Open AccessThe EFL Students’ Critical Reading Skills Across Cognitive Styles
Author(s) -
L Par
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
jeells (journal of english education and linguistics studies)/jeels (journal of english education and linguistics studies)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2503-2194
pISSN - 2407-2575
DOI - 10.30762/jeels.v5i1.541
Subject(s) - reading (process) , test (biology) , reading comprehension , mathematics education , psychology , cognition , inference , significant difference , critical reading , critical thinking , computer science , linguistics , artificial intelligence , mathematics , paleontology , philosophy , statistics , neuroscience , biology
This study aims to explore the difference
between the field independent (FI) and field dependent
(FD) learners in the area of EFL critical reading skills. To
this end, 60 undergraduate EFL students who had taken
and passed the Critical Reading course involved as the
subjects. The Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT) was
administered to classify the students’ cognitive styles into
FI and FD groups. Furthermore, to measure the students’
critical reading skills, the critical reading comprehension
test (CRCT) in the form of multiple choice questions was
developed and administered. The test items were focused
on assessing students’ analytical and inferential skills of
reading texts, specifically on determining the main idea,
the purpose, the tone, making an inference and taking
conclusion. The findings indicate that there is a
statistically significant difference in the critical reading
skills between FI and FD students. More specifically, the
differences are in determining the main idea, determining
the purpose, making an inference, and taking the
conclusion of the texts in the CRCT. Pedagogically,
selecting appropriate reading texts to be used in Critical
Reading course practice for developing the students’
critical reading skills will be beneficial for both of FI and
FD students.