Conceptions of Critical Thinking from University EFL Teachers

Abstract

Critical Thinking has become an educational and social ideal. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching has not been apart from the discussion on the importance of implementing Critical Thinking into the educational process. However, research on Critical Thinking has broadly been carried out in other fields of knowledge rather than in EFL. Therefore, this study aimed to comprehend the conceptions university English teachers had about Critical Thinking in order to get a wider understanding on the way it has been conceived in EFL in relation to its concept, traits, promotion and assessment. Content Analysis, as a qualitative process of analysis and source of information, interpretations and conclusions, was the method adopted. The software Atlas.ti was the tool implemented to analyze the information. The results revealed that there is some agreement on the conception of Critical Thinking as a set of cognitive skills for problem-solving and reflective learning. Nevertheless, EFL teachers brought about their deficiency in understanding on what Critical Thinking entails. Thus, they emphasized the need of training on topics such as teaching, learning, didactics, methodology, strategies and resources to foster Critical Thinking in EFL. Based on teachers’ participation in this study and the literature consulted, it was concluded that Critical Thinking in EFL is compound of communicative competence, creativity, argumentation, problem-solving, decision-making, autonomous learning, metacognition and emotions.