Empowering Future Teachers: Cultivating Critical Thinking in Student-Led Sociolinguistic Classrooms in Kuwait (Published)
This study explores the role of student-led classrooms in developing critical thinking, sociolinguistic awareness, and collaborative skills among pre-service English teachers in Kuwait. Employing a qualitative case study design, it examines the application of active learning in a sociolinguistic educational context. The results indicate that this approach enhances critical engagement with sociolinguistic issues, fosters analytical abilities, and promotes collaboration through peer feedback. However, challenges such as resistance to new methodologies, varying language proficiency, and institutional constraints underscore the need for structured support and alignment with institutional objectives. With the necessary adjustments in place to support teachers and students alike, the findings highlight the transformative potential of active learning. With consideration of the challenges highlighted, as well as room for flexibility to respond to issues arising throughout the course, this paper proposes strategies to tailor the active learning model to the specificity of Kuwait’s educational environment. Furthermore, proposing that future studies should examine its long-term effects and explore cross-cultural and digital adaptations.
Keywords: Critical thinking, Sociolinguistics, Student-led classrooms, Teacher Education
A Comparative Study of Critical Thinking Skills in High School and Simulated IELTS Reading Comprehension Questions (Published)
The importance of critical thinking in formal schooling and specially higher education has been recognized for some time. The number of books and papers that encourage teaching, learning, and testing high levels of thinking have become increasingly common. However, there is evidence that the use of higher order thinking skills (analyzing, evaluating, and creating) still has not become widespread in a number of ELT situations. This study focused on the cognitive levels of reading comprehension questions in simulated tests of IELTS and Iranian high-school English text books. 640 Questions were categorized based on the cognitive level and each question was targeting in light of Anderson, et. Al’s (2001) taxonomy. The results of this study showed that in both Iranian high school English text books and IELTS tests, there is a significant tendency to low order questions (remembering, understanding, applying). And although this inclination is more in the case of high school textbooks, there is no significant difference between high school text books and IELTS reading comprehension questions regarding their tendency to low level questions. The possible reasons for the bent towards this level of questioning in such ambitious language tests of international repute and high school text books were classified into the restriction provided by the question types, culture independency of tests, the publishers’ sales policy, the readiness of universities to win more applicants, and also the impact of target objectives on test objectives.The discussion focuses on the impact of the low-level questions tendency on the neglect of critical thinking.
Keywords: Critical thinking, Simulated Test, Tendency
The Effect of Critical Thinking Strategies Instruction on Iranian EFL Learners’ Writing Performance across Genders (Review Completed - Accepted)
– The present study has tried to find out whether critical thinking strategies instructions affect Iranian EFL male and female students’ writing performance. After administering Oxford Quick Placement Test (2001) to 120 participants in Shokuhe Iran Language Center in Tabriz Iran, 80 participants were chosen, 40 male and 40 female. Then All 80 participants were divided into control and experimental groups. 40 in control group including 20 males and 20 females and 40 in experimental group including 20 males and 20 females. Control group did not receive treatment about critical thinking strategies, only CLT was the main method in control group. But experimental group received eight weeks of instruction about critical thinking strategies within their learning syllabus. T-test was conducted to compare the subjects’ means and to determine the effect of gender. The results showed that critical thinking strategies had a significant effect on improving Iranian EFL students’ writings across genders, (p<.05). Both male and female performance improved after the instruction of critical thinking strategies.
Keywords: Critical thinking, critical thinking strategies., writing