A Correlation Study of Pakistani EFL Teachers’ Professional discerning and their Critical Thinking

Abstract

A great deal of research is done on teacher training and teacher education worldwide, but a few studies appeared on teacher’s professional discerning and particularly on teachers’ critical thinking skills. Critical thinking, with regard to EFL teachers, has not been taken into consideration early on. This study explores the relationship between EFL teacher’s professional discerning and their critical thinking in Pakistani context. A quantitative paradigm has been adopted to find out if there is any relationship between EFL teachers’ professional discerning and their critical thinking. The participants consisted of 93 EFL teachers teaching English at the university level in Pakistan. The researcher utilized a professional discerning (identity) research tool taken from Sheybani and Miri (2019) and a derived Critical Thinking Inventory (DCT) designed by the researcher to collect data. To analyze the relationship between EFL teachers’s professional discerning and their critical thinking ability, the data were analyzed by R (statistical program). The results of correlation analysis unfolded that the sub-constructs of professional discerning questionnaire tools are predicted by critical thinking. A highly positive and statistically significant correlation was observed in the analysis. The study highlights the significance and important role of critical thinking in shaping EFL teachers’ professional discerning, particularly in their teaching context. The study proves the inventive conduct of EFL teachers in the present era of knowledge and learning. The study will positively contribute to language teaching and learning, and it would open up new vistas for EFL teachers, syllabus designers, and academia.