What is Domain-Specific Models

This chapter outlines how to teach critical-thinking skills is a central issue at home, in school, on the job, and in life. Outcomes of critical-thinking pedagogies are optimized under three conditions: 1) when thinking skills are integrated with disciplinary content, not sequentially following a content presentation; 2) when thinking skills are taught as utilized in specific domains/disciplines, not decontextualized or treated as domain-general; and 3) when thinking skills are emphasized for all learners, not just advantaged ones with greater prior knowledge or academic ability. Accordingly, teaching critical thinking might well be structured to be integrative, domain-specific, and equitable.