On the Associations among Critical Thinking, Reflective Thinking, and Emotions: a Case of Iranian EFL Teachers

Abstract

The systematic process of gaining knowledge and skills through study and instructions which is called education is of an extreme importance for human being. Education can bring money, equality, independence, and ultimately a prosperous individual which in turn makes a prosperous society at least by economic growth for nations; not to mention that it paves the way for creating a safer world. In this almost mainstreamed trend of being fascinated by education, ‘thinking’ is said to be the Cinderella skill. In the current study, critical thinking, reflective thinking and also emotions were studied to uncover the probable interplay among them. The results of the analysis of questionnaires (Watson-Glaser’s Critical Thinking Appraisal, Reflective Thinking Questionnaire, Emotions Questionnaire for Teachers) filled by 160 EFL teachers in Iran showed a significant relationship among them and almost all Critical Thinking subcomponents were predicting the other two variables. The findings of the study will help further the knowledge in educating in a broader view, and in the field of English Language teaching in a more narrow sense.

The interplay among self-regulation, emotions and teaching styles in higher education: a path analysis approach

“…A plethora of studies have been conducted on students' emotions (e.g. Goetz et al , 2007; Rienties and Rivers, 2014), but in the area of teachers' emotions, the dearth is grave (Frenzel, 2014; Heydarnejad et al , 2018; Burić et al , 2019; Azari Noughabi et al , 2020). Based on Sutton and Wheatley (2003), there are two reasons for the grave dearth of such studies: (1) recent psychological attention to teachers' emotions and (2) the misbelief about emotion (connected to negative ideas like irrational, primitive, and immature).…”

“…The present study also sought to probe into teacher emotion, the all-to-often neglected issue (Heydarnejad et al , 2018). How teachers manage emotions in the classroom is an integral part of maintaining their well-being and professional performance in an educational setting.…”

A model of academic buoyancy, L2 grit, academic emotion regulation, and personal best: An evidence from EFL context

“…Moreover [ 40 ], viewed that emotions are personally enacted and socially constructed; they are formulated consciously and, or unconsciously. There are, also two specifications about emotions: short-lived or trait level [ 10 , 41 ]. If emotions are considered as short-lived, their intense nature is bolded.…”

“…More precisely, grit is important as much as talent and can give rise to the students’ progress and creativity [ 6 – 8 ]. The existing literature on L2 grit reflects that this construct is intertwined with positive aspects of language learning and teaching [ 5 , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] ]. Thus, grittier learners show a positive perspective toward their educational lives [ 13 – 15 ].…”

The Relationship between Critical Thinking, Self-regulation, and Teaching Style Preferences among EFL Teachers: A Path Analysis Approach

“…Key to this discussion, Elder and Paul (2003) emphasized the crucial role of CT in converting learners into active questioners. CT is not an inborn ability (Ghanizadeh & Heydarnejad, 2015); thus, it should be created and shaped by teachers as the drivers of education vehicles who are responsible for providing and practicing deep comprehension (Heydarnejad, Ebrahimi, & Najjari, 2018).…”