Critical thinking

The present qualitative research sought to investigate EFL teacher educators’ experiences and attitudes toward critical thinking and its role in teacher professional development. The adopted design was a case study and the theoretical framework was the theory of transformative learning (Mezirow, 1978). For the data collection purpose, 30 EFL teacher educators participated in in-depth interviews. The  whole procedure of  the data collection was audiotaped for further reference in data analysis. The interviews were transcribed to familiarize with the data and the transcribed interviews were member checked with the participants. The collected data were analyzed through reflective thematic analysis. The data analyzed paved the way for generating three themes: cognition, metacognition , and personal growth/self attainment . The findings of the study comprise a number of implicatios for both theory and practice. One aspect of our contribution is that the notion of critical thinking can be conceived as more than cognitive and metacognitive one; it should be conceptualized as possessing both facets as well as other possible subsets. Beyond that, we suggest that critical thinking should be conjectured as being both a process and a product.

The teacher’s professional identity (TPI) defines their perception of how to behave in their teaching profession, and it may have a significant role in determining their place in educational advancement. Yet, the moderator influence of L2 Teacher Grit (L2TG) , Critical Thinking (CT), Teacher Resilience (TR), and Teacher Self-efficacy Beliefs (TS-EB) on TPI has not been extensively documented in the literature. To fill this lacuna, this study developed a model to show the interplay between TPI, L2TG , CT, TR, and TS-EB. The Teacher’s Professional Identity Scale (TPIS), the L2-teacher Grit Scale (L2TGS), the Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Form (WGCTAF), the Teacher Resilience Scale (TRS), and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TS-ES) were given to 437 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers for the intention of collecting this data. Following the findings of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), L2TG , CT, TR, and TS-EB can enhance TPI among EFL teachers. Finally, the implications and future direction were offered to enthusiastic educators and researchers which may enhance their awareness of the link between TPI, L2TG , CT, TR, and TS-EB and the way it can generate great results for the educational system.

Fostering critical thinking among senior high school students in Colombia has been an unfulfilled goal. This undesirable situation has multiple causes: “critical thinking” has become a mere slogan and its meaning and scope have not been clearly specified despite being widely used in the different levels of the education system. Furthermore, the strategies designed to teach critical thinking lack creativity, reinforce rote learning and the sheer repetition of logic rules besides misallocating the goal of reasoning and argumentation by focusing only on rhetorical persuasion. Textbooks and core literature in critical thinking suggest that a critical thinker is someone who always has plenty of arguments to defend her beliefs besides being ready to address even destructive criticism. By contrast, critical rationalism emphasizes the importance of a humble approach, acknowledges error, and portrays a critical thinker as someone who is ready to test her most beloved theories against experience and to reject them in the light of the facts that contradict her beliefs and certainties. We consider that a pedagogical approach enriched with fallibilism might be central for a better education and endorse these views with the results of a case study conducted in Manizales, Colombia, which shows that teaching the basics of logic and argumentation by using the central tenets of critical rationalism fosters critical thinking among senior high school students

Many studies have advocated the importance of teaching critical thinking (CT) skills, and have also provided some suggestions for its effective pedagogy. However, there is a dearth of research examining the efficacy of such instruction. This quantitative(quasi-experimental) and qualitative study aimed to investigate the impact of explicit instruction of critical thinking (CT) on university students’ critical thinking skills measured through the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) used as both pre- and post-test. The participants comprised four groups of 15-16 students each. The groups received different CT treatments: Critical Linguistics (CL) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (group 1), 11 Questions (group 2), CL and CDA followed by Peer Evaluation (group 3), and a control group (group 4) that only read about CT without practicing it. After receiving instruction on CT, the three treatment groups (1-3) critically analyzed 33 texts over 11 sessions. The results of the study indicated that Group 3 (CT & CDA followed by PE) had the highest improvement in their WGCTA scores from pre-to post-test, followed by Groups 2 and 1, while the control group showed no significant gain. The findings imply that reflecting critically on language learning materials can reveal hidden cultural and ideological elements within the texts. This can significantly enhance learners' advanced thinking skills, as well as support them in resisting cultural imperialism.      

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between media literacy and social skills among citizens in Isfahan. To this end, a descriptive-correlation methodology was employed. The population under study consisted of all citizens living in Isfahan who were reported to be 1796967 persons in 2013. Using Cochran formula, 384 persons were selected by stratified sampling and were included in the research sample. The instruments used in the study were Karaman’s and Karatash’s (2009) Standard Media Literacy Questionnaire and Standard Social Skills Questionnaire (Oldmeadow et al., 2013). The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed using content validity and factor analysis. The reliability values of Media Literacy Questionnaire and Social Skills Questionnaire were determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and were reported as 0.876 and 0.896, respectively. The results of the study indicated that media literacy with an influence rate of 0.39 affects social skills. Besides, media knowledge (critical thinking) as a component of media literary with an influence rate of 0.37 affects social skills. It was also found that analysis and reaction as a component of media literary with an influence rate of 0.68 affects social skills. The same was the case with judgment and observation of hidden messages as a component of media literary which affects social skills with an influence rate of 0.53. Media literacy with an influence rate of 0.33 was found to affect the expression social skill feelings. Finally, based on the findings of the study concerning the relationship between research variables, some suggestions were offered to improve media literary and social skills of people living in Isfahan.

Critical thinking (CT) abilities have failed to receive the necessary consideration in applied linguistics. Thus, this study was intended to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) academics and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates’ perceptions of embedding CT into the EFL curricula in Iran. Moreover, it aimed to identify the primary obstacles teachers may have while employing CT skills, and suggest some necessary strategies to strengthen students' CT abilities. To do so, a total of 50 male and female EFL academics as well as 50 male and female PhD candidates specializing in Applied Linguistics, Linguistics and Literature, as well as Translation at different universities in Iran participated in this study. The present investigation employed a mixed-methods design. To this end, an adapted version of Stapleton's (2011) CT questionnaire was used. Moreover, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a cohort of 5 EFL academics and 5 PhD candidates. The outcomes underscore the need for educational policymakers and curriculum developers to recognize the significance of CT in language learning and to infuse more systematic and explicit approaches to teaching CT in Iranian EFL context. The pedagogical implications of the study were accordingly discussed. 

The 5E Learning Cycle Model (Bybee, 1990) is an instructional design model which has roots in inquiry-based learning and constructivism and has received much support in non-EFL-related literature as a way to improve 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking and creativity, among students and to prepare them for an amazing occupational future. However, little work has been done on the model concerning English language students; hence, this study dealt with the effect of 5E-based online activities on English language students’ critical thinking and creativity. The study utilized a mixed method grounded theory method approach. A sample of 60 adult English language students studying in a pre-IELTS class at a private language academy took part in the study during a 12-session semester, in addition to an extra session at the beginning of the semester, in which they received instruction with regard to the platforms to be used, namely Easyclass and Nearpod. Student interviews and self-reflections, teacher interviews, self-reflections, and field notes were applied to extract qualitative data, and student self-assessment checklists were used to gain quantitative data. The analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data via an independent sample t-test, inductive thematic analysis, and grounded theory demonstrated that the employment of 5E-based online activities culminated in the improvement of EFL learners’ critical thinking and creativity. The findings have theoretical and practical implications not only for 21st-century language practitioners’ education and competencies but also for curriculum development.

Critical thinking is a fundamental cognitive skill that significantly influences our thought processes. Without it, reaching impartial and accurate conclusions becomes challenging. This skill holds profound importance in educational settings. The focus of the present study was to examine how teaching critical thinking skills enhances the critical thinking and reading comprehension abilities of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A group of 40 in-service EFL teachers from Farhangian University in Iran underwent pretests on reading comprehension and critical thinking. Critical thinking interventions were systematically integrated into the course curriculum at 4-week intervals. Following the instructional period, posttests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the critical thinking intervention program. Results indicated a notable improvement in both the knowledge and attitudes towards critical thinking. Moreover, the program positively impacted the students' reading comprehension levels, particularly their ability to critically approach reading comprehension tests. This highlights the significance of creating an environment where students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts without the fear of judgment. Educators play a crucial role in fostering optimal critical thinking behaviors and attitudes through effective modeling. Promoting a culture of open expression and critical thinking is key to nurturing well-rounded learners.

The purpose of this research was to explain critical thinking in electronic education. The qualitative research aimed at analyzing the importance of critical thinking skills in improving students' virtual education learning with a descriptive-interpretive approach sought answers to the following 2 questions: 1- How do students describe their learning experiences with critical thinking in virtual education? 2- What changes has the critical thinking skill made in learning the virtual education of students? The data collection tool was an open-ended interview, with 12 of the 98 incoming student teachers, with targeted sampling and the research location of the Faculty of Teacher Education, Farhangian University of Ardabil, who had studied with virtual education. Analysis of the findings after implementing the experiences and interviews of the students and the components obtained from the open and central and selective coding with 6 components (self-knowledge - spirituality - media literacy - receptivity to criticism and criticism - pluralism - cognition and metacognition) It led to the conclusion of the following 3 themes according to the elements of the national curriculum and the goals of education as follows: 1- Communication with oneself 2- Communication with God 3- Communication with creation It could be used in educational systems and the positive and negative consequences in learning and education in order to be successful in learning, and it is necessary that the virtual learner is not limited to education, but must be a critical thinker or acquire educational skills and abilities during his education.