Action Research on the Cultivation of Critical Thinking Ability in Cross-cultural English Teaching in Chinese Higher Vocational College
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53469/jsshl.2024.07(02).23Keywords:
Critical thinking ability, Cross-Cultural English teaching, Action research, Higher vocational collegeAbstract
In recent years, the English teaching reform in higher vocational colleges in China has gradually integrated heuristic teaching methods. However, a notable issue has emerged: students’ deficiency in critical thinking skills. This study aims to enhance the critical thinking skills of higher vocational students in China through action research. The research includes four cycles of teaching practice to improve students’ critical thinking ability in terms of analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and self-adjustment. Through the task design, the researcher promotes students’ in-depth thinking and critical analysis in cross-cultural English classes. It was found that vocational students made noticeable progress in the 16-week training process, as reflected by the changes in interpretation and analysis abilities and attitudes towards culture. These results provide valuable experience and enlightenment for English teaching in higher vocational colleges and emphasise the importance of cultivating students’ critical thinking ability to promote their development in academic and professional fields.
References
Wang, Y., Peng, Y., & Huang, Y. (2024). The effect of “typical case discussion and scenario simulation” on the critical thinking of midwifery students: Evidence from China. BMC Medical Education, 24, 1-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05127-5
Carr, W., Kemmis, S. (1990). Becoming Critical: Education Knowledge and Action Research, London: The Falmer Press.
Lei. (2023). Doctoral dissertation on critical thinking tendency of senior high school mathematics teachers based on HPM network training, East China Normal University.
Han, J., & Zhang, L. (2020). Teaching Culture in TEFL. Creative Education. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2020.114032.
Brown, N. J., Afflerbach, P. P., & Croninger, R. G. (2014). Assessment of critical-analytic thinking. Educational Psychology Review, 26, 543-560.
Shaw, A., Ou, L. L., Gu, L., Kardonova, E., Chirikov, I., Li, G., & Loyalka, P. (2020). Thinking critically about critical thinking: Validating the Russian HEIghten® critical thinking assessment. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1933-1948. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1672640
Chadwick, C. (2011). A conceptual model for teaching critical thinking in a knowledge economy. Educational Technology, 37-42.
Fong, C. J., Kim, Y., Davis, C. W., Hoang, T., & Kim, Y. W. (2017). A meta-analysis on critical thinking and community college student achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 26, 71-83.
Murphy, P. K., Rowe, M. L., Ramani, G., & Silverman, R. (2014). Promoting critical-analytic thinking in children and adolescents at home and in school. Educational Psychology Review, 26, 561-578.
Thomas, T. (2011). Developing first-year students’ critical thinking skills. Asian Social Science, 26-35.
Biazus, Marivane & Mahtari, Saiyidah. (2022). The Impact of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) Model on Secondary Students’ Creative Thinking Skills. International Journal of Essential Competencies in Education. 1. 38-48. 10.36312/ijece. v1i1.752.
Wu Z.& Jian W. (2010). Critical thinking from the perspective of argumentation logic. Beijing: Renmin University of China Press.
GLASER E.(1941). An experiment in the development of critical thinking. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1941
Huang H. & Pu F. (2000). On the Basic Composition and Testing Methods of Innovative Thinking. Journal of Shaoxing University of Arts and Sciences.
Naqia, Dzakiyatun & As'ari, As'ari & Suaidi, Afif. (2023). Students’ Critical Thinking Skills Perform in Debate Activities. Journal of English Language Teaching and Cultural Studies. 6. 55-64. 10.48181/jelts. v6i1.17491.
Wang, Y., & Li, X. (2023). The Impact of Diversified Reading Materials on College English Teaching. Journal of Fuzhou University, 41(2), 16-22.
Xu, X., & Zhang, Y. (2022). The Role of Reflective Practice in College English Teaching. Journal of Hangzhou Normal University, 37(1), 1-7.
Shaw, A., Ou, L. L., Gu, L., Kardonova, E., Chirikov, I., Li, G., & Loyalka, P. (2020). Thinking critically about critical thinking: Validating the Russian HEIghten® critical thinking assessment. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1933-1948. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1672640
An, W. (2019). Problems in English Intercultural Communicative Competence of Vocational College Students and Countermeasures. Educational Modernisation (98), 259-262. DOI: 10.16541/j.cnki.2095-8420.2019.98.096.