Critical Thinking in TVET

 The “Hidden Skill” Behind Every Real Skill.

When people hear TVET, they often picture hands-on work: welding, cooking, wiring, machining, or building. But the real engine behind great technical work is something less visible—Critical Thinking (CT). CT is simply the habit of reasoning before acting: checking facts, weighing evidence, and making decisions you can justify. It’s not “being negative.” It’s being careful and accurate.

 In TVET spaces—workshops, kitchens, labs, studios—decisions have consequences. A wrong measurement can waste materials. A missed safety step can injure someone. A poor workflow choice can delay production. So CT turns learners from “instruction followers” into judgment makers: people who ask, Is this correct? How do I know? What’s the safest and best option?

Critical Thinking in TVET

CT also governs other thinking types. You may use analytical thinking to break a problem down, creative thinking to generate ideas, systems thinking to see connections, reflective thinking to learn from mistakes, and ethical thinking to consider safety and impact—but CT checks them all so decisions remain evidence-based, feasible, and responsible

As TVET learners grow, CT grows too. In a three-tier pathway, it often looks like this:

• Foundational (Operate): CT is about correctness, safety, and standards.
• Integrated (Integrate): CT coordinates processes and trade-offs across a system.
• Advance (Innovate): CT tests new ideas with evidence—and conscience.

Takeaway:
Skills get the job done—but critical thinking decides whether a nation merely works, or truly progresses