assessment tools, such as quizzes, tests, surveys, and rubrics, to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in critical thinking. You can also use external assessment tools, such as peer reviews, feedback forms, and portfolios, to collect and reflect on the opinions and suggestions of others. You can also use benchmarks, such as grades, scores, and awards, to compare your results with others or with your own expectations.