PENSAR PARA TRANSFORMAR: RUTAS CRÍTICAS DEL PENSAMIENTO EN LA INVESTIGACIÓN EDUCATIVA

Abstract

This article explores the fundamental role of thinking in research practice, understanding it as a dynamic, complex, and multifaceted process that articulates cognitive, ethical, linguistic, and existential dimensions. Using a theoretical and reflexive approach, it analyzes how thinking processes—critical, logical, creative, and reflexive—not only facilitate the construction of knowledge but also constitute the driving force of research action at different levels of academic training. Thinking is approached as a faculty that allows researchers to formulate problems, construct hypotheses, evaluate evidence, and communicate findings in a rigorous and contextualized manner. Throughout the article, various theoretical conceptions are presented that enrich the approach to thinking. Furthermore, the close relationship between thinking and language is analyzed, as complementary tools for structuring reasoning and facilitating scientific expression. The importance of critical thinking training from the early stages of development is emphasized, promoting skills such as inference, analysis, evaluation of arguments, and informed decision-making. The article concludes by highlighting that critical and reflective thinking is an essential competency for education and research, as it enhances autonomy, creativity, and the capacity for ethical intervention in the face of the challenges of today's world. Therefore, a pedagogy of thinking is proposed that integrates the cognitive, affective, and ethical aspects, enabling researchers not only to understand reality but also to transform it through awareness, dialogue, and action.