scholarly journals Critical Thinking Ability in EFL Students' Argumentative Essay Writing: The Difficulties and The Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-210
Author(s):  
Wawat Srinawati ◽  
Rahmawati Alwi

The aim of research is to explore the effect, if any, of integrating critical thinking on learners’ use of critical thinking skills in argumentative writing. The research used quasi-experimental desaign, it is include control group and experimental group. The data which has been quantitatively analyzed indicates that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group. The students’ ability to use more credible evidence, address alternative arguments, support conclusions, and maintain the logical flow of ideas in their essays did not reach a mastery level in the posttest, yet the average level they reached is reassuring in view of the short time of the training they had. The integration of critical thinking for longer periods may bring forth encouraging outcomes. Argumentative writing constitutes an important part of second-language learners' academic writing. Data analysis indicated that most participants perceived the rhetorical aspects of English argumentative writing as difficult. Data analysis also indicated that participants mainly used cognitive, social, and search strategies, whereas metacognitive strategies were used infrequently. Potential implications of the study for second-language writing instruction are discussed

Author(s):  
Jumiati Lanta ◽  
Suleha Ecca ◽  
Asyanti Asyanti ◽  
M.Hijaz Tahir

The quantitative study is aimed to know whether documentary films can be applied to foster students' critical thinking skills. This research was conducted in Class X SMA Negeri 10 Sidenreng Rappang, with a total population of 72 students. Samples were drawn from the entire population by taking 2 classes, namely X IPA as an experimental group of 26 students and X IPS as a control group of 25 students. Data were collected through a critical thinking ability test instrument based on critical thinking indicators, then processed with data analysis using the Mean score (average) and SPSS 2.0. Results of the study showed that the experimental group, which were taught to use the documentary, obtain average value is higher compared with the controls group in fostering the ability to think critically, especially on the subjects of Indonesian with developing materials with the opinion of exposition text. Average score results in critical thinking skills with a documentary film is 91.76 with the results of a significant test of the test independent of 10.878 while the average score of the results that are taught without using documentary 70.84 with value significant 2.009. Based on the results of data analysis, this present study ascertained that documentary films could foster students' critical thinking skills.


2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhu

Argumentative writing constitutes an important part of second-language learners' academic writing experience in North America. This study examined the difficulties a group of Mexican graduate students encountered when engaged in an argumentative writing task as well as their writing processes and strategies. Data were collected from individual interviews with the participants and from participants' written essays. Data analysis indicated that most participants perceived the rhetorical aspects of English argumentative writing as difficult. Data analysis also indicated that participants mainly used cognitive, social, and search strategies, whereas metacognitive strategies were used infrequently. Potential implications of the study for second-language writing instruction are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Muhammad Jamhari ◽  
Syarifuddin Syarifuddin ◽  
Herbert Sipahutar

The aims of this study were to find out: (1) the effects of visual mapping on students’ critical thinking skills, (2) the effects of science-related attitudes on students’ critical thinking skills, (3) the interactions between visual mapping and science-related attitudes on students’ critical thinking skills, (4) the effects of visual mapping on students’ problem solving skills, (5) the effects of science-related attitudes on students’ problem solving skills, and (6) the interactions between visual mapping and science-related attitudes on students’ problem solving skills. This study was conducted at MAN 1 Tanjung Pura, totally 141 students. It was a quasi-experimental technique by using a pretest-posttest experimental group with 4x2 factorial design. The technique of data analysis was processed by the Two-Way ANOVA and followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The results showed that: (1) there were the significant effects of visual mapping on students’ critical thinking skills (F=87.082; P=0.000), (2) there were the significant effects of science-related attitudes on students’ critical thinking skills (F=2.493; P=0.040), (3) there were the interactions between visual mapping and science-related attitudes on students’ critical thinking skills (F=2.037; P=0.000), (4) there were the significant effects of visual mapping on students’ problem solving skills (F=94.214; P=0.000), (5) there were the significant effects of science-related attitudes on students’ problem  solving skills (F=3.397; P=0.031), and (6) there were the interactions between visual mapping and science-related attitudes on students’ problem solving skills (F=2.195; P=0.000).


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Didimus Tanah Boleng ◽  
Elsje Theodora Maasawet

One of the factors lead to the low critical thingking skill is the implementation of teacher center learning. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of the implementation of Problem-based Learning integrated with Cooperative Script to students’ critical thinking skills. This quasi-experimental research was done in senior high schools of Samarinda, Indonesia. The design used in this research was nonequivalent pretest - posttest control group design. The sample was the class XI  students of natural science. The treatment was done in the odd semester in 2016/2017 academic year. The data analysis used was independent-samples t-test (α = 0.05). The results of the data analysis showed that the tvalue (16.57) > ttable (2.00). The mean value of students’ critical thinking skills in the experimental group was 77.28 which means 62% higher than those who were in the control group (47.60). Thus, it can be concluded that the implementation of Problem-based Learning integrated with Cooperative Script gives the significant effect to the students' critical thinking skills.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabila Nejmaoui

In the 21st century where information has become easily available and accessible, education has shifted its attention to teaching students how to process and think critically about the information they receive. Welcoming the changes that education constantly witnesses, the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) has embraced the integration of critical thinking. Accordingly, the present paper aims to explore the effect, if any, of integrating critical thinking on learners’ use of critical thinking skills in argumentative writing. To this end, an experimental study was conducted; 36 Moroccan EFL learners from the department of English were divided evenly into an experimental group and a control group. While the participants in the experimental group were taught writing with critical thinking skills, the others were taught writing with no reference to these skills. The participants in both groups took a pre-test and posttest to evaluate the development of their use of critical thinking skills in argumentative writing. The data which has been quantitatively analyzed indicates that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group. The students’ ability to use more credible evidence, address alternative arguments, support conclusions, and maintain the logical flow of ideas in their essays did not reach a mastery level in the posttest, yet the average level they reached is reassuring in view of the short time of the training they had. An integration of CT for longer periods may bring forth encouraging outcomes.


Author(s):  
Laleh Khojasteh ◽  
Seyyed Ali Hosseini ◽  
Elham Nasiri

AbstractWriting as a multiple-step process is one of the most complex and demanding skills for graduate students to master. Foreign or second language learners who are required to write for academic purposes at the university level may even find it more demanding to master. One of the ways of decreasing the burden of mastering this skill for learners is mediation, using scaffolding techniques to teach writing. Hence, having a good understanding of the impact(s) of adopting mediating or scaffolding techniques in writing classes is absolutely indispensable. To this end, the present study employed an experimental research design to investigate the impact of mediation in the flipped writing classrooms of the students of medicine. To peruse this goal, 47 medical students were selected through purposive sampling and put into control and treatment groups. Medical students in the treatment group watched teacher-made video content(s) before their writing classes. The students in this group experienced organized-interactive writing group activities in their classes. Unlike the experimental group, the students in the control group received all the instructions in the classroom and were assigned homework. The findings obtained through the ANOVA and t-test indicated that the students in the experimental group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the control group in terms of their writing. A probable conclusion could be that by requiring students to study in advance and take responsibility for their learning, flipped classroom can provide the opportunity for learners to actively construct knowledge rather than receive the information passively in the classroom. Flipped classroom can also cultivate interactive class time for teachers and enable them to invest in more fruitful academic practices, instead of asking students to spend a substantial amount of time each week doing homework independently.


Author(s):  
Wadha H. Al-Otaibi

The study aimed at identifying the effectivness of a suggested model for learning through projects based on shared learning in developing critical thinking skills and self-efficiency in Princess Nourah bint Abdularhman University (PNU). The study included a sample of 76 students from the specialization of primary level teachers in PNU randomly chosen, in which 39 students represented the experimental group. This group was taught the course of learning through projects using a suggested model. The other 37 students formed the control group and were taught the course in the conventional teaching manner. The critical thinking test and the self-efficiency scale were both administered before and after the experiment. The study revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the means between the experimental and control groups in the critical thinking skills test and the self-efficiency sclae in favor of the experimental group. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94
Author(s):  
H. Halimah

This paper presents experimental results about the use of the Critical Literacy Approach (CLA) in literary appreciation using Indonesian short stories. The purpose of the study is to find better teaching strategies to improve students’ critical thinking skills and critical awareness to comprehend the conditions of the world, including social relationships involving disproportionate power relations. This study uses the randomized pretest-posttest control group design (RPPCGD), which is a randomized design by giving pretest and posttest to the experimental group (CLA) and control group (expository). The effect of both teaching strategies is calculated through the difference between the pretest and posttest of both groups. This research involved 170 students in the Department of Indonesian Language and Literature Education of an education university in Indonesia. The results are presented in the form of analytical descriptions of paired samples test and paired samples correlations of each group. The results show that students who did a short story analysis with CLA had significantly increased critical thinking skills and critical awareness compared to students of expository strategy. The average posttest of the experimental group is 80.33, which is considerably higher than the control group, with an average of 76.13. The average increase in skills (posttest-pretest) of the experimental group is 38.71 points, and the control groups have an average increase of 31.19 points. Therefore, it is clear that the teaching of literary appreciation using Indonesian short stories with CLA is effective. The use of CLA strategies in increasing students’ critical thinking skills and critical awareness through literary appreciation of Indonesian short stories shows positive results. The results of this study can contribute to the field of learning design with new ideas to improve critical thinking skills and critical awareness of Indonesian students through effective short story analysis or fictional prose analysis.


Author(s):  
Wafa Abed M Al-Harbi, Sanaa Saleh Askool

This study aims to identify the effectiveness of participation in a blog for extra-curricular activities for developing the critical thinking skills of third secondary students in Jeddah. The sample consisted of (100) students from several schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia randomly selected and divided into (50) experimental group, (50) control group. The study used the Semi-experimental method and conducted the Watson and Glaser test for critical thinking. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences (0.05) among the experimental group (individual and cooperative) For the officer in the brother Bar dimensional test critical thinking skills for the benefit of the experimental group because of its effect for the use of a typical blog (single, cooperative).


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Sari ◽  
A. Permanasari ◽  
F. M. T. Supriyanti

<p>The purpose of this study is to obtain a profile of students’ creative thinking skills on quantitative project-based protein testing using local materials. Implementation of the research is using quasi-experimental method pre-test post-test control group design with 40 students involved in Biochemistry lab. The research instrument is pre-test and post-test using creative thinking skills in the form of description and students’ questionnaire. The analysis was performed with SPSS 22.0 program to see the significance normality, U Mann-Whitney test for nonparametric statistics, N-Gain score, and the percentage of student responses to the practicum performed. The research result shows that the pretest rate in the experimental group is 8.25 while in the control group is 6.90. After attending a project-based practicum with local materials, the experimental group obtained the mean of posttest is 37.55 while in control class is 11.18. The students’ improvement on creative thinking skills can be seen from the average of N-Gain in the experimental class with 0.32 (medium category) and in the control category with 0.05 (low category). The experimental and control class have different creative thinking skills significantly different fluency, flexibility, novelty, and detail. It can be concluded that quantitative project-based protein testing using local materials can improve students’ creative thinking skills. 71% of total students feel that quantitative project-based protein testing using local materials make them more creative in doing a practicum in the laboratory.</p>


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