There is a growing body of literature on effective techniques through which critical thinking (CT) can be fostered in an educational setting. In a way that agrees with teaching as an interactive process, considerable debate has taken place over enhancing teachers' CT abilities in recent years. Concerning the positive effects of collaboration on CT, the present study examines whether the frequency of CT components among novice and experienced Iranian EFL raters is different while assessing a passage individually and collaboratively (in pairs). For this end, a mixedmethod approach was adopted. Writing assessments made by two groups of novice and experienced raters were coded in search of statements classified as one of the five components of CT (Stapleton, 2001). The data obtained included recorded think-aloud protocols and written comments made by raters while assessing 3 passages written by IELTS examinees. Then, novice and experienced raters were compared based on the total frequency of CT components used while assessing individually and collaboratively. Afterwards, their criteria for scoring a passage (without using a rubric)were attempted to be established. Findings revealed that collaboration in writing assessment improves raters' CT skills irrespective of their experience level, while CT indices were significantly higher for experienced collaborative pairs. Although, novice and experienced raters' CT skills were not significantly different while assessing individually.With regard to the criteria applied by novice raters, qualitative analysis revealedcentral concerns about the text surface level. Actually, they were believed to be in the process of forming their personal strategies and establishing their own criteria as raters. While experienced raters went one step ahead of syntax into semantics.
Key words:Critical Thinking (CT); Novice Raters; Experienced Raters; Individual Assessment.
RESUMENHay una creciente literatura sobre técnicas eficaces a través de las cuales el pensamiento crítico (PC) puede ser fomentado en un entorno educativo. De una manera que concuerda con la enseñanza como un proceso interactivo, existe un debate considerable sobre la mejora de las capacidades de PC de los profesores en los últimos años. En cuanto a los efectos positivos de la colaboración en el PC, el presente studio analiza si la frecuencia de los componentes del PC entre evaluadores noveles y experimentados de EFL ironies diferente mientras se evalúa un pasaje de forma individual y colaborativa (en parejas). Para ello, se adoptó un enfoque de métodos mixtos. Las evaluaciones escritas realizadas por dos grupos de evaluadores noveles y experimentados fueron codificadas en busca de declaraciones clasificadas como uno de los cinco componentes del PC (Stapleton, 2001). Los datos obtenidos incluyeron protocolos de pensamiento en voz alta y comentarios escritos hechos por evaluadores mientras que evaluaron 3 pasajes escritos por examinados de IELTS. A continuación, los evaluadores principiantes y experimentados se compar...