Rethinking Thinking about Higher-Level Thinking

Conceptual disagreements about higher-level thinking are prevalent in the education literature. The indiscriminate use of terms such as critical thinking, reflective thinking, and higher-level thinking has created unnecessary confusion. In my view, critical thinking and reflective thinking are distinctly different yet complementary forms of higher-level thinking. What, then, is higher-level thinking and why is it important? What is the proper attitude for this form of thinking? What are the most important dimensions and types of higher-level thinking, particularly in sociology? How should we teach higher-level thinking? These are some of the most important questions that will inform the teaching of sociology in the 21st century. This article addresses these questions with some examples from sociology and medicine.