Abstract

 The need of integrating critical thinking in teaching English reading in senior high schools is keeping with the trend of the time, the inevitable consequence of social needs and personal development. With the goal of implementing quality education in China, how to promote the senior high school students' all-round development has become an urgent social issue. Critical thinking in English teaching not only helps to improve students' logic thinking ability, but also benefits the lifelong development of senior high school students. Based on Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, this study aims to explore how to cultivate students’ critical thinking in reading lessons. A case study was thus carried out, employing questionnaire, classroom observation and interview as the main methods for data collecting. The purpose of this study is to answer the following three research questions: Whether teachers in senior high schools have the awareness to cultivate students’ critical thinking or not? What strategies did the teachers use when they teach reading integrating critical tools? What questions and problems did they have in training students’ critical thinking through reading lessons? The findings from the study show that most educators have obvious awareness of critical thinking while some do not due to different teaching experience, background of education, and teaching condition. And teachers have tried to apply some teaching strategies to students, such as brainstorming, questions of different dimensions and levels, challenging tasks, etc.

Key words: Reading Teaching; Critical Thinking; Strategies of Training Critical Thinking

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1  Introduction-1

1.1 Research Background-1

1.2 Research Purpose-2

1.3 Significance of the Research-2

1.4 Structure of the Dissertation-3

2  Literature Review-5

2.1 Critical Thinking-5

 2.1.1 Definitions of Critical Thinking-5

2.1.2 Features of Critical Thinking-6

2.1.3 Critical Thinking Skills-7

2.2 Critical Reading-8

2.2.1 The General Introduction to Critical Reading-8

2.2.2 Critical Reading Strategies-9

2.3 Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives-10

2.4 Using Questions in Teaching Reading-11

2.4.1 Principles of Questions-11

2.4.2 Classification of Questions Types-11

2.5 Research Questions-12

3  Research Methods and Data Collection-13

 3.1 Case Study-13

3.2 Participants-15

3.3 Research Methods-16

3.3.1 Questionnaire Survey-16

3.3.2 Classroom Observation-16

3.3.3 Interview-16

4  Data Analysis and Discussions-18

4.1 Teachers’ Awareness and Behaviors to Cultivate Students’ Critical Thinking-18

4.1.1 Analysis of the Questionnaire-18

4.1.2 Analysis of the Questions-19

4.2 Ways to Cultivate Students’ Critical Thinking-20

 4.2.1 Brainstorming-21

 4.2.2 Questions of Different Dimensions and Levels-21

 4.2.3 Creating Speculative Atmosphere-22

 4.2.4 Challenging Tasks-23

4.3 Problems to Be Solved-23

5  Conclusion-24

5.1 Major Findings-24

5.2 Implications-25

5.3 Limitations-25

Appendix Ⅰ Questionnaire-26

Appendix Ⅱ Questions-27

Bibliography-28

Acknowledgements-29