Decision-making about Covid-19 vaccination as a strategy to promote the mobilization of Critical Thinking skills

Abstract

This study investigated the mobilization of Critical Thinking (CT) skills in a teaching activity designed based on Ennis’ taxonomy (1985) and the FA²IA typology by Tenreiro-Vieira and Vieira (2005), about vaccines in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The research of a qualitative nature, was conducted with undergraduate students in Biological Sciences at a public university. The activity, implemented in a 7 th-semester class, involved argument analysis, decision making, evidence evaluation, and dialogue with differing opinions. For this study, the responses of two participants were analyzed. The results indicate that both mobilized different CT skills, although one of them showed greater diversity and depth, especially when articulating scientific explanations and critically evaluating information sources. The activities that most promoted the mobilization of these capacities were those that required argumentative justifications, evidence analysis, and discussion/dialogue of opposing perspectives. It is concluded that the didactic proposal encouraged the mobilization of critical thinking capacities, reinforcing the importance of intentionally designed educational activities to engage critical thinking skills.