8607-503 Developing Critical Thinking

Introduction

The ILM Level 5 qualification in leadership and management includes a unit called 8607-503 Developing Critical Thinking, which focuses on finding creative solutions to problems. In today’s diverse workplace, leaders need to tackle various challenges by innovatively addressing issues specific to their organization. This unit aims to enhance learners’ ability to analyze problems effectively, identify root causes, and propose relevant solutions.

Developing Critical Thinking is crucial for leaders responsible for examining organizational situations. It enables them to motivate their team members to embrace solutions that are applicable in different scenarios. This unit emphasizes the importance of logical analysis and encourages the creation of innovative and context-specific solutions.

The primary goal of 8607-503 Developing Critical Thinking is to build learners’ figurative and analytical thinking abilities. This skill set is essential for organizational leaders, especially middle-level managers, as it contributes to task accomplishment and professional performance improvement. The unit involves 18 hours of guided learning and contributes 4 credit values towards the completion of the ILM Level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

Who is this unit suitable for?

Everyone in the organization needs to be able to assess situations or problems effectively. This means developing behaviours, attitudes, and values centred around analyzing situations and finding the best solutions. That’s where Unit V comes in – it helps learners think contextually and create solutions based on their immediate organizational surroundings. This unit is crucial for stakeholders handling various tasks that might require analyzing situations to benefit the organization’s team.

Specifically designed for middle managers, Unit V addresses their learning needs. It provides solutions applicable within the organizational context to enhance the performance of middle managers responsible for developing operational plans and strategies. These leaders should evaluate their teams or areas of responsibility and create strategies that, when put into action, align the organization’s performance with team activities.

While tailored for middle managers, this unit is also suitable for other leaders in the organization, including junior managers, team leaders, and executive management. Even employees and team members can pursue this unit to grasp principles that apply to solving professional and personal problems, thereby enhancing both professional and personal capacities.

What are the learning outcomes of this unit?

After finishing the unit, learners should be able to:

• Differentiate Between Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values:
• Understand the distinctions between beliefs, attitudes, and values.
• Evaluate the Influence on Personal Behaviors:
• Assess how beliefs, attitudes, and values affect their own behaviours.
• Identify Applicable Management Theories:
• Recognize management theories that are relevant to their areas of responsibility.
• Assess Personal Impact on Management Theories:
• Evaluate how their personal beliefs, values, and attitudes impact a management theory they find applicable in their roles as learners or managers.
• Critically Assess Others’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values:
• Conduct a critical assessment to identify the beliefs, attitudes, and values of another person. Understand how these aspects influence their interpretation of management theories.

What are the key learning areas of this unit?

Unit 8607-503 Developing Critical Thinking is all about understanding how personal attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs affect management and leadership skills. It explores essential concepts that connect different management styles and models to individual beliefs, attitudes, and values. Here are the key things learners will focus on:

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Value Systems:

This part helps learners grasp the principles of logic. It shows how personal beliefs, attitudes, and values influence behaviour. In this section, learners learn to use logic to establish connections that help accomplish specific tasks in the organization. They also learn to appreciate reflection as a tool for learning, using structured reflection to make sense of experiences and solve workplace problems.

Learners delve into understanding emotions and beliefs and how they impact rational discussion. Since these factors can cloud judgment, learners preparing for leadership positions must understand their effects. Additionally, learners get introduced to inductive and deductive reasoning, along with techniques for testing theories through experimentation, observation, and empirical studies. This knowledge contributes to building a theoretical understanding of critical thinking principles and models.

Management Theories:

This part focuses on models applicable in the workplace that influence leaders’ practices. Learners get acquainted with various management theories, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each model. This knowledge helps them recognize situations where each theory is suitable, refining their ability to develop personal management theories.

The significance of beliefs, attitudes, and value systems in shaping human behaviour is emphasized. Learners are guided to establish the relationship between these systems and cultures/norms, which impact management theories. Overall, this unit equips learners with the tools to think critically about how personal aspects influence leadership and management in real-world situations.

How is the unit evaluated?

After finishing the unit, learners go through an evaluation to see how well they’ve learned. This involves two main parts:

1. Written Assessment:

Learners need to answer questions in a template related to the unit. It’s like a written test where they can show what they’ve learned.

2. Supervised Practice:

Learners also do a supervised practice. This means they apply what they’ve learned in a real-world scenario while being supervised. It helps check how well they can use the concepts they’ve studied in practical situations.

So, it’s like a combination of showing what they know on paper and then demonstrating it in a supervised setting to make sure they can put their knowledge into action.

References

1. Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). (2023). Developing Critical Thinking (8607-503). Retrieved from https://www.i-l-m.com/-/media/ilm-website/sharepoint-documents/_published-documents/developing-critical-thinking-ilm-unit-spec,-d-,docx.ashx
2. Credly. (2023). Level 5 Developing Critical Thinking. Retrieved from https://www.credly.com/org/education-design-lab/badge/critical-thinking.4
3. Distance Learning College. (2021). Understanding the Management Role to Improve Management Performance. Retrieved from https://quizlet.com/86378561/td-chapter-1-managing-performance-through-training-development-flash-cards/
4. Glaser, E. L. (2019). Critical thinking: A framework for cognitive assessment and instruction. Psychology Press.
5. Bailin, S., & Bailin, S. C. (2018). Critical thinking: A user’s manual. Routledge.
6. Halpern, D. F. (2014). Critical thinking across the curriculum: A guide to integrating critical thinking skills into your courses. Routledge.

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