Assessing Critical Thinking of ELT Students: Development and Validation of a New Scale (CTARS-ELT)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Saeed Abbasi-Sosfadi ¹

Mohammad Davoudi ²

Seyed Mohammad Reza Amirian ³

Gholamreza Zareian ³

¹ Hakim Sabzevari University

² Department of English Language and Literature, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

³ Department of English Language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/lts.2025.90610.1311

Abstract

The quality of reading skills largely depends on the application of critical thinking when reading texts. Despite extensive research on critical thinking within the field of ELT, the literature indicates that reading researchers mostly rely on general critical thinking scales, lacking a domain-specific tool for critical thinking in reading. This study aims to design and validate a multidimensional, self-report psychometric instrument to assess critical thinking in reading among ELT students. Utilizing an interactive reading framework and insights from semi-structured interviews, a hypothetical model of critical thinking was proposed, comprising seven components, leading to the creation of a 41-item scale. Analysis results confirmed that the newly developed scale is a comprehensive measure for assessing critical thinking skills in academic reading among ELT students.

Highlights

 

Keywords

Critical Thinking

Reading

ELT

Domain-Specific

Validation

Subjects

• Language Education

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References