Purpose Critical thinking has been found to have positive effects on work creativity and organizational improvement. It means objective, unprejudiced and in-depth thinking that reaches the core of the problems, examines them from multiple points of view and if necessary, contrasts between them. In this conceptual work, I argue that organizational change and educational innovation depend largely on critical thinking, i.e. on making both educational leaders and teachers become effective critical thinkers under particular circumstances. Design/methodology/approach Real-life examples from schools are provided to help analyze critical thinking in educational leadership. Findings Three aspects of critical thinking in educational leadership are discussed: the educational leader as a critical thinker, critical thinking leadership in education and critical thinking as a major topic in leadership development programs. Originality/value This article provides educational leadership with tools and skills to promote critical thinking in the schools, particularly in times of educational change and development.
İzhar Oplatka (Wed,) studied this question.