EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN EFL CLASSROOMS
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Critical Thinking; EFL Education; Socratic Questioning; Problem-Based Learning; Reflective Journaling; Debate Activities; Metacognition; Higher-Order Thinking; Classroom Discourse; Pedagogical Strategies; EFL Assessment; Instructional Design.Abstrak
This quasi-experimental study investigates the efficacy of integrated instructional strategies—Socratic questioning, problem-based learning, debate activities, and reflective journaling—in fostering critical thinking skills among 60 intermediate-level EFL learners over eight weeks. Pre-test/post-test scores from the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, alongside classroom observations and student feedback, demonstrate significant gains in analytical reasoning compared to a control group. Qualitative analysis reveals enhanced metacognitive awareness and discourse quality. These findings highlight the importance of multimodal pedagogies for developing higher-order thinking in language education.
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