A model for critical thinking within the context of curriculum as praxis.

The curriculum may be informed by a technical, practical, or emancipatory interest. Curricula informed by these three interests are referred to as curriculum as product, curriculum as practice, and curriculum as praxis (Grundy, 1989) respectively. When curricula are viewed from different perspectives, it is plausible to suggest that each perspective requires a different conceptualization of critical thinking. The literature search revealed that critical thinking has been equated with problem solving, which is congruent with a curriculum-as-product orientation. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of a conceptual model for critical thinking that is congruent with an orientation to the curriculum as praxis. The model is derived from the work of Freire (1972), Habermas (1972), and Grundy (1989). The key concepts of the model are knowledge, critical reflection, and action. There is a reciprocal relationship between knowledge and action, which is mediated by critical reflection.