本研究的目的在藉由教育心理學與教育哲學領域中批判性思考理論的內涵及批判性思考和學習的關係，來分析批判性思考的本質及這些本質對批判性思考教學的啟發。以Piaget與Sternberg的理論及認知的表徵理論說明教育心理學領域的批判性思考內涵；以知識觀點、適應觀點、道德觀點及技能觀點，說明教育哲學領域的批判性思考內涵。本研究提出批判性思考的本質有：深入表面、超越自我中心、理性的實踐、語言品質的展現、對生命的關懷，以及意義的追尋。同時，本研究也指出以批判性思考本質為參照的批判性思考教學包含了知、行與情意層面；認知教學、性格、情緒與道德教育都涉及其中。

The purposes of this article were to analyze the essence of critical thinking and to propose teaching implications based on the essence of critical thinking. The theories of critical thinking from the areas of educational psychology and educational philosophy and the relationships between critical thinking and learning were explored as the background to analyze the essence of critical thinking. The meanings of critical thinking were explored based on the psychological theories including J. Piaget's logical view of cognitive development, R. Sternberg's analytical thinking, and cognitive representational theory and the philosophical theories including knowledge, adaption, moral, and skill views. The relationships between critical thinking and learning were explored in terms of the learning essence of critical thinking, the learning function of critical thinking, the relationship between critical thinking and subject, and how to teach critical thinking. Based on the meanings of critical thinking and the relationships between critical thinking and learning, it points that the essence of critical thinking includes being deeply into the surface of information, transcending the ego-centrism, the practice of rationality, the exhibition of language's quality, caring about the life, and meanings' seeking. It concludes that teaching critical thinking involves cognitive, emotional, personality, and moral instruction based on the essence of critical thinking.