The Research on Critical Thinking Teaching Strategies in College English Classroom

Abstract

Critical thinking helps to develop personal’s ability to think consciously. One of the most important things is to enhance critical thinking in college English classrooms. This study is an attempt to investigate college English teachers’ perceptions and challenges in teaching critical thinking strategies. This research aims to investigate the college English teaching methods, approaches and strategies in English classes. The experiment was performed in the first semester from September 2021 to January 2022, with 64 students in Zhejiang Yuexiu University, China. There were thirty-two experimental participants and thirty-two traditional learning participants. All learners received the same content of learning, but through different methods of education. Students better demonstrated critical thinking in a post-strategy instruction assessment than those students who had not received any strategy instruction. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods that examined English teachers’ awareness of critical thinking as a teachable skill. The data was collected through a questionnaire, observation and interview. Both college English teachers and students participated in this research. The results demonstrated that teachers accept that the critical thinking skills make the course more meaningful for learners. Teachers convinced that critical thinking should definitely be encouraged and it should become a habit in students.