A Study on Science Majors' Critical Thinking and lts Cultivation in College English Teaching

摘要

Since 2000, critical thinking has become an increasingly popular interest of manyeducators and scholars in China. Critical thinking of college students, as one of thehottest research topics in academic fields, has undergone considerable studies. Fewstudies, however, have been conducted with science majors as their participants. Itfollows that little has been known about the characteristics of science majors' criticalthinking in China.
　　 Employing the CCTDI-CV-Peng (Califomia Critical Thinking DispositionInventory-Chinese Version, translated and revised by Peng Meici et al) and theQuestionnaire on Influential Factors of Critical Thinking Disposition as theinstrument, the current paper presents an investigation of science majors' criticalthinking dispositions and performs an analysis of possible factors that influence theiroverall disposition towards thinking critically.
　　 In terms of critical thinking dispositions, it is found that (a) science majors'overall disposition towards critical thinking is ambivalent; and that (b) among theirseven subscale dispositions towards critical thinking, only the one of maturity ispositive, their truth-seeking, open-mindedness and systematicity are ambivalent andtheir analyticity, inquisitiveness as well as critical thinking self-confidence are eitherambivalent or negative; and that (c) neither grade nor gender is a predictor of sciencemajors' overall critical thinking disposition.
　　 With regard to influential factors, it is revealed that (a) teachers' critical thinkingspirit displayed in class and parents' way of decision-making significantly influencesscience majors' overall critical thinking disposition, while (b) students' care for socialevents and their priority given to acquiring specific knowledge in learning does not.Furthermore, it is found that (c) the influence of Chinese culture upon scienc e majors'overall critical thinking disposition remains unclear and that (d) science majors thinkhighly of critical thinking even though they may not be able to give an exactexplanation of the term.
　　 In view of the vital importance of critical thinking and science majors'ambivalent or even negative dispositions towards thinking critically, the current papermoves on to propose several strategies for critical-thinking-fostering teaching ofCollege English, mainly focusing on the teaching of English reading and theassessment of English writing, with the aim of helping science majors become successful critical thinkers. When the teaching of English reading is considered, threestrategies are proposed: (a) modeling critical thinking in class; (b) activating students'schema before reading; and (c) placing students in peer groups and conducting criticaldebates after reading. When the assessment of English writing is considered, fourstrategies are put forward: (a) offering though-provoking topics for students to writeon; (b) encouraging students' self-editing and peer-editing; (c) giving helpful andencouraging feedback; and (d) putting more emphasis on the process rather than theproduct.
　　 Hopefully, this paper can help educators gain a better understanding of sciencemajors' critical thinking and in turn assist them to develop effective teaching strategiesfor nurturing students' dispositions towards critical thinking as well as building theircognitive skills of critical thinking.

目录

声明

致谢

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Research Purpose and Significance

1.2 Research Questions

1.3 Research Hypotheses

1.4 Research Struetures

Chapter 2 Theoretical Rationale and Literature Review

2.1 Theoretical Rationale

2.1.1 Classic Definitions of Critical Thinking

2.1.2 Misinterpretations about Critical Thinking

2.1.3 The Cognitive Skills Dimension and the Dispositional Dimension of Critical Thinking

2.2 Literature Review

2.2.1 Instruments for Assessing College Students’Critical Thinking in China

2.2.2 Previous Findings of Chinese College Students’Critical Thinking

2.2.3 The Correlation between College Students’Critical Thinking Dispositions and their Critical Thinking Skills

2.2.4 The Approaches for Developing Successful Critical Thinkers

2.3 Summary of the Literature Review

Chapter 3 The Investigation of Science Majors’Critical Thinking Dispositions

3.1 Research Design

3.1.1 Research Participants

3.1.2 Rsearch Instrumentafion

3.1.3 Research Procedures

3.1.4 Data-Supported Findings of Participants’Dispositions towards Critical Thinking

3.1.5 Data-Supported Findings of Influential Factors of Participants’Overall Critical Thinking Disposition(Hypothesis 5)

3.1.6 Analysis of Culture as an Influential Factor of Participants’Overall Critical Thinking Disposition

3.1.7 Analysis of Science Majors’Attitude towards Critical Thinking

3.2 Research Discussion

Chapter 4 The Cultivation of Science Majors’Critical Thinking through College English Teaching and Assessment

4.1 The Significance of Critical Thinking in College English Learning

4.2 Critical-Thinking-Fostering Teaching of English Reading

4.2.1 The Need of Critical Thinking in English Reading

4.2.2 Demerits of Present Teaching of English Reading

4.2.3 The Major Task in and Guiding Principles of Critical-Thinking-Fostering Teaching of English Reading

4.2.4 Strategies for Critical-Thinking-Fostering Teaching of English Reading

4.3 Critical-Thinking-Fostering Assessment of English Writing

4.3.1 Demerits of Present Assessment of English Writing

4.3.2 Strategies for Critical-Thinking-Fostering Assessment of English Writing

Chapter 5 Conclusion

5.1 Major Findings of the Research

5.2 Practical Implications of the Research

5.3 Limitations of the Research

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research

参考文献

Appendix Ⅰ

Appendix Ⅱ