Factors Encouraging Critical Thinking in Teaching Reading Skill The Case Study of Master One Students of English at Mila

Abstract

Critical thinking is a crucial skill that students of English as a foreign language should strive to acquire and enhance, as it plays a vital role in the development of their reading abilities. It transcends mere memorization and rote learning, enabling learners to engage in analysis, evaluation, and informed decision-making. By cultivating critical thinking skills, students become more productive in their learning journey, allowing for a deeper understanding and application of knowledge. This current research attempts to cover the main factors that encourage critical thinking in the reading skill. It also aims to shed light on the approaches that instructors can employ to enhance their students' critical thinking abilities and achieve optimal educational outcomes. Accordingly, this research paper asks three questions: what are the factors that encourage critical thinking in teaching reading skill among Master 1 Mila University students? To what extent do these factors contribute to the promotion of critical thinking among first year Master students? Which role do reading materials play promoting critical thinking among those learners? In order to answer the aforementioned questions, one questionnaire is administered to 61 first year master students in the Department of Foreign Languages at Mila University Center. It seeks to detect the learners' abilities to develop their critical thinking in the reading skill, and the second questionnaire is administered to seven master one English teachers. The analyses of the answers show that learners are familiar with the concept of critical thinking and aware of the positive effect of it on their reading skill’s efficiency. Also, they affirm that teachers are mindful of the benefits of being a critical teacher as well and give a good care about enhancing their learner’s creativity and their critical thinking skill. In closing, the research paper proffers a multiplicity of helpful recommendations for future research aiming of enhancing the efficiency of the learning prosses.