DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING IN SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION IN UZBEKISTAN: FINDINGS FROM A PILOT MIXED-METHODS STUDY AND POLICY DIRECTIONS

Abstract

This article examines the organizational and pedagogical conditions necessary for fostering a critical thinking environment within a pedagogical team. Critical thinking is considered not merely as an individual cognitive ability of a teacher, but as an essential professional competence related to instructional decision-making, lesson design, methodological reflection, evidence-based assessment, and the ability to respond effectively to complex pedagogical situations. The article argues that the development of critical thinking among teaching staff requires a systematic institutional approach involving diagnostic procedures, methodological support, professional collaboration, monitoring mechanisms, motivational incentives, and a digital-methodological learning environment. Special attention is paid to the role of educational management in creating an open, reflective, and professionally supportive atmosphere in which teachers are encouraged to analyze, question, justify, discuss, and improve their pedagogical practice. The study concludes that the formation of a critical thinking environment within a pedagogical team should be regarded as a strategic component of educational quality management.