Critical Thinking and the Role of Epistemological Beliefs

The aim of this research was an analytical review of the definition of critical thinking and the importance of teaching it, the concept of epistemological beliefs and their role in critical thinking. The method of this research was descriptive-analytical. For this purpose, articles related to research variables were searched and reviewed.The findings showed that critical thinking is a complex and multifaceted term that is considered the ability to effectively analyze information and judge, as well as epistemological beliefs, which are people's beliefs about what knowledge is, how to acquire it, certainty and its limits. Another part of the results showed that student-centered learning activities help the development of students' critical thinking, and their teaching should be considered an integral part of teaching and learning. Also, epistemological beliefs and critical thinking are related, and epistemological beliefs are an important prerequisite for critical thinking and play an important role in its development.The obtained results provide insights for education practitioners in the integration of epistemological beliefs and critical thinking in students' educational programs and the use of student-centered approaches.