Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through i-Think Maps: An Action Research

Abstract

This paper aims to provide insights into the use of i-Think maps in developing the understanding of critical thinking skill among ESL student teachers. The i-Think map programme was introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2012 which aims to produce innovative learners including those in language learning field. Employing Kemmis and Mac Taggart’s (2000) model of action research, eight different types of i-Think maps were introduced to three trainee teachers for four months in order to obtain feedback concerning their learning experience and understanding of critical thinking skill. Throughout the four-month period, the participants were asked to opt for suitable i-Think maps to summarise the content of the lectures delivered in their teaching session. The participants were trainee teachers at a Teacher Training Institute in Malaysia and they were purposively sampled as they had been diagnosed to have problems in applying critical thinking for coaching. Analysis of the data which were generated from document analysis and semi-structured interviews with the student teachers, showed that the participants were interested in using i-Think maps and they perceived the maps as a useful tool in improving their understanding of critical thinking. This paper contributes to the existing literature on critical thinking skills in ELT classroom by highlighting the importance of using i-Think maps as a teaching aid in enhancing the critical thinking ambience among the students.