Critical thinking Criteria in EFL Writing
Assessment among Chinese University Students
Dr. Jia Li
UOIT, Faculty of Education
Jingfeng Han
Xinzhou Teachers University, visiting Researcher
2015 Education Symposium
January 16, 2015
Outlines
• Research Background
• Literature Survey at CNKI (China National
Knowledge Infrastructure)
• Categorizations of the articles reviewed
• Results
• Conclusion
Research Background
Definition of Critical Thinking Skills (CTS)
We understand critical thinking to be purposeful,
self-regulatory judgment which results in
interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference,
as well as explanation of the evidential,
conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or
contextual considerations upon which that
judgment is based. (Facione, 1990, p.2)
Three major CTS tests used
• CCTST (California Critical Thinking Skills Test)
Interpretation, Analysis, Evaluation, Inference, Explanation, SelfRegulation
• CCTDI (California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory )
Truthseeking, Open-mindedness, Analyticity,
Systematicity, Confidence in Reasoning, Inquisitiveness and Maturity of
Judgment
• Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, (WGCTA) Watson & Glaser,
1980)。
Inference, Recognition of assumptions, Deduction, Interpretation and
Evaluation of arguments
The Necessity to train CTS
• Zhang (1995): the scarce of content in
composition
• Qian (1996): interrelation between
language and thinking
• Huang (1998, 2010): reasons of CTS
lacking in English education in China.
Hierarchy theory of CTS
Wen Qiufang (2009)
Meta-CTS (self-regulation)
CTS
Cognitive
Skills
Affective
Criteria
Clarification
Curiosity
Analysis
Relevance
Open-mindedness
Inference
Logic
Self-confidence
Evaluation
Depth and width
Integrity
flexibility
firmness
CTS involvement in writing
• Theme
• Topic
• Argumentation
• Conclusion
• Structures
• …
Requirements in Large-Scale tests
• TOEFL, IELTS,
• CET 4 &6, TEM 4 &8, PETS 5
• Postgraduate English Test
Literature Survey in CNKI
Key words involved
CTS (various term translations in Chinese)
English, foreign, or second language and writing
English majors, TEM 4&8 CET 4& 6.
Empirical studies in writing
Articles Found
Results
1. Theoretical CTS introduction
2. CTS teaching strategies in English writing
CTS explanation and practice
Data collection by students
Peer assessment
Online writing assessment software
Rating criteria perfection
3. Empirical studies in English writing
Rating articles by criteria in CTS
Questionnaires and interview
Action research in CTS teaching of writing
13 Empirical-study articles
1. Statistical analyzing the CTS in students’
compositions
a. Self-designing the rating criteria and scale
b. Applying analytical rating scale abroad
2. Directly applying the CTS test and questionnaires
overseas
CCTST, CCTDI, WGCTA, Stapleton’s Questionnaire
(2002)
3. Action Research: CTS teaching practice
Rating CTS and counting the frequency of each
criterion used
Further study
• CTS rating criteria
• How to improve students knowledge and
to support their views with substantial
evidence
• English language proficiency and CTS
skills in writing
Using the overseas tests and questionnaires
Further study
• Teaches’ CTS instructional roles
• More SPSS analyses to illustrate CTS and
writing competence
• Encouraging students to have more
creative ideas and improving their
inference and evaluation skills (Zhu, 2013, Yan,
2014)
Action Research — CTS writing teaching practice
Further Study
• More detailed practice in CTS teaching
Teaching and syllabus designs,
Assessment methods
Teaching methods
Students’ roles in teaching
• Questionnaires and interviews
• Ways of evaluating students’ improvement
• Roles of Writing samples
Conclusion
•
•
•
•
CTS rating criteria
Follow-up CTS research
CTS involvement in writing process
Relationship between CTS and writing
competence
• CTS teaching designs
Thank you!
Jia.li@uoit.ca
hanjilleli@hotmail.com