The use of critical thinking in teaching geometric concepts in primary school

The article presents the modalities of using critical thinking in the process of forming geometric concepts at the young pupil. In the first part, the stress is laid on the presentation of the general aspects of critical thinking, as a complex process of assimilating knowledge, of acquiring various operations and mental processes of argumentation and of completing some appropriate types of behavior. The second part of the article highlights the modalities in which the teacher uses critical thinking in teaching geometric concepts, namely how it can stress those essential and specific features. In the end, there is a presentation of some conclusions regarding the importance of using the modalities of critical thinking in teaching geometric concepts in primary school. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.