Exploring Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and reading

Abstract

The process of critical thinking (CT) plays an important role in enhancing English language proficiency levels of learners, especially the reading and writing proficiency levels. Since there are not many studies focusing on the relationship between CT and critical reading (CR), the current study intended to measure Turkish EFL pre-service teachers’ CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels together. 118 students studying at the department of English Language Teaching at a state university participated in the study. 36 of them participated in the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Findings of the study demonstrated that the students’ CT disposition and CR self-efficacy levels were found to be at moderate level. Results of the relationship between CT disposition levels and CR self-efficacy levels revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between them. As for the results of the semi-structured interviews, the students were aware of the concept “critical”; however, their CT and reading skills needed to be developed. Results of the study overall indicated that more importance should be given to CT and reading skills in the field of foreign language teacher education.

Keywords

• Critical thinking
• critical reading
• critical reading dispositions
• self-efficacy
• perceptions

References

1. Abbasi, A., & Izadpanah, S. (2018). The relationship between critical thinking, its
2. subscales and academic achievement of English language course: the predictability of educational success based on critical thinking. Academy Journal of Educational Sciences, 2(2), 91-105.
3. Akbıyık, C. (2002). Eleştirel düşünme eğilimleri ve akademik başarı. Yayımlanmamış Yüksek lisans tezi, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara.
4. Akdere, N. (2010). Turkish pre-service teachers' critical thinking levels, attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs in teaching for critical thinking.
5. Alagozlu, N. (2007). Critical thinking and voice in EFL writing. Asian EFL journal, 9(3), 118-136.
6. American Philosophical Association (APA). (1990). National Panel of Experts. Critical
7. Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational
8. Assessment and Instruction. Millbrae: The California Academic Press.

9. Ataç, B. A. (2015). From descriptive to critical writing: A study on the effectiveness of advanced reading and writing instruction. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 620-626.
10. Azar, A. (2010). The effect of critical thinking dispositions on students achievement in
11. selection and placement exam for university in Turkey. Journal of Turkish
12. science education, 7(1), 61-73.
13. Bayindir, G. (2015). Critical thinking dispositions of primary school secondary stage students. Unpublished master’s thesis). Ahi Evran University, Kirsehir, Turkey.
14. Buran, A. A. (2016). An analysis of the critical thinking of university students enrolled in a faculty of education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Bogazici University, Istanbul.
15. Bers, T. H., McGowan, M., & Rubin, A. (1996). The disposition to think critically among community college students: The California critical thinking dispositions inventory. The Journal of General Education, 45(3), 197-223.
16. Çapa, Y., Çakiroğlu, J. & Sarikaya, H. (2005). The development and validation of a Turkish version of the teachers' sense of efficacy scale. Eğitim ve Bilim, 30(137), 74-81.
17. Çelen, B. (2018). Student teachers' beliefs and critical thinking capabilities: Lessons for second language teacher education. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Gazi University Graduate School of Educational Sciences, Ankara.
18. Creswell, J. W. (2014). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. SAGE publications.
19. Dewey, J. (1933). Why have progressive schools?. Current History (1916-1940), 38(4), 441-448. Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. New York: Oxford University Press.
20. Emir, S. (2009). Education faculty students’ critical thinking disposition according to achedemic achievement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 2466-2469.
21. Facione, N. C., & Facione, P. A. (1996). Externalizing the critical thinking in knowledge development and clinical judgment. Nursing Outlook, 44(3), 129-136.-
22. Facione, P. A., Sanchez, C. A., Facione, N. C., & Gainen, J. (1995). The disposition towar critical thinking. The Journal of General Education, 44(1), 1-25.
23. Fong, C. J., Kim, Y., Davis, C. W., Hoang, T., & Kim, Y. W. (2017). A meta-analysis on critical thinking and community college student achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 26, 71-83.
24. Ghanizadeh, A. (2017). The interplay between reflective thinking, critical thinking, self-monitoring, and academic achievement in higher education. Higher Education, 74(1), 101-114.
25. Giancarlo, C. A., & Facione, P. A. (2001). A look across four years at the disposition toward critical thinking among undergraduate students. The Journal of General Education, 29-55.
26. Gündüz, M. (2017). The Effects Of Critical Thinking Based Instruction on Turkish Efl Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Level, Critical Reading Self-Efficacy Level, English Writing Performance and Opinions on Critical Thinking. Bahçeşehir University (Unpublished master’s thesis). Institute of Educational Sciences, İstanbul.
27. Gupta, G. (2005). Improving students' critical-thinking, logic, and problem-solving skills. Journal of College Science Teaching, 34(4), 48.
28. Işık, H. (2015). High school students' critical reading levels and the relationship between critical reading level and critical thinking dispositions and reading frequency (Doctoral dissertation, Anadolu University (Turkey)).
29. Karabay, A. (2013). Eleştirel okuma öz yeterlik algı ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi. Electronic Turkish Studies, 8(13).
30. Karabay, A., Kuşdemir Kayıran, B., & Işık, D. (2015). The investigation of pre-service teachers’ perceptions about critical reading self-efficacy. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 59, 227-246 http://dx.doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2015.59.12
31. Karahan, P., & Coşkun, D. (2022). Defining critical thinking (CT): The role of CT in critical reading and writing. In E. Duruk (Ed.), The new normal of online language education (1st ed., pp. 219-233). Eğiten Kitap.
32. Karasakaloğlu, N. (2012). The Relationship between Reading Comprehension and Learning and Study Strategies of Prospective Elementary School Teachers. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12(3).
33. Kember, D., Leung, D. Y., Jones, A., Loke, A. Y., McKay, J., Sinclair, K., & Yeung, E. (2000). Development of a questionnaire to measure the level of reflective thinking. Assessment & evaluation in higher education, 25(4), 381-395.
34. Kürüm, D. (2002). Öğretmen Adaylarının Eleştirel Düşünme Gücü. Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Anadolu Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Eskişehir.
35. Kökdemir, D. (2003). Decision making and problem solving in cases of uncertainty (Belirsizlik durumlarında karar verme ve problem çözme). Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Ankara University Institute of Social Sciences, Ankara
36. Küçükoğlu, H. (2008). İngilizce öğretmen adaylarının eleştirel okumaya yönelik özyeterlik algıları. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
37. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. sage.
38. Murawski, L. M. (2014). Critical Thinking in the Classroom… and Beyond. Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 10(1), 25-30.
39. Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Leech, N. L. (2004). Enhancing the interpretation of “significant” findings: The role of mixed methods research. The qualitative report, 9(4), 770-792.
40. O’Neil Jr, H. F., & Herl, H. E. (1998). Reliability and validity of a trait measure of self-regulation. In annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
41. Norris, S. P. (1985). Synthesis of research on critical thinking. Educational leadership, 42(8), 40-45.
42. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. Volume 2. Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley. 10475 Crosspoint Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46256.
43. Paul, R. (2005). The state of critical thinking today. New directions for community colleges, 2005(130), 27-38.
44. Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2000). Critical thinking: Nine strategies for everyday life, Part I. Journal of developmental education, 24(1), 40.
45. Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and predictive validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and psychological measurement, 53(3), 801-813.
46. Schafersman, S. D. (1991). An introduction to critical thinking.
47. Shirazi, F., & Heidari, S. (2019). The relationship between critical thinking skills and learning styles and academic achievement of nursing students. The Journal of Nursing Research, 27(4), e38.
48. Stupnisky, R. H., Renaud, R. D., Daniels, L. M., Haynes, T. L., & Perry, R. P. (2008). The interrelation of first- year college students’ critical thinking disposition, perceived academic control, and academic achievement. Research in Higher Education, 49(6), 513-530.
49. Tang, L. (2016). Exploration on Cultivation of Critical Thinking in College Intensive Reading Course. English Language Teaching, 9(3), 18-23.
50. Ten Dam, G., & Volman, M. (2004). Critical thinking as a citizenship competence: teaching strategies. Learning and Instruction 14 (4), 359–379.
51. Teo, P. (2014) Making the familiar strange and the strange familiar: a project for teaching critical reading and writing, Language and Education, 28(6), 539-551, DOI: 10.1080/09500782.2014.921191
52. Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. John Wiley & Sons.
53. Watson, G., & Glaser, E. (2002). Watson-Glaser critical thinking appraisal, UK edition: practice test. Psychological Corporation.
54. Willingham, D. T. (2008). Critical thinking: Why is it so hard to teach?. Arts Education Policy Review, 109(4), 21-32.
55. Yüksel, G., & Alcı, B. (2012). Self-Efficacy and Critical Thinking Dispositions as Predictors of Success in School Practicum. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(1).