Implementation of the critical thinking skills in Arabic language teaching and learning: a preliminary study

Abstract

Nowadays implementation of critical thinking skills in teaching and learning is considered one of the Arabic language teachers’ tasks due to its high position in foreign language classrooms. In the context of Arabic teachers, the most important competence is the mastery of critical thinking skills in teaching and learning activities. Therefore, the aims of this study are to identify the level of competence of Arabic teachers in implementing the critical thinking skills in their teaching. A total of 30 Arabic teachers from secondary schools in Malaysia had answered survey comprising of 12 items from the sub-constructs of critical thinking skills. The quantitative data of the survey were analysed descriptively using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22.0 to present the frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that Arabic language teachers have a moderately low level of critical thinking skills (Mean = 3.96; SD = 0.462). The data also highlighted that these Arabic teachers have not yet mastered the ability to make inferences, as evidenced by the skill's low mean score. It can be concluded form the study that teachers who come from various backgrounds and various educational levels showed the ability to think critically. This is due to their prior exposure to critical thinking skills in the classroom. The findings of this study indicate that Arabic teachers should develop critical thinking skills in order to be able to apply and develop this skill in their teaching activities. Furthermore, it offers a number of initiatives to improve teachers' knowledge and skills in infusing critical thinking in Arabic teaching as a foreign language in order to meet the needs of the National Education System of the 21st century.