Comparison of Iranian EFL Teachers at Public Schools and Private Language Schools: Critical Thinking Ability and Gender in Focus

Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation

مونس  معصومی زاده ¹ (کارشناس ارشد، گروه زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد شهرضا، شهرضا، ایران)
شیما  قبادی ² (دکترای زبان انگلیسی، گروه زبان انگلیسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد شهرضا،شهرضا، ایران)

Received: 2022-01-25 Accepted : 2022-03-21 Published : 2022-03-21

Keywords: gender, critical thinking, EFL teachers, public schools, Private Language Schools,

Abstract :

Critical thinking (CT), a basic survival skill in this fast-paced and ever-changing world we live in, has been the focus of many studies in recent years. Looking at the literature of studies, it can be clearly understood that an essential factor like gender has been ignored in the investigations conducted on CT. The present study examined the status of CT among Iranian EFL teachers and its relationship with gender in the private and public sectors. In other words, the study attempted to trace any difference between male and female EFL teachers in applying this vital skill. With these purposes in mind, 153 EFL teachers (male=57 and female=96) were selected according to a convenience sampling from 20 private language institutes and 20 public schools in Isfahan to participate in the study. The participants were requested to complete an eighty-item Watson-Glaser’s Critical Thinking Appraisal questionnaire. The findings indicated a poor status of CT among the teachers; also, it was revealed that males and females were not significantly different from one another in applying CT skills. However, the private sector apparently has provided a better context for the development of CT among EFL teachers. The conclusion and implications of the study were further discussed.