An Analysis of the Impact of Using Reflective Practices on the Iranian EFL Teachers’ Critical Thinking Ability

Authors
S. Sabah 1
M. Rashtchi 2
1 . Ph.D. Candidate of TEFL, Department of English Language, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor of TEFL, Department of English Language, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The present study intended to investigate the impact of using the two reflective practices of Personal Experience Narrative (PEN) versus Reflective Journal (RJ) writing in English on enhancing the in-service EFL teachers’ Critical Thinking Ability (CTA) in Iran. Sixty (36 female and 24 male) EFL teachers selected based on the convenience sampling were randomly divided into equal numbers making up two independent experimental PEN and RJ groups. The participants were initially pre-tested on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal-Form A (WGCTA-FA) by Watson and Glaser (1980). The comparison of the pre-test scores via the independent samples t-test indicated no statistically significant difference between the CTA of the two groups at the onset of the study. Then the participants were given five short stories including Chopin’s The story of an hour (1894), O. Henry’s The last leaf (1907), Colby’s Confessions of a gallomaniac (1941), Achebe’s Dead men’s path (1953), and Grace’s Butterflies (1987). The PEN participants wrote PENs in response to themes of stories, whereas the RJ participants inscribed their reflections on the same stories in RJs. Subsequently, the participants in both groups were post-tested on the WGCTA-FA. The comparison of the post-test scores via the independent samples t-test showed that the PEN participants significantly improved in their inference and deduction ability. It should be mentioned that no statistically significant difference was observed between the post-test scores on recognition of assumptions, interpretation, and evaluation of arguments sub-components.

Keywords

  • اسلامی، اکبر رسول و فریده معارفی. (1389). «مقاﯾﺴﮥ توانایی تفکر انتقادی دانشجویان ترم اول و آخر کارشناسی ﭙرستاری و ﭙرستاران بالینی دانشگاه علوم ﭙزشکی و خدمات بهداشتی درمانی جهرم 1386». فصلناﻤﮥ دانشگاه علوم ﭙزشکی جهرم. د 8. ش 1. صص 37ـ45.

  • ﭙﯾشقدم، رضا. (1386). «افزایش تفکر انتقادی ازطریق مباحثه ادبی در کلاسﻫای زبان انگلیسی». مجله دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی مشهد(جستارهای ادبی).د 48. ش 159. صص 151ـ165.

  • کیانی، غلامرضا؛ موسوی، سید ایمان و رضا غفارثمر. (1390). «راﺒﻄﮥ ویژگیﻫای شخصیتی و جنسیت و ﺒﻲﻤیلی به برقراری ارتباط در زبان خارجی». فصلناﻤﮥ ﭙژوهشﻫای زبان و ادبیات تطبیقی (جستارهای زبانی). د 2. ش 4. صص 123ـ144.

  • ·   موسوی، سید ایمان؛ کیانی، غلامرضا؛ اکبری، رامین و رضا غفارثمر. (آمادﮤ انتشار). «سیر تکاملی آگاهی از ژانر رشتۀ تخصصی با آموزش مهارتﻫای نگارش دانشگاهی: یک مطالعۀ موردی». جستارهای زبانی.



  • Achebe, C. (1953). “Dead men’s path”. Retrieved from http://www.sabanciuniv.edu/ HaberlerDuyurular/Documents/F_Courses_/2012/Dead_Mens_Path.pdf

  • Allin, L. & C. Turnock (2007). “Reflection on and in the work place”. Retrieved from www.practicebasedlearning.org/resources/materials/intro.htm

  • Benson, P. (2004). “(Auto)biography and learner identity”. In P. Benson & D. Nunan (Eds.). Learners’ Stories: Difference and Diversity in Language Learning. (Pp. 4-21). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

  • Chopin, K. (1894). “The story of an hour”. Retrieved from http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/ webtexts/hour/

  • Colby, F.M. (1941). “Confessions of a gallomaniac”. Retrieved from http://lektsii.org/3-38478.html

  • Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Chicago, IL: Henry Regnery.

  • Fahim, M. & R. Pishghadam (2009). “Postmodernism and English language teaching”. Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies (IJALS). Vol. 1(2). Pp. 27-54.

  • Farrell, T.S.C. (2013). “Critical incident analysis through narrative reflective practice: A case study”. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research. Vol. 1(1). Pp. 79-89.

  • Fisher, R. (1996). “Stories for thinking: Developing critical literacy through the use of narrative”. Analytic Teaching. Vol. 18(1). Pp. 16-27.

  • Grace, P. (1987). Electric City and Other Stories. Harmondsworth: Penguin.   

  • Guzula, X. (2011). Interactive Reflective Journal Writing as a Tool for Mentoring and Teacher Professional Development: A Case Study. M.A. thesis. South Africa: University of Cape Town. Retrieved from http://www .praesa.org.za/files/2012/07/Xolisa-Guzula_ Masters dissertation _27 dissertation_27_May_2011.pdf

  • Halvorsen, A. (2005). “Incorporating critical thinking skills development into ESL/EFL courses”. The Internet TESL Journal. Vol. 11(3). Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques /Halvorsen-CriticalThinking.html

  • Hampton, M. (2010). “Reflective writing: A basic introduction”. Retrieved from http: www.port.ac.uk/media/contacts-and-departments/student-supportservices/ask/downloads/        Reflective-writing---a-basic-introduction.pdf

  • Hashemi, M. R. & A. Ghanizadeh (2012). “Critical discourse analysis and critical thinking: An experimental study in an EFL context”. System. Vol. 40(1). Pp. 37-47. 

  • Hashemi, M. R.; S. Behrooznia & F. Mohaghegh Mahjoobi (2014). “A critical look into Iranian EFL university students’ critical thinking and argumentative writing”. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics (IJAL). Vol. 17(1). Pp. 71-92. 

  • Johns, C. (2004). Becoming a Reflective Practitioner. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

  • Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003). Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching. London: Yale University Press.

  • Kumaravadivelu, B. (2006). Understanding Language Teaching: From Method to Postmethod. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.   

  • Labov, W. (1997). “Some further steps in narrative analysis”. Journal of
    Narrative and Life History.     Vol. 7(1). Pp. 395-415.

  • Lee, I. (2008). “Fostering preservice reflection through response journals”. Teacher Education Quarterly. Vol. 35(1). Pp. 117-139.

  • Long, C.J. (2013). “Teaching critical thinking in Asian EFL contexts:
    Theoretical issues and practical applications”. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly. Vol. 15(1). Pp. 229-234.   

  • Martin, K.J. (2000). ““Oh, I have a story:” Narrative as a teacher’s classroom model”. Teaching and Teacher Education. Vol. 16(3). Pp. 349-363.

  • Moon, J. (2010). Learning Journals and Logs. Dublin: Centre for Teaching and Learning, Good Practice in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/ UCDTLA0035.pdf

  • Msila, V. (2013). “Instructional leadership: Empowering teachers through critical reflection and journal writing”. International Journal of Social Sciences. Vol. 35(2). Pp. 81-88.

  • Pishghadam, R. (2011). “Introducing applied ELT as a new approach in second/foreign language studies”. Iranian EFL Journal. Vol. 7(2). Pp. 9-20.

  • Pishghadam, R. & F. Sabouri (2011). “A quantitative survey on Iranian English learners’ attitudes toward varieties of English: World English or world Englishes”? English Language and Literature Studies. Vol. 1(1). Pp. 86-95.

  • Pishghadam, R. & R. Zabihi (2012a). “Life syllabus: A new research agenda in English language teaching”. TESOL Arabia Perspectives. Vol. 19(1). Pp. 23-27.     

  • Pishghadam, R. & R. Zabihi (2012b). “Crossing the threshold of Iranian TEFL”. Applied Research in English. Vol. 1(1). Pp. 57-71.

  • Pishghadam, R. & R. Zabihi (2013). “Introducing and exemplifying English for life purposes (ELP) as a new concept in English language teaching”. Humanizing Language Teaching. Vol. 15(3). Pp. 1-19. Retreived from http://profdoc.um.ac.ir/articles/a/1030961. pdf

  • Pishghadam, R.; R. Zabihi & P. Norouz Kermanshahi (2012). “Educational language teaching: A new movement beyond reflective/critical teaching”. Life Science Journal. Vol. 9(1). Pp. 892-899.

  • Porter, W.S. (O. Henry) (1907). “The last leaf”. Retrieved from http://americanenglish. state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/the-last-leaf.pdf

  • Ross, N. (2011). “Reflective writing: An approach to developing critical thinking & proficient writing”. Retrieved from http://www.usma.edu/cfe/Literature/Ross_11.pdf

  • Son, T. H. (2008). “Personal experience narratives and implications for language teaching”.HPU TESL Working Paper Series. Vol. 6(1). Pp. 23-36.

  • Tomkins, A. (2009). ““It was a great day when…:” An exploratory case study of reflective learning through storytelling”. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education. Vol. 8(2). Pp. 123-131. doi:10.3794/johlste.82.198

  • Watson, G. & E.M. Glaser (1980). Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. London: The Psychological Corporation.


 


 

Language Related Research
Volume 7, Issue 7
March and April 2016
Pages 1-21