The Relationship between Test Takers‟ Critical Thinking Ability and their Performance on the Reading Section of TOEFL

Abstract

See, stats, and : https : / / www . researchgate . net / publication / 47716209 The " Critical Thinking Reading Article DOI : 10 . 4304 / jltr . 1 . 6 . 830 - 837 : DOAJ CITATIONS 19 READS 514 3 , including : Minoo Islamic 103 SEE All - text , letting . Available : Minoo Retrieved : 02 Abstract—The vitality of the ability to think critically is now widely recognized among educators and assessors . Critical thinking is defined as the ability to discipline thinking through efficient information processing (Paul , 1990 ; cited in Longman , Atkinson & Breeden , 1997) . This study aimed at uncovering the extent to which the reading section of a ubiquitous standardized test of English language proficiency , namely TOEFL , engages the critical thinking ability of test takers . To this end , 83 advanced EFL learners completed the Watson - Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (1980) , and the results were correlated with their scores on the reading section of Paper - Based TOEFL (PBT) . The findings indicated a statistically significant advantage for those with greater critical thinking skills . Implications relate to the need to incorporate critical reading strategy training in PBT reading preparatory courses and other EFL reading programs . This way , the quality of Measurement - driven Reading Instruction and other EFL reading courses can be improved with a broader goal in mind , that of enhancing critical thinking among learners . Moreover , some of the objections lodged against the idea of teaching to the test , as the prevailing practice today , would be , to some extent , met .