If You Structure It, They Will Learn ...: Critical Thinking in Physical Education Classes

Though in its infancy, research on the use of critical thinking in physical education has shown promising results. To many, the notion of combining critical thinking and physical education might even be seen as a contradiction in terms. This article explores the dispositional aspect of critical thinking and asks two questions: (1) Are students predisposed to critical thinking in the psychomotor domain; and (2) How can we structure the learning environment in physical education classes to foster critical thinking dispositions? The answer to the first question posed above--Are students predisposed to critical thinking in physical education?--appears to be: possibly. The answer to the second question--How can teachers foster those important critical thinking dispositions?--is not a simple one. Teachers need to structure the learning environment so that critical thinking dispositions in physical education can become a reality. Such structuring will involve three factors: (1) the role of the teacher; (2) cooperative group learning; and (3) the importance of "debriefing" students at the end of the group learning experience. The literature on critical thinking and physical education suggests that students in physical education classes are predisposed to critical thinking but only in an environment that is carefully structured to foster critical thinking dispositions. To establish such an environment, teachers must shift from teacher-centered to more student centered lessons. They need to become facilitators and to let students seek solutions to critical thinking tasks in cooperative groups. In the end, physical educators will find that they can construct their "field of dreams" so that students learn, understand, and model those dispositions so important to the critical thinking process.