Four Thinking Modes-Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician and Scientist

As the teacher walked into the classroom; a preacher, a prosecutor and a politician walked through her mind.

Opening the textbook, she began to preach the lesson for the day; promoting what is to be believed.

She rebuffed her student’s query prosecuting his argument.

She shifted to the politician mode to make others believe the lesson.

She wore the three hats- preaching that she is right, prosecuting others who are wrong and politicking for support for her teachings.

As she finished the lecture and went back to her research work; she worked like a scientist- a frame of mind different from preaching, prosecuting and politicking.

Here, she searched for the truth- testing the hypotheses, discovering and creating knowledge, finding reasons why she might be wrong and not only why she might be right.

The faculty in higher education has two major roles- dissemination of knowledge and creation of knowledge. While dissemination of knowledge, requires them to preach, prosecute and politic; creation of knowledge is only possible when they drop these three mindsets. It requires them to work like a scientist-who are willing to rethink and shift in the face of sharper logic and stronger data. Research enables this Rethinking process.

Adam Grant explains how changing our beliefs can be dispiriting in the preacher mode, accepting our defeat can be worsting in the prosecutor mode and lack of support can be harrowing in the politician mode. However, the scientist mode is the one which enables us to be open to change our beliefs, accept alternatives and shift with evidences.

Research produces evidence-based results adding to the body of knowledge. From English to History, Physics to Political Science, Hindi to Management, Forensics to Sanskrit, each discipline requires research to expand knowledge and understanding. Research addresses plenty of problems to find solutions for the benefit of the individual, organization, community or the nation. It acts as a yardstick to measure the performance of the faculty and the reputation of the University and its intertwinement with teaching can improve the quality of higher education.

The preacher mode makes us believe that truth is eternal; prosecutor mode makes us dismiss others’ arguments and politician mode makes us win the confidence of others. These three modes can make us overconfident and fall victim to confirmation bias. But research advances scientific thinking which favors humility. ?It makes us test our beliefs and prefer curiosity, humility and discovery. Research begins with intellectual curiosity and ends with intellectual humility. It equips us not only with the knowledge (what we know) but also with the wisdom (knowing what we don’t know).

The teachers, today, have another role to play- enable scientific thinking among students. Research when intertwined with teaching can help in the achievement of this objective. Research enables us to learn, unlearn and relearn which should reflect in the teaching-learning process. After all, the purpose of learning shouldn’t be to affirm our beliefs but to evolve them. A teacher must use all four modes of thinking- preacher, prosecutor, politician and a scientist to equip her students with all six levels of thinking skills- remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. Her own scientific thinking backed by research should help students to reach the highest order of thinking skills – Create. With these four modes, she not only teaches her students the curriculum but also the greatest lesson of choosing humility over pride and curiosity over conviction.

-Upasana Dhanda