The Effects of Questioning Technique on Critical Thinking of Thai EFL Learners
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Abstract
The objectives of this research were to enhance EFL learners’ critical thinking ability through question–based activities, and to examine the opinions and awareness of students towards question–based activities. The sample was selected using the purposive sampling method consisting of 43 second-year English major students. The research instruments were 1) a 25-item test used to assess the students’ critical thinking skills taken from ‘Critical Thinking Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day’ by Lauren Starkey 2) a five-scale opinion questionnaire used to explore the students’ opinion on English language instruction through question-based activities in the Inferential Reading course and 3) the students’ reflective writing on the instruction in the Inferential Reading course. The results revealed that the students’ critical thinking skills were higher after they had participated in the question-based activities at 0.05 level of significance, and the students’ opinions towards question-based activities were at a high level. The students were aware of the importance and benefits of questioning both in the academic sense and in everyday life situations.
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References
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