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The Effect of Critical Thinking Strategies on Recall and Retention of Vocabulary among Iranian EFL Learners with Different Language Proficiency Levels

Name: The Effect of Critical Thinking Strategies on Recall and Retention of Vocabulary among Iranian EFL Learners with Different Language Proficiency Levels
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Thesis

M.A in English Language Teaching

Department of English Language

The Effect of Critical Thinking Strategies on Recall and Retention of Vocabulary among Iranian EFL

Learners with Different Language Proficiency Levels

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of critical thinking strategies on recall and retention of vocabulary among Iranian EFL learners with different proficiency levels. To this aim, 156 female learners in a high school in Bandar Abbas, Iran were chosen based on convenience sampling. Preliminary English Test (PET) was administered to provide three homogeneous groups of participants: elementary, lower intermediate, and intermediate. The participants of each level were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group and control group. At the second stage, the pretest (first teacher-made vocabulary test) was administered to prove that they were homogenous in terms of their vocabulary knowledge. The experimental groups were taught critical thinking strategies to improve recall and retention of vocabulary and the control groups were taught regular instructions. Then the post-test (second teacher-made vocabulary test) was administered. The results of the statistical analysis showed the experimental groups outperformed the control group on the posttest. The delay posttest was administered only for the experimental groups after two weeks. The experimental groups indicated a higher mean on the delayed posttest. The study revealed significant effect of critical thinking strategies not only on recall but also on retention of vocabulary.

Key terms: Critical thinking, recall, retention, vocabulary.

دسته: زبان خارجه, زبان خارجه برچسب: Key terms: Critical thinking, recall, Retention, vocabulary.

توضیحات

Chapter I: Introduction

1.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1

1.2. Background of the Study……………………………………………………………………………… 2

1.3. Statement of the Problems……………………………………………………………………………. 3

1.4. Research Questions……………………………………………………………………………………… 5

1.5. Research Hypotheses……………………………………………………………………………………. 5

1.6. Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………………………….. ..6

1.7. Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………………………. ..7

1.8. Limitations and Delimitations of the study……………………………………………………. ..8

1.9. Definition of the Key Terms………………………………………………………………………… ..9

Chapter II: Review of the Related Literature…………………………………………………… 11

2.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12

2.2. Definition of Critical Thinking…………………………………………………………………….. 12

2.3. Critical Thinking Theoretical Base………………………………………………………………… 17

2.4. Philosophy-Based Theories and Definitions…………………………………………………… 17

2.5. Psychology-Based Theories and Definitions………………………………………………….. 18

2.6. Attempts and Consensus…………………………………………………………………………….. 19

2.7. Teaching of Critical Thinking………………………………………………………………………. 20

2.8. Elements of Critical Thinking………………………………………………………………………. 22

2.9. Stages of Critical Thinking Development………………………………………………………. 24

2.10. Characteristics of a Critical Thinker……………………………………………………………. 26

2.11. Benefits of Critical Thinking……………………………………………………………………… 28

2.12. Critical Thinking in Academic context………………………………………………………… 30

2.13. Vocabulary………………………………………………………………………………………………. 31

2.14. Vocabulary knowledge…………………………………………………………..32

2.15. Vocabulary Learning strategies………………………………………………………………….. 33

2.16. Recent Studies…………………………………………………………………………………………. 36

Chapter III: Methodology……………………………………………………………………………….. 38

3.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39

3.2. Participants……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39

3.3. Instruments……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 40

3.3.1. Language Proficiency Test………………………………………………………………… 40

3.3.2. Teacher made Vocabulary Test…………………………………………………………… 40

3.3.3. Delayed Posttest………………………………………………………………………………. 40

3.4. Procedure………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 41

3.5. Design………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43

Chapter IV: Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………. 44

4.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………. 45

4.2. Testing Assumption……………………………………………………………………………………. 46

4.3. Pet General Language Proficiency Test…………………………………………………………. 49

4.4. Pretest of Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………………………. 53

4.5. Research Hypotheses …………………………………………………………………………………. 57

4.6. Criterion Referenced Validity……………………………………………………………………… 59

4.7. Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 60

Chapter V: Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………. 62

5.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 63

5.2. Restatement of the Problem………………………………………………………………………… 63

5.3. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………… 65

5.4. Pedagogical Implications…………………………………………………………………………….. 66

5.5. Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………………………………. 66

Reference………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 68

Appendixes……………………………………………………………………………..73

Lists of Tables

Table (4.1): Testing Normality Assumptions……………………………………….……. 45

Table (4.2): Levene’s Test of Equality of Error Variances……………………………………46

Table (4.3): Descriptive Statistics, Proficiency, PET by Groups……………………………..47

Table (4.4): Tests of Between-Subjects Effects, PET by Groups…………………………….47

Table (4.5): Descriptive Statistics, Group Proficiency, PET…………………………………48

Table (4.6): Descriptive Statistics, PET Groups by Proficiency…….……………………….48

Table (4.7): Calculation of Pilot Study of the First Teacher Made Vocabulary Test ………..50

Table (4.8): Calculation of Pilot Study of the Second Teacher Made Vocabulary Test……..50

Table (4.9): Levene’s Test of Equality of Error Variances……………………………….…..51

Table (4.10): Descriptive Statistics, Pretest of Vocabulary by Groups………………………51

Table (4.12): Tests of Between-Subjects Effects, Pretest of Vocabulary by Groups……..….52

Table (4.13): Interaction between Group Proficiency, Pretest of Vocabulary………….…….52

Table (4.14): Levene’s Test of Equality of Error Variances………………………………….54

Table (4.15): Descriptive Statistics, Posttest of Vocabulary by Groups………………………54

Table (4.16): Tests of Between-Subjects Effects, Posttest of Vocabulary by Groups……..…55

Table (4.17): Descriptive Statistics, Posttest of Vocabulary by Proficiency Level……….….55

Table (4.18): Pairwise Comparisons, Posttest of Vocabulary………………………………..56

Table (4.19): Descriptive Statistics, Posttest of Vocabulary by Groups of Proficiency….….56

Table (4.20): Descriptive Statistics, Posttest and Delayed Posttest of Vocabulary…………..58

Table (4.21): Paired Samples Test, Posttest and Delayed Posttest of Vocabulary………..….58

Table (4.22): Criterion Referenced Validity…………………………………………….……59

Table (4.23): KR-21 Reliability Indices………………………………………………..…….59

Lists of Figures

Figure (4.1): PET groups by Proficiency……………………………………………….…..49

Figure (4.2): Pretest of Vocabulary Groups by Proficiency………………………………..53

Figure (4.3): Posttest of Vocabulary Groups by Proficiency……………………………….57

Figure4.4: Posttest and Delayed Posttest of Vocabulary (Experimental Group)…….…..…58