METHODOLOGY FOR THE FORMATION OF CRITICAL THINKING BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF RUSSIAN LITERARY WORKS
Keywords:
Critical thinking, methodology of teaching literature, Russian literary works, textual analysis, interpretation, dialogic learningAbstract
The development of critical thinking is one of the key objectives of modern education, determining the quality of students’ intellectual, communicative, and creative growth. This paper explores the methodological foundations for forming critical thinking through the analysis of Russian literary works. The study emphasizes that literature, as a synthesis of art, philosophy, and psychology, possesses an immense didactic potential to stimulate reflection, argumentation, and independent judgment. By engaging students in active interpretation, comparative reading, and textual analysis, the process of studying Russian literature becomes an effective means of cultivating higher-order cognitive skills.
The article outlines theoretical principles based on the works of contemporary scholars in pedagogy, psychology, and literary studies, integrating cognitive and constructivist learning approaches. It identifies key strategies such as dialogic reading, problem-based learning, and interpretative discussions as core methodological tools that foster students’ analytical and evaluative abilities. Furthermore, the research explores the implementation of interactive technologies—digital annotations, online literary forums, and project-based analysis—that expand the traditional boundaries of literary education.
Special attention is given to the role of teachers as facilitators of intellectual dialogue who guide students toward forming their own interpretations, challenging stereotypes, and perceiving literature not as a static body of knowledge but as a living space for meaning-making. The methodological model proposed in this study combines textual analysis with reflective activities, encouraging learners to question, hypothesize, and reason independently. Ultimately, the integration of critical thinking into the literature curriculum not only enhances students’ interpretative competence but also contributes to the formation of a free, responsible, and intellectually mature personality capable of independent judgment in a complex informational world.
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