Question

A 14-year-old high school student is learning many new things from his peers. For example, now that he is in high school, he believes that he should watch certain shows, attend school sporting events, and feel comfortable arguing with teachers if he doesn't agree with their viewpoints. What is the high school student learning?

Answer 1

This student is developing his critical thinking skills. These consist on analyzing facts in an objective manner and on developing a judgement from that. It also involves the constructions of self-elaborated arguments using an own and personal set of criteria, discipline or monitoring processes.  

It is a type of learning which is becoming increasingly important in high schools in recent times, as it is a crucial tool for developing the necessary knoweldge that kids would need to cope, today and in the future, with the needs (personal, social, and working life ones) of the 21st century society.