Towards a set of design principles for technology-assisted critical-thinking cultivation: A synthesis of research in English language education

Abstract

In view of the burgeoning research on technology-assisted critical-thinking cultivation but scarce research synthesis on this important topic in the field of English language education, this systematic literature review sought to address two issues. First, it identified the types of technology used in recent research published from 2017 to 2022. Second, it generated a framework comprising a set of evidence-based design principles to provide pedagogical assistance to English teachers and instructional designers for their use of technology to support critical-thinking cultivation. Drawing on a fine-grained analysis and synthesis of 33 eligible studies, this review suggested that informative technology, communicative technology, or informative and communicative technology is the most used technology to foster students’ critical thinking in English language education. The review also proposed a framework with four evidence-based design principles: (1) allow self-study and thorough understanding of learning materials; (2) engage students in practising various critical thinking skills; (3) engage students in classroom interaction, group discussion, collaboration, and reflection; and (4) engage students in decision-making and problem-solving. Implications of the review findings are discussed.