scholarly journals Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills through Political Cartoons: A Pedagogical Implementation

2018 ◽  
pp. 141-163
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa Esteban Nuñez ◽  
Adriana Marquez Medina ◽  
Jhon Everth Ortiz Cubides
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teacher Preparation Program ◽  
Political Cartoons ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
English Students

This article reports a pedagogical implementation carried out with pre-intermediate English students, in an English teacher preparation program at a public university in Colombia. This pedagogical implementation aimed to provide this population with a space to enhance their critical thinking skills through the implementation of a variety of task-based workshops where they were asked to observe, analyze, reflect and discuss about some political cartoons. The data to answer the research question was collected using class video-recordings, students’ artifacts and a focus group. As a result of the pedagogical implementation, it was possible to identify how these students became aware of some social and political issues affecting them and their close context, and the importance of stating a position in front of them. Furthermore, students suggested that the workshops developed had shown them a possible pedagogical path they could follow in their future as language teachers.

scholarly journals Metacognitive Awareness and Critical Thinking Abilities of Pre-service EFL Teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Dilek Cakici
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Efl Teachers

The primary aim of current study was to investigate the possible relationship between Metacognitive Awareness (MA) and Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) in a foreign language learning context. In addition, this research aimed to probe the effect of gender and years of pre-service English language teachers on the relation between metacognitive awareness and critical thinking abilities. 218 pre-service EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers participated in the study. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and Critical Thinking Questionnaire were employed to gather necessary data. Obtained results confirmed that there existed a highly significant positive correlation between MA and CTS. Besides, the results indicated that there was a strong relation between the years of pre-service EFL teachers and their MA and CTS. Seniors were found to be more metacognitively aware and critical thinkers than their counterparts. Conversely, it was revealed that there was no gender effect on both MA and CTS. Finally, certain suggestions were set for tertiary institutions to develop metacognition and critical thinking skills in foreign language classroom settings.

scholarly journals ENGLISH STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON CRITICAL THINKING PEDAGOGICAL TECHNIQUES

JURNAL SMART ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Desty Febria
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Pedagogical Techniques ◽  
Research Students ◽  
English Students ◽  
Pedagogical Methods

The purpose of the research was to discover students’ perceptions of critical thinking pedagogical techniques. The type of research was designed by using a survey that shared the link of online questionnaires to the participants. Based on the result of research, students agree if critical thinking skills should be taught during class and understood the pedagogical methods to develop a higher order of thinking skills. However, it needs more development in some techniques, and to see the implementation of this technique in their teaching practice.

scholarly journals LIFE SCIENCES TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS ABOUT SOCIOSCIENTIFIC ISSUES IN THE TOPIC EVOLUTION

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokgadi Relela ◽  
◽  
Lydia Mavuru ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Socioscientific Issues ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Topic Evolution

The goal of science education is emphatically positioned on promoting science literacy. The rationale is learners should not only learn about scientific knowledge and processes but also on how to apply the knowledge when making decisions about heterogenous societal and personal issues. Previous research has indicated that by addressing socioscientific issues (SSIs) when teaching controversial science topics, it provides a suitable context for developing scientific literacy in learners. Scientifically literate learners are well-informed citizens with regards to the social, ethical, economic, and political issues impacting on contemporary society. The theory of evolution is one such Life Sciences topic deeply embedded with SSIs. Teachers are conflicted when teaching this topic due to the controversy surrounding the theory as they view the teaching of evolution as a way of negating the legitimacy of their religious and cultural convictions. It is against this background that the study sought to answer the research question: How do Life Sciences teachers conceptualise socioscientific issues embedded in the topic evolution? In an explanatory mixed method approach, a questionnaire with both quantitative and qualitative questions was administered to 28 randomly selected grade 12 Life Sciences teachers. Data was analysed and descriptive statistics were obtained, and themes generated. The findings showed that all the participants were knowledgeable about the SSIs embedded in the topic evolution. In justifying their conceptions 61% of the teachers perceived SSIs as important in improving learners’ reasoning and argumentative skills; developing learners’ critical thinking skills; and in informing learners in decision making. There were however 11% of the teachers who pointed out that SSIs as too sensitive to deal with hence not suitable to teach young learners. Though the teachers were knowledgeable about the SSIs embedded in the theory of evolution, it does not mean that they could address them when teaching the various concepts of evolution. The main source of the controversy rose from the evolution of humankind versus the Christian belief in the six-day special creation. The participants (25%) indicated that evolution challenges peoples’ religious and cultural convictions, which conflicts both the teachers and learners to question or go against their religious beliefs. Several teachers pointed out that some of the concepts on evolution such as ‘living organisms share common ancestry (18%) and ‘the formation of new species from existing species’ (11%), undermine the superiority of human beings over other organisms. The findings have implications for both pre-and in-service teacher professional development.

scholarly journals Using the Cognitive Research Trust Scale to Assess the Implementation of the Elements of Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Malay Language Teaching and Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2S2) ◽  
pp. 392-398
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Order Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Higher Order Thinking Skills ◽  
Cognitive Research ◽  
Trust Scale

The aim of this study is to assess the teaching practices of Malay Language teachers in implementing the elements of higher-order thinking skills in the teaching and learning of Malay Language using the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) Scale. Essentially, the scales comprises six devices, namely CoRT 1 (Breadth), CoRT 2 (Organization), CoRT 3 (Interaction), CoRT 4 (Critical Thinking), CoRT 5 (Information and Feeling), and CoRT 6 (Action) that are related to CoRT tests, namely PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting), CAF (Consider All Factors), C&S (Consequence & Sequel), AGO (Aims, Goal, Objectives), FIP (First, Important, Priorities), APC (Alternatives, Possibilities, Choice), and OPV (Other People’s Views). This study used a qualitative approach using the observation method to elicit data from a study sample consisting of six Malay Language teachers from several schools with as sizeable indigenous or Orang Asli student population in the district of Batang Padang. A descriptive qualitative analysis was conducted to draw pertinent findings of the teachers’ understanding and practices of HOTS. The analysis of the data revealed that the teaching and learning of the subject matter were infused with the elements of HOTS, with the teachers employing a combination of the CoRT devices and thinking techniques. Such an infusion of skills was made evidently clear by students’ answers that demonstrated high critical thinking skills. These findings underscore the importance of using the Cognitive Research Trust Scale to assess the implementation of HOTS in the teaching and learning practice of the Malay Language. In conclusion, the proper and judicious use of CoRT devices and thinking techniques can help students to develop HOTS, which are extremely important to enable them to think and solve problems critically and creatively.

scholarly journals Development of Critical Thinking Skills through Writing Tasks: Challenges Facing Maritime English Students at Aqaba College, AlBalqa Applied University, Jordan

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Ali Odeh Hammoud Alidmat ◽  
Mohamed Ayed Ayassrah
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Conceptual Skill ◽  
Maritime English ◽  
English Students

Teaching English for Special Purposes (ESP) in a context where English is taught as a Foreign Language (EFL) is no easy task. There is in fact extensive research reporting on challenges facing both teacher and student in the Foreign Language classroom where language skills must be learnt outside their usual context. Even more challenging is teaching or learning a conceptual skill like critical thinking through writing in an EFL context. The objective of this paper is to identify and describe writing tasks contained in the ESP programme with a view to examine the correspondence between the tasks and the critical thinking skills. To this end, the study examines self-reported perceptions, experiences and opinions by Maritime English students of Aqaba College in Jordan who take an ESP course and who are supposed to develop their critical thinking skills through carefully selected writing tasks in English. The study applies the qualitative procedure of in-depth interview and explores a sample of 10 finalist undergraduate informants on issues related to their writing tasks in English. Findings of the study revealed, among other things, that there is low correspondence between writing tasks contained in the ESP programme and critical thinking skills, and that writing tasks featured in the programme pursue more mechanical writing than thinking.

scholarly journals The Degree of Availability of Critical Thinking Skills among Arabic Language Teachers in Directorates Education in Karak Governorate, Jordan, from their Point of View: درجة توفر مهارات التفكير الناقد لدى معلمي اللغة العربية في مديريات التربية والتعليم في محافظة الكرك بالأردن من وجهة نظرهم

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (37) ◽  
pp. 38-20
Author(s):  
Sudgeh Awad Falaah Tarawneh Sudgeh Awad Falaah Tarawneh
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Arithmetic Average ◽  
Academic Qualification

The current study aimed at identify the degree of availability of critical thinking skills among Arabic language teachers in the education directorates in Karak Governorate, Jordan, from their point of view, and to reveal the differences in that according to the variables of gender, academic qualification and the number of years of experience. and the researcher prepared a questionnaire consisting of (48) items distributed on (7) skills, namely: (analysis, induction, interpretation, conclusion), Calendar), and the indications for their validity and reliability were verified. Where a stratified random sample of (193) teachers was chosen from among the teachers of the Arabic language in the directorates of education in the governorate of Karak, The study found that the degree of availability of critical thinking skills among Arabic language teachers from their point of view was medium, with an arithmetic mean (3.42) and The skill of "deduction" came first, with an arithmetic average of (3.73), And with a high degree, while the “evaluation” skill came in the last place, with an arithmetic average of (2.93), and a medium degree. It also indicated that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤0.05) in the degree of availability of thinking skills. The critic among Arabic language teachers is attributed to gender, while it was found that there are statistically significant differences attributable to academic qualification and in favor of higher qualification (postgraduate studies), and the existence of statistically significant differences due to years of experience and in favor of those with higher experience.

Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Language Education through Online Discussions

2012 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Ugur Demiray ◽  
Murat Hismanoglu ◽  
Sibel Hismanoglu
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Teaching Tools

Online discussion has become one of the most effective teaching tools in recent years in terms of its power to promote students’ critical thinking skills in educational contexts. This chapter aims at presenting an overview of recently conducted research studies on critical thinking and online discussions, explaining online discussion as a pedagogical vehicle for maximizing language learning and teaching, identifying problems related to online discussions, as well as some suggested solutions, describing application activities that promote critical thinking skills, illustrating how language teachers and learners can use meta-communication in creating successful online discussions, and stressing the importance of the teacher’s role in designing an effective online discussion environment for students.

scholarly journals Making Critical Thinking Skills Training Explicit, Engaging, and Effective through Live Debates on Current Political Issues: A Pilot Pedagogical Experiment

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-160
Author(s):  
Yu Tao ◽  
Ed Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Specific Part

ABSTRACTWe piloted a pedagogical experiment to find out whether students can benefit from explicit demonstrations on critical thinking skills through live debates between two instructors on current political issues that are relevant to but not necessarily a specific part of the curriculum. The empirical results show that, through a series of interventions in the form of explicit demonstrations and debriefs on critical thinking skills in these issue-based live debates, students’ academic performance can significantly improve over a relatively short period of time. Training students’ critical skills through explicit, engaging pedagogy is not only economical in practical and pragmatic terms but also has significant and immediate short-term effects in a setting where there is a high proportion of first-generation undergraduate students of varying abilities and backgrounds.

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