The Relationship between Critical Thinking Ability and Reading Strategies used by Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

<p>The current empirical study aimed to identify those categories of reading strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive, and compensation) that are mostly used by Iranian EFL learners, and investigate if there is any significant relationship between critical thinking ability and reading strategies used by these learners. It also pursued if there is any significant difference between critical thinking ability of male and female learners. Seventy five Iranian EFL senior students (35 males and 40 females) majoring in English Literature and EnglishTranslation at the University of Sistan and Baluchestan in Iran participated in this study. Based on the purposes of the study, two questionnaires were administered to the participants: a critical thinking questionnaire and a reading strategy questionnaire. Results of the study showed that the most frequently used reading strategy was meta-cognitive strategy. Statistical analyses revealed a low positive significant correlation between learners’ critical thinking ability and their overall use of reading strategies. The participants’ critical thinking ability also correlated positively with their use of each one of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and compensation strategies. An independent-samples <em>t</em>-test was employed to examine the difference between critical thinking ability of males and females and the result revealed a significant difference between male and female learners in their critical thinking; males’ critical thinking ability was higher than that of females.</p

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

“…Prior research also reported inconclusive findings regarding the differences in critical thinkings between females and males. The research by Sadeghi, Hassani and Rahmatkhah, 2014;Harish, 2013;Aliakbari and Sadeghdaghighi, 2011;Mohammadi, Heidari and Niry, 2012;Wilson, 1989;Leach, 2011 Brems andJohnson, 1988 put forth that boys are better critical thinkers than girls. Conversely, Ay and Akgöl, 2008;Ocak, Kutlu-Kalender (2017) averred that females are better in CTS than male counterparts.…”

Examining the Relationships Between the Attitudes Towards Reading and Reading Habits, Metacognitive Awarenesses of Reading Strategies and Critical Thinking Tendencies of Pre-Service Teachers

“…In other researches on this subject, researchers tried to determine the relationship between metacognitive awareness of reading strategies and critical thinking (Demir & Kaya, 2015;Hosseini, Bakhshipour-Khodaei, Sarfallah & Dolatabadi, 2012;Karabay, 2012;Karasakaloğlu, Saracaloğlu & Yılmaz-Özelçi, 2012;Mohammadi, Heidari & Niry, 2012;Parson, 1985;Smith, 2015). A study by Hosseini et al (2012) found that there was a significant positive correlation between the use of critical thinking ability and reading strategy, and the use of metacognitive reading strategies of postgraduate students in the field of foreign language education.…”

Relationship Between Critical Thinking and Compensatory Strategies by Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners in Oral Communication

“…Nour Mohammadi, Heidari, and Dehghan Niri (2012) investigated the relation between CT ability and reading strategies used by Iranian EFL learners. They asked 75 Iranian EFL learners (35 males and 40 females) majoring in English literature and English translation at the University of Sistan and Baluchestan to participate in their study.…”