THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC WRITING IN DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING AMONG EFL STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31851/g3wjn115Keywords:
Academic writing, critical thinking, EFL students, qualitative study, English language educationAbstract
This research explores the impact of academic writing on the development of critical thinking skills among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. A descriptive qualitative research design was utilized, involving 25 students from the English Education Department at an Indonesian university. The participants were selected through purposive sampling because of their background in academic writing courses. Data were gathered through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of students’ essays and argumentative documents. The obtained data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify trends in the development of critical thinking. The results indicated that academic writing played a crucial role in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills by fostering their ability to structure ideas coherently, assess information, and formulate evidence-based arguments. Students became increasingly aware of the need to evaluate sources, contrast information, and reflect on their ideas before writing. While some students still faced challenges with deep analysis, it was found that academic writing aided in the progressive development of analytical, evaluative, and reflective thinking skills.
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