Proceedings of the 7th World Conference on Research in Teaching and Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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An Evaluation of an EFL Coursebook in Terms of Critical Thinking Skills
Buket Kara, Sevgi Şahin
ABSTRACT:
In the field of English language teaching, the integration of critical thinking skills has gained importance as educators focus more and more on teaching cognitive abilities as well as language proficiency. This study investigates the effectiveness of a coursebook used in a private university preparatory school in Ankara, Turkiye, in promoting critical thinking skills among English language learners. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, engaging 30 private university teachers in preparatory school as participants. Utilizing a Likert-scale rubric comprising 41 items, teachers evaluated the coursebook’s efficacy in fostering critical thinking skills. Also, qualitative insights were collected through a further comments section, enabling understanding of teachers’ perceptions of the book’s strengths and weaknesses in promoting critical thinking. Analysis showed that while some items were sufficient, others fell short such as limited assessment of critical thinking, lack of opportunities for student-led research, and insufficient emphasis on reasoning and problem-solving. For the second part of the study, the researcher is doing a comprehensive evaluation using Bloom’s Taxonomy to understand the book’s alignment with promoting higher order thinking skills. Through descriptive content analysis utilizing coding techniques, the researcher is seeking to reveal the book’s adherence to critical thinking objectives. This research contributes to the field of English Language by offering valuable insights into the effectiveness of coursebooks in promoting critical thinking skills within a Turkish university preparatory school context. The findings suggest room for improvement in the book’s design, emphasizing the importance of explicit integration of critical thinking skills and creating environments conducive to inquiry and problem-solving. By utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data, this research offers valuable insights for educators, curriculum developers, and stakeholders seeking to enhance critical thinking skills in language education contexts.
keywords: Bloom’s revised taxonomy; critical thinking; English language teaching; EFL coursebook evaluation; materials development; material evaluation; mixed-method approach