EFL Undergraduate Students' Critical Thinking Ability and Reading Comprehension Performance
محورهای موضوعی : language teaching
رضا واثقی
1
,
راضیه صدوقی
2
,
وصال آیات
3
1 - University of Mazandaran
2 - Payam Noor University
3 - Department of English Language and Literature, Allameh Tabataba'i University,
Tehran, Iran
کلید واژه: reading comprehension, Critical thinking ability, Cornell Critical Thinking Test-Level Z, Iranian EFL University Students,
چکیده مقاله :
The current study examined the relationship between critical thinking ability and EFL university students’ reading comprehension at a university site in Iran. The purpose of the study was twofold: (i) to understand if there is any statistically significant correlation between critical thinking skills and reading comprehension performance of Iranian EFL students at the university level, and (ii) to understand whether there is any statistically significant correlation between the two groups (males vs. females) regarding their reading comprehension and critical thinking test scores. To this end, 143 EFL juniors [male (n=24) and female (n=119)] majoring in English language teaching were selected. The participants were five intact groups from the University of Mazandaran, Iran. This study examined this relationship with the help of the subjects’ scores gained from (i) the translated version of Cornell Critical Thinking Test-Level Z, and (ii) their reading comprehension scores obtained from their reading course. A correlational analysis was carried out running Pearson’s Product Moment Coefficient (Pearson r) and Partial Correlation. The results showed that a positive relationship existed between students' critical thinking ability and their EFL reading comprehension. Additionally, this study found no statistically significant difference in the correlations between critical thinking and reading comprehension for males and females in the particular context. This study has some implications for EFL learners as well as curriculum developers and EFL instructors to apply critical thinking skills in the class to help make EFL reading more effective and purposeful.
The current study examined the relationship between critical thinking ability and EFL university students’ reading comprehension at a university site in Iran. The purpose of the study was twofold: (i) to understand if there is any statistically significant correlation between critical thinking skills and reading comprehension performance of Iranian EFL students at the university level, and (ii) to understand whether there is any statistically significant correlation between the two groups (males vs. females) regarding their reading comprehension and critical thinking test scores. To this end, 143 EFL juniors [male (n=24) and female (n=119)] majoring in English language teaching were selected. The participants were five intact groups from the University of Mazandaran, Iran. This study examined this relationship with the help of the subjects’ scores gained from (i) the translated version of Cornell Critical Thinking Test-Level Z, and (ii) their reading comprehension scores obtained from their reading course. A correlational analysis was carried out running Pearson’s Product Moment Coefficient (Pearson r) and Partial Correlation. The results showed that a positive relationship existed between students' critical thinking ability and their EFL reading comprehension. Additionally, this study found no statistically significant difference in the correlations between critical thinking and reading comprehension for males and females in the particular context. This study has some implications for EFL learners as well as curriculum developers and EFL instructors to apply critical thinking skills in the class to help make EFL reading more effective and purposeful.
Ahmadi, M. R. (2013). The Relationship Between Students Reading Motivation and Reading Comprehension. Journal of education and practice, 4(18), 8-17.
Alivandi-Vafa, M. (2005). On investigating the relationship between critical thinking and Tabriz university students’ academic achievement. Unpublished MA Dissertation. Az-Zahra University.
Arifin, S. (2020). The Role of Critical Reading to Promote Students’ Critical Thinking and Reading Comprehension. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pengajaran, 53(3), 318-326. https://doi.org/10.23887/jpp.v53i3.29210
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Irvine, C. K. S., & Walker, D. (2018). Introduction to research in education. Cengage Learning.
Barjasteh, H., Kotamjani, S. S., & Vaseghi, R. (2016). Effects of Critical Thinking Strategies: Seeking Self-Efficacy in vocabulary performance and oral proficiency in Lower-Intermediate Iranian Learners. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 4(04), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.24200/jsshr.vol4iss04pp21-28
Beyer, B. K. (1995). Critical Thinking. Fastback 385. Phi Delta Kappa, 408 N. Union, PO Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789.
Brown, H. D. (2004). Some practical thoughts about student-sensitive critical pedagogy. The Language Teacher. 28 (7), 23-27.
Cáceres, M., Nussbaum, M., & Ortiz, J. (2020). Integrating critical thinking into the classroom: A teacher’s perspective. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100674
Cheraghi, Z., Nejati, R., & Bakhtiari, A. (2022). The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners’ Critical Thinking Disposition and their Writing Strategy Use. Iranian Journal of Learning & Memory, 5(17), 51-58. https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.26455447.2022.5.17.6.1
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203771587
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Din, M. (2020). Evaluating university students’ critical thinking ability as reflected in their critical reading skill: A study at bachelor level in Pakistan. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 35, 100627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100627
Davies, M., & Barnett, R. (Eds.). (2015). The Palgrave handbook of critical thinking in higher education. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2017.1330176
Dörnyei, Z. (2019). Psychology and language learning: The past, the present and the future. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 1(1), 27-41.
Ennis, R. H. (1985). A logical basis for measuring critical thinking skills. Educational leadership, 43(2), 44-48.
Ennis, R. H. and Millman, Jason (1985) Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level Z. Pacific Grove: Critical Thinking Press and Software.
Facione, P. A. (1990). The California Critical Thinking Skills Test--College Level. Technical Report# 1. Experimental Validation and Content Validity. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED327549.pdf
Fahim, M., Barjesteh, H., & Vaseghi, R. (2012). Effects of Critical Thinking Strategy Training on Male/Female EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension. English language teaching, 5(1), 140-145. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n1p140
Fathi, J., & Afzali, M. (2020). The Effect of Second Language Reading Strategy Instruction on Young Iranian EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension. International Journal of Instruction, 13(1), 475-488. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13131a
Kazemi, A., Bagheri, M. S., & Rassaei, E. (2020). Dynamic assessment in English classrooms: Fostering learners’ reading comprehension and motivation. Cogent Psychology, 7(1), 1788912. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1788912
Khonamri, F., & Karimabadi, M. (2015). Collaborative strategic reading and critical reading ability of intermediate Iranian learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(7), 1375.http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0507.09
Indriyana, B. S., & Kuswandono, P. (2019). Developing Students' Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Reading: English Teachers' Strategies in Selected Junior High Schools. Journal of English Teaching, 5(3), 204-216. https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v5i3.1313
Lumbantobing, S. R. A. H., Pardede, H., & Herman, H. (2020). The Effect of Herringbone Technique on the Students’ Ability in Reading Comprehension on Recount Text. Journal of English Educational Study (JEES), 3(2), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.31932/jees.v3i2.656
Marzban, A., & Barati, Z. (2016). On the relationship between critical thinking ability, language learning strategies, and reading comprehension of male and female intermediate EFL university students. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(6), 1241. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0606.14
McPeck, J. E. (2016). Critical thinking and education. Routledge.
Moon, J. A (2008) Critical Thinking: An Exploration of Theory and Practice. London, Routledge Falmer.
Muslem, A., Usman, B., Fitriani, S. S., & Velayati, N. (2017). Critical Thinking Skills Used among University Students in Reading Comprehension. Anatolian Journal of Education, 2(2), 40-54.
Putri, O. (2014). Investigating Junior High School Students’critical Thinking in Reading (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia). http://repository.upi.edu/id/eprint/14601
Saidi, M., & Shaghaghi, M. (2021). Traces of Critical Thinking Ability in the English for Academic Purposes Textbook for the Students of Medicine. Iranian Journal of Learning & Memory, 4(14), 42-47. https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.26455455.2021.4.13.7.7
Samelian, L. A. (2017). How Higher Order Questioning and Critical Thinking Affects Reading Comprehension. School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations, 43–45. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4345
Seferoglu, S. S., & Akbıyık, C. (2006). Teaching critical thinking. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 30, 193-200. 30:193-200. http://www.efdergi.hacettepe.edu.tr/shw_artcl-740.html
Samelian, L. A. (2017). How higher order questioning and critical thinking affects reading comprehension.
Schafersman, S. D. (1991). An introduction to critical thinking. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from http://www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html
Solon, T. (2003). Teaching critical thinking: The more, the better!. The Community College Enterprise, 9(2), 25.
Tseng, S. S. (2020). Using concept mapping activities to enhance students’ critical thinking skills at a high school in Taiwan. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 29(3), 249-256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-019-00474-0
Vaseghi, R., Gholami, R., & Barjesteh, H. (2012). Critical thinking: An influential factor in developing English reading comprehension performance. Advances in Asian Social Science, 2(1), 401-410.
Villavicencio, F. T. (2011). Critical thinking, negative academic emotions, and achievement: A mediational analysis. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 20(1), 118-126.
Watson, G. (1980). Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
Yousefi, S., & Mohammadi, M. (2016). Critical thinking and reading comprehension among postgraduate students: The case of gender and language proficiency level. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 7(4), 802. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0704.23
Zare, M. & Biria, M. (2018). Contributory Role of Critical Thinking in Enhancing Reading comprehension ability of Iranian ESP students. International Journal of Research in English Education, 3(3), 21-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.29252/ijree.3.3.21
Zhang, H., Yuan, R., & He, X. (2020). Investigating university EFL teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and its teaching: Voices from China. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 29(5), 483-493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-020-00500-6
Zhou, J., Jiang, Y., & Yao, Y. (2015). The Investigation on Critical Thinking Ability in EFL Reading Class. English Language Teaching, 8(1), 83-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v8n1p83
