Desarrollo del Pensamiento Crítico en Estudiantado con Necesidades Educativas Especiales

The primary challenges faced by educational institutions in designing and implementing strategies to develop critical thinking in students with special educational needs are the lack of clearly defined institutional guidelines and the insufficient training and interest of some teachers in learning about this subject. In response to this reality, the present study aims to analyze the impact of critical thinking development in students with special educational needs by employing research instruments that help establish strategies to foster active learning. The method employed in this research process is based on a mixed method aproche, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. A survey was conducted with 22 students and 19 teachers, with their informed consent. Additionally, a personal interview was carried out with the vice principal of the educational institution to cross check the gathered information and gain insight into the actual circumstances of the population studied regarding critical thinking development. The results highlight the importance of creating spaces that promote reflection, analysis, problema solving, and decisión making through activities and strategies such as debates, presentations, and group work. These approaches aim to develop the foundational skills necessary for fostering critical thinking in students with special educational needs.