1

2. Second part: Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Research Design
2.3 Sample of The Study
2.4 Research Instruments of Data Collection
2.5 Data Analysis
2.5.1 Analysis of Students’ Questionnaire
2.5.2 Analysis of Teachers ’Questionnaire
2.6 Discussion and Interpretation of the Main Results
2.7 Conclusion
 2

2.1 Introduction

The current chapter presents the practical part of the study. It aims at exploring
the teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards collaborative learning and its role in
enhancing the critical thinking skills. It describes the research methodology followed
by a description of the sample of the study as well as the presentation and analysis of
the two data collection instruments. The first part of this chapter is allocated for the
analysis of students’ questionnaire and the second part is devoted to teachers’
questionnaire analysis. The chapter concludes with the discussion and interpretation of
the main results of the present study.

2.2 Research Design and Methodology

The present study employs the quantitative descriptive method. The nature of the
present study is descriptive since it seeks to describe and explore EFL students’ as well
as teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards using collaborative learning as a tool to
foster the critical thinking skills of learners.

2.3 Sample of The Study

The current study is conducted in the field of higher education since the critical
thinking notion lies at the heart of modern higher education and therefore, the research
results are to be more fruitful and satisfactory taking into account that critical thinking
is a higher level thinking skill and university teachers and students are more interested
in developing this skill.

The study is conducted in the department of English in ENSB Teachers Training

college. The sample of the research includes only ENSB participants including 15
fifteen teachers currently working there as well as 20 twenty first year students

2.4 Research Instruments of Data Collection

In order to seek answers for the research questions and reach the research desired
results, two questionnaires were designed; one to teachers and another to students. The
data were gathered within validity and reliability. Working with the two
questionnaires, we have used both close and open ended questions to collect
 3

quantitative data related to their attitudes of participants towards the role of

collaborative learning in enhancing critical thinking.

2.5 Data Analysis

2.5.1 Description and Analysis of Students’ Questionnaire

2.5.1.1 Description of the Students’ questionnaire

The questionnaire was administered to 20 first year ENSB students of the

English department by the teacher supervisor via email due to the circumstances in
which the study was conducted which Impeded us to distribute the questionnaires
directly to students in a self_ completion paper. The questionnaire consists of items
divided into two sections. It is inclusive to different types of questions close ended
MCQ and YES NO and open ended questions.

2.5.1.1.1. Section One

The section is composed of three questions. It aims at collecting general

information about the students, their age, the years they spent studying English and
also their levels.

2.5.1.1.2. Section Two

This section starts with asking students whether the teacher ‘s teaching
methods do affect their learning performance and provide an explanation in case their
answer is positive. In question two, the participants are asked to choose the teaching
strategy they best learn through. Students are next asked to express their opinions
concerning the use of collaborative work by teachers to develop the lesson and then
are asked about the skills they develop when learning collaboratively. The fifth
question seeks to find out to what extent developing critical thinking is important to a
learner. Question six is about the main abilities of a critical thinker. The section
concludes with questions eight and nine which seek to explore whether teachers focus
on the development of the critical thinking skill and then how collaborative learning
helps the students foster their critical thinking respectively.
 4

2.5.1.2. Analysis of The Results.

The following section contains a detailed analysis for the results obtained from
the above mentioned questionnaire.

Section one General information

Q1- What is your age ?

Table 01. Students’ Age

Options Number of students Percentage

18 years 11 55 %
19years 06 30%
20 years 03 15%
Total 20 100%

As displayed by table 01, most of the students are of 18 or 19 years which

obviously show that they are first year students. The other three participants are of the
age of twenty and are also first year students and seem to have passed the BAC exam
twice or repeated one of their school years.

Q2- How long have you been studying English?

Table 02. Students’ English Study Background

Optio Numb Percenta

ns er of ge
studen
ts
 5

8years 16 80%
9 04 20%
years
Total 20 100%

In response to the second question, the majority of the respondents 80 have been
studying English for 8 years. The rest of them 20 declared they have been studying
English for 9 years so far. The years the participants have spent learning English are
apparently enough for the students to master the English language and also have a
clear idea about the topic under investigation.

Q3- How do you describe your level in English ?

Table 03. Students’ level in English

Option Number of Percenta

students ge
A 00 00
B 14 70%
C 06 30%
D 00 00%
Total 20 100%

As students describe their level in English, 70 of them claimed that they have a
good level and the other 30 of the sample reported that their level is average. However,
none of the participant respondents said that they have either very good or below
average levels. This Implies that the chosen sample consists generally of good students
who will help in valuing the results of the present study.
 6

Section two Collaborative Learning and Critical Thinking

Q1- Do you think the teacher teaching methods and strategies affect your learning
performance ?

Table 04. The Impact of teaching methods on students’ learning performance

Options Number of Percentag

students e.
A 14 70%
B 06 30%
Total 20 100
%

According to the table above ,the majority of participants declared that the
teacher’s method as well as the strategies he employs to develop the lesson do
undoubtedly affect their learning performance and claim that when the teacher have a
good method ,he successfully delivers the message and ensures understanding of the
course for almost all students .This includes providing an interesting and enjoyable
learning atmosphere as well as engaging students through taking their learning needs
and interests into account when presenting the lesson and also varying his strategies to
cater for different learning styles and abilities of his learners. Meanwhile; the teacher's
bad method affects our performance negatively, for instance. Some teachers only read
from handouts and do not provide the needed explanation and guidance. The other 30
of the participants claimed that the teacher’s methods have no Impact on their learning
performances and argued that the student can learn independently and autonomously
since we are in the age of technology and information and thus learners no longer need
to heavily rely on their teachers.

Q2- Which of the following teaching strategies you prefer to learn through?

Table 05. Students’ preferable learning strategies

 7

Options Number of students Percentage

A 02 10%
B 06 30%
C 09 45%
D 03 15%
Total 20 100%

Table 05 seeks to find out students’ preference of the different teaching strategies
they best learn through .45 of the respondents prefer the solo work while 30 per chose
the group work option. The remaining 10 and 15 participants prefer to learn through
presentations and lecturing respectively. The results presented by the sample Implies
that the students are more familiar to individual and group work and tend to learn best
through the two strategies. The results also show that learners are still passive and tend
to rely on the teacher lecturing method and do not learn independently since only few
of them chose presentations as their preferable learning strategy. Students at this level
are supposed to be active and autonomous learners rather than being spoon fed by their
teachers.

Q3- Do your teachers use collaborative learning to develop the lesson. If yes how
often

Table 06. Teachers’ use of collaborative learning

Options Number of students Percentage

A 20 100%
B 00 00%
Total 00 100%

Q3.2 How often?

Table 07. Frequency of using collaborative work by teachers

 8

Options Number of Student Percentage

A 00 00%
B 02 10%
C 10 50%
D 08 40%
E 00 00
Total 20 100%

The table 06 above demonstrate that all the students ensures the use of
collaborative learning by their teachers what indicates that that learning through group
work is familiar to both teachers and learners yet the frequency of use differ according
to many factors including the teacher method, the number of students in the class and
the nature of the tasks given…among others.

Q4- Which of the following skills you develop most when learning collaboratively?

Table 08. Skills students develop through collaborative work

Options Number of students Percentage

A 06 30%
B 02 10%
C 03 15%
D 01 05%
E 08 40%
Total 20 100%

Table 08 shows the skills the study sample most develop through collaborative
work, 40 believe they learn to be critical thinkers. 30 of them claim that collaborative
 9

work trains the; to be responsible for their own learning and the remaining respondents
opt for co-operation problem -solving and self and peer- assessment. The results
presented demonstrate that the learners do not have full awareness of the efficiency of
collaborative work on their learning performances if done in a consistent and well
-structured manner. Collaborative learning helps learners work together to create
knowledge, solve problems and achieve common goals. It is one of the most effective
teaching and learning strategies that helps learners develop all of the suggested skills
due to the interaction, negotiation and cognitive and physical motivation and this is
the choice none of the participants have chosen.

Q5-To what extent developing critical thinking is Important for a learner?

Table 09. The Importance of Critical Thinking

Options Number of students percentage

A 08 40%

B 10 50%

C 02 10%
D 00 00%

E 00 00%

Total 20 100%

In response to question 05 and as shown in table 09, only 8 of the participants,

equal to 30 , advocated critical thinking to be a very important skill learners need to
develop. 40 per said it is merely important and 10 per claimed it is moderately
important. The obtained results show that the majority of students are not aware of the
great importance and the value modern education gives to the development of this skill
due to its positive effect on learners or may be are not even aware what the notion
exactly means.
 10

Q6- According to you which of the following are the main abilities of a critical
thinker?

Options Number of percentage

students
A 02 10%
B 02 10%
C 02 10%
D 00 00%
E 00 00%
A+B+D 04 20%
A+C 01 05%
A+D 04 20%
B+C+D 01 05%
B+E 01 05%
C+D 02 10%
C+D+E 01 05%

Total 20 100%

Table 10. The main abilities of a critical thinker

Table 10 displays the students’ responses about the main abilities and characteristics
of a critical thinker. Some of the students made only one choice whereas the others
made multiple choices. 10 believe that a critical thinker is the one able to evaluate
information in a systematic way. Similarly, 10 of them state that a critical thinker can
only analyze ideas and arguments and 10 others argue on co-operation as the main
critical thinking ability and the same number of students see that both cooperation and
peer and self-assessment are basic characteristics of a critical thinker. None of the
students selected the D and E option. The highest percentage of students 20 argued
that evaluating information in a systematic way, analyzing ideas and information in
addition to being able to make judgements and reach informed decisions are the main
characteristics of a critical thinker. The same number opt for the A and D option,
 11

claiming that the critical thinker is the one who can successfully join between the two
abilities. The same number of participants opted for the following options respectively,
information analysis and cooperation, problem solving and co-operation as well as
peer and self-assessment, problem solving and critical thinking abilities, cooperation
with peer and self-assessment and critical thinking. Based on these given statistics, we
can assume that the sample respondents had varied answers from choosing one to
more options concerning the tasks they believe a critical thinker can master.
Interestingly, it is deduced that the students do have an idea about critical thinking and
its main characteristics, yet they are not fully aware of the notion and this is clearly
shown through their answers whereby none of them select all the suggested options
considering that all the skills are among the main characteristics of a critical thinker.
The participants' varied answers depend on their knowledge and perceptions of these
skills.

Q7- Do you consider yourself as a critical thinker ?

Table 11. Students’ Perception of Themselves as Critical Thinkers

Options Number of students Percentage

A 15 75%
B 05 25%
Total 20 100

Table 11 presents students’ perceptions of themselves as being critical thinkers or

not. The majority of them 75 consider themselves as critical thinkers. Whereas, the rest
of them do not perceive themselves so as they opted for the no option. In order to
understand the reasons behind their different points of view, the sample’ students were
asked to provide a justification to their answers. Among the participants who opted for
yes, the overwhelming majority declared they see themselves as critical thinkers due to
their ability to analyze data, ask critical questions and depend on logic in their
analysis. Some of them also claim that they do not blindly accept ideas and
information but rather make constructive criticism based on their knowledge about the
 12

discussed topic and constantly do their own research and are good problem solvers.
The rest of the sample who opted for the no option argued that they cannot perceive
themselves as critical thinkers since they are not able to analyze, evaluate or criticize
as they did not reach a high level of thinking yet. They prefer to learn through
accepting the information given by the teacher or any other source of knowledge
without testing its credibility.

Q8- Do your teachers focus on developing your ability to think critically and focus on
its importance during the course

Table 12. Teachers Developing their students’ ability to think critically

Options Number of students Percentage

A 13 65%
B 07 35%

Total 20 100%

The obtained results from question 08 demonstrate that 65 of the total sample
argued that their teachers encourage them to think critically and defended their views
by claiming that their teachers continuously open classroom discussion around
different topics and give them the chance to express their ideas in a constructive way.
They also give them challenging tasks that require them to analyze, synthesize and
evaluate data. On the contrary, 35 of the respondents opted for the no option and one
of them said not at all, they see that their teachers are far away from developing this
notion in us students and some of them seems themselves unaware how or unwilling to
 13

do so and went further by declaring that some of their teachers are still traditional and
presents their course merely through lecturing.

Q9- According to you how does collaborative learning help you foster your ability to
think critically

Table 13. The Impact of collaborative learning on developing critical thinking

The data gathered from the participants concerning whether collaborative

learning helps them foster their critical thinking presents their perceptions and views
and also their knowledge as far as this topic is concerned. The given results focused
mainly on the idea that through collaborative work learners are given the chance to
express their ideas freely, speak out their thoughts and exchange information with their
peers and therefore reflect on their own learning, evaluate their knowledge and
abilities and assess themselves through comparison with their peers. Students claimed
also that learning collaboratively encourages them to be problem solvers as they learn
to work together to find solutions, analyze arguments and reach final decisions. They
also find out that they learn to be open –minded and accept their friends’ arguments
and do provide constructive criticism in case of dis-agreement.

Summary of Results and Findings from Students’ Questionnaire

The data obtained from the students’ questionnaire have been presented with
detailed analysis in the section above. Accordingly, this part is devoted to summarize
and interpret the gathered results in accordance to the basic research questions that
were raised at the very beginning of the study. The first section of the questionnaire
seeks to gather general information about the sample. It demonstrated that most
students are 18 and 19 years old and have studied English for eight to nine years and
that they are generally satisfied with their level in the language.

The finding of the second section entitled Collaborative Learning and Critical
Thinking reveals that students do not have full understanding of the critical thinking
notion and its sub-skills and main characteristics and even its great importance in the
field of modern education. Being at this level requires them to be aware of this skill as
well as how to develop it. Since all humans are endowed with the ability to think,
 14

students need then to be guided through their teachers to develop the sense and skill of
criticality. The majority of the sample argued that their teachers do help them enhance
their ability to think critically through classroom discussions, debates and challenging
tasks. Meanwhile some students claimed that their teachers do not include the
development of this skill among their teaching and learning objectives as they deliver
their courses traditionally through lecturing where the students are passive listeners
and do not engage or have the chance to give their opinions, comments or any extra
information about the course. The results obtained showed also that the teachers as
well as learners are familiar with collaborative learning and declared that their teachers
usually use this effective strategy to develop the course. Yet not all of them prefer to
learn through it, they rather prefer individual work and this may be due to their
learning styles and personalities as well as their preferences as they may be introvert
learners .Interestingly, the majority of the participants perceive themselves as being
critical thinkers , having this ability of such skill plus the will to develop it make of
students ready to the requirements of educational life and career and allow them to be
better members at school and society. However, the rest of students were frank enough
to declare that they do not acquire this skill and did not reach this high level of
thinking yet due to the difficulties they face when analyzing and evaluating
information. Finally, the students expressed their perceptions towards the role of
collaborative learning in fostering their ability to think critically, they all agreed on the
effectiveness of an organized group work as it allows them to exchange information
and ideas and therefore learn from each other in a constructive and open-minded way,
they also learn to work together to solve problems and find better resolutions through
analyzing and evaluating data based on all the team members knowledge and
perceptions of the situation. In addition, working with peers mirrors their levels,
allows them to assess themselves, encourages them to enhance their performance and
leads them to competing and creativity as well.

2.5.2. Description and Analysis of Teachers’ Questionnaire

 15

2.5.2.1 Description of Teachers’ Questionnaire

The second tool used to gather data for this study is a questionnaire to teachers
that seeks to find out teachers’ perceptions of the role of collaborative learning in the
development of their students’ critical thinking skills. The target population of the
present study consists of ENSB teachers of the English department. The questionnaire
was sent to 20 teachers of English via email, yet only 15 have answered it and sent it
back. The questionnaire consists of different types of questions so as the respondents
do not feel bored while answering. The questions are divided into two parts, the first
part is divided into two sections one intended to collect general information about the
teachers of the sample including their university degrees and the years they
experienced teaching the English language and the other consist of a set of statements
intended to measure teachers’ degree of understanding of the critical thinking notion as
well as explore their attitudes towards developing this skill in their students. The
second part contains 07 seven questions centered around collaborative learning and
critical thinking. The first question in this part is intended to find out the strategies
most used by teachers and then in question 02, teachers are requested to put forward
the obstacles they generally face when putting collaborative work into practice in their
classrooms. Question 03 and 04 respectively requires teachers to express their views
about their students’ general level in English as well as to the importance of
developing their critical thinking skills. In question 05, teachers are asked to state
whether their learners are aware of the way they can develop their critical thinking
skills or not and are also asked to state how they can help them in the second part of
the question. Next, teachers are requested to provide an explanation to the reasons that
hamper the critical thinking skills development to be visible and noticeable in the field
of education as the other four skills are. The last question addressed the core of the
study, it requires teachers to demonstrate how collaborative learning enhances their
students’ critical thinking.
 16

2.5.2.2 Analysis of Teachers’ Questionnaire

This part of the chapter provides a detailed analysis of the results obtained
from the teachers’ questionnaire as the primary tool of data collection administered
for this study.

Section one: General information

Q1_ What is your degree?

a.Licence. b.Master. c. Magister. d.Doctorate

Table 14: Teachers’ Degree

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

A 05 33.33%
B 02 13.33%
C 05 33.33%
D 03 20%
Total 15 100%

In response to the first question, 33.33% of teachers declared that they have a
Magister degree. Similarly, the sane percentage opted for the licence option. 20 % of
the participants hold a PHD degree and only two of them have a Master degree. Based
on their responses, it is demonstrated that the majority of the sample are qualified
enough to provide reliable data that would enrich the research and lead us to fruitful
results.

Q2_ How long have you been teaching English?

Table 15. Teachers’ Experience in Teaching English

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

01year 4 26.66%
4years 1 06.66%
 17

7years 2 13.33%
10years 1 06.66%
13years 1 06.66%
16years 1 06.66%
17years 1 06.66%
20years 4 26.66%
Total 15 100%

According to the above_mentioned table(15), the highest percentage of our

sample’s teachers have been teaching English for twenty years. The same number of
teachers are novice teachers and do have only one year of experience teaching the
English language. Also, the same percentage ; 6.66% of the participants have declared
that they have been working as teachers of English for :04, 10, 13, 16,17 years . The
rest of the sample;13.33 declared that their English teaching experience equals 07
years.

The finding resulted from the second questions reveals that the majority of the chosen
sample’s teaching experience ranges from 7 to 20 years which indicates that the
sample consists of well experienced and qualified instructors in the field which do
have enough insight about the teaching learning process and can provide valuable and
reliable and most importantly real as well as practical information about the topic
under investigation. The remaining participants are also of interesting help as they are
novice teachers and can provide their own view and perceptions of the topic as being
modern teachers and have therefore to be aware of the demands and requirements of
modern education.

Section two : Collaborative learning and Critical Thinking

Statement one: As a teacher, I understand collaborative learning well enough to

implement it in my class.

Table 16.

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 04 26.66%
 18

Agree 10 66.66%
Neutral 01 06.66%
Disagree 00 00%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%

As demonstrated in table 16 above, The overwhelming majority of the teachers

reported that they have a good knowledge and enough understanding of collaborative
learning that allows them to implement it successfully in their classroom
.Collaborative learning is of no doubt a very effective teaching_learning strategy. Yet,
it needs to be implemented in a well organised and consistent way and this may be
related to many factors; namely the teachers' way of implementation, the class seize ,
the nature of the tasks , the students’ readiness and willingness to work in groups
among others. Only one teacher chose to remain neutral and did not express either
his/her agreement or disagreement about the statement.

Statement two : Collaborative learning and critical thinking best prepare learners for
real life.

Table 17.

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 10 66.66%

Agree 04 26.66%
Neutral 00 00%
Disagree 01 6.66%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%

Table 17 displays teachers views about considering collaborative learning and

Critical thinking among the skills that best prepare learners for real life .The obtained
results show that 66.66% of teachers do strongly agree with the statements and
26.66% which equals 4 of the participants express their agreements .Surprisingly, one
 19

of the participants declared his/her disagreement as she/he viewed that neither

collaborative learning nor critical thinking prepare learners for real life . It is widely
advocated that collaborative learning and critical thinking best prepare learners for real
life as they incarnate the notion of life long learning and help learners become good
students as well as prosperous citizens that would participate in the development of
their countries and have a true critical view towards the major issues that would take
place in their societies . Collaborative learning and critical thinking are in addition to
communication and creativity the 4Cs modern education seeks to develop in order to
best prepare learners for the demands of the 21c , the revolutionary age of information
and technology. The results obtained demonstrate that teachers are aware of the crucial
importance of these skills, the promising outcomes they lead to and the positive effect
they have on students.

Statements 03_ Teachers are aware of the importance of critical thinking but tend to
use familiar teaching strategies rather then the challenge of trying new ones

Table18.

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 03. 20%
Agree 02. 13.33%
Neutral 05. 33.33%
Disagree 05. 33.33%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%

The highest percentage 33.33% presented both teachers who expressed their
disagreement with the obove_mentioned statements as well those who preferred to
remain neutral and did not express their opinions. 20 % of the respondents opted for
the first option and declared that they strongly agree that teachers do prefer to stay in
the safe_zone and do not try what is new and challenging. 13.33 %, which equals only
02 participants stated their agreements . The different results obtained clearly show
teachers’ varied stands. While many of them express their disagreement or neutrality,
a handful percentage of them affirm that teachers do really escape using challenging
 20

and updated teaching methods and prefer to remain traditional as it is the safe zone for
them.

Statement 04: Teachers are aware of the importance of critical thinking and do their
best to implement it in their classroom.

Table 19.

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 03 20%
Agree 02 13.33%
Neutral 04 26.66%
Disagree 06 40%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%

The results displayed in table 19 demonstrate that 40% of participants disagree

with the statement and do not think teachers do their best to implement critical
thinking in their classes. 13.33 % remained neutral while the same percentage
expressed their approval of the idea and 20% strongly agreed with it . This implies that
teachers do not generally work for the implementation of this skill and are not yet
updated enough in their teaching, this may be due to many factors, not only the
teachers’ readiness and willingness to implement such complex skills in their teaching
and work to enhance it. However, a good percentage of the sample were for the
assumption as they think that teachers focus on the development of such skill as they
are aware of its crucial importance.

Statement 05. Teachers use collaborative work purposefully to develop their students’
critical thinking as they are aware of its effectiveness.

Table 20 .

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 02 13.33%
Agree 05 33.33%
Neutral 06 40%
Disagree 02 13.33%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%
 21

Considering the respondents’ answers, it is displayed that nearly half of

teachers( 33.33+ 13.33 )stated that they agree or strongly agree with the above
suggested statement .40 % of them did not express their opinions .None of the
participants opted for “ strongly agree '' option. The gathered results show that teachers
are familiar with collaborative learning and are aware of the importance and
effectiveness of this teaching strategy. Some other teachers claim that teachers may be
familiar with collaborative work but do not use it purposefully to enhance their
learners critical thinking may be because they are not aware enough how to do so or
there may be other factors that impede them from achieving that.

Statements 06 .Critical thinking is a reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on

what to believe and do

Table 21.

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 04 26.66%
Agree 08 53.33%
Neutral 02 13.33%
Disagree 05 33.33%
Strongly disagree 01 66.66%
Total 15 100%

The above table (21) displays the results of teachers’ perceptions of the sixth
statement . It reveals that more than half of the reporting teachers agreed on the
definition provided in statement six and 26.66 others strongly agreed with it. However,
the rest of the sample including 5 teachers opted for disagree and only one for
“strongly disagree”option. Considering that there is no consensus over a clear cut
definition of the critical thinking notion it is quite acceptable that teachers do have
 22

different conceptions of the term and this is due to their knowledge about the notion
and their perceptions of its different characteristics.

Statement 07. The ability to think critically is distinct from the disposition to do so.

In this statement, teachers are asked whether the ability to think critically is
different from the disposition to do so or not. The majority of teachers were for this
assumption ; 40 % of them agreed with the statement and 26,66 % stated they strongly
agree . None of the respondents showed their disagreement and 33,33% chose not to
express their opinions as they opted for neutrality. Interestingly, the majority of
teachers as resulted from their responses, are aware of the basic notions related to
critical thinking and have enough knowledge to realize that the ability to think
critically is not the same as the disposition to do so.

Statement 08. Critical thinking is a mental and cognitive ability that can be proved
through practice.

Table 22.

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 06 40%
Agree 09 60%
Neutral 00 00%
Disagree 00 00%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%

The table above displayed results obtained from teachers’ responses about
statement 08 that states that critical thinking can be developed through practice. All
the asked teachers argued that practice improves the ability to think critically. 60% of
the samples’ participants agreed on this assumption and the rest 40% said they
strongly agree . The displayed results show again that teachers are aware of the notion
and do have insight on how to develop it . Since teachers are knowledgeable that
critical thinking is to be developed through practice , they need then to willingly and
purposefully work for its enhancement through raising their students’ awareness of its
importance, providing challenging tasks.. Considering this factor in addition to others
 23

related to the teaching-learning environment as well as to students’ levels and

readiness among others.

Statement 09. The ability to interpret, analyze, evaluate, infer, explain and self-
regulate is the most basic concept of critical thinking

Table 23

Options Number of Teachers Percentage

Strongly agree 07 46.66%
Agree 08 53.33%
Neutral 00 00%
Disagree 00 00%
Strongly disagree 00 00%
Total 15 100%

The obtained results clearly show the overwhelming agreement of the teachers
respondents on the above mentioned statement. More than half of them declared their
agreement and the rest stated they strongly agree with the definition provided. No
number of the samples express neutrality or disagreement. Statement nine further
approves that teachers are aware of the critical thinking notion and are knowledgeable
of its basic conceptions .The total number of the sample argued that a critical thinker is
the one that master a set of basic abilities including: analyzing and evaluating ideas
and arguments, making. correct inferences in addition to the ability of self-correction
and regulation. Teachers’ awareness of this crucial skill as well as the way they can
develop it in their students presents an important factor that would lead with other
factors towards widely implementing this skill in our colleges and universities.

Part two :

Q01- Which of the following strategies do you use in your teaching ?

Table 24. Strategies Used by Teachers

Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

 24

A. 03.

20 %

B. 00

00 %

C. 04. 26.66
D. 00

00 %

A+ C. 05.

33.33 %

A+C+D. 01

6.66 %

A+B+ C+D. 02

13.33 %

C+D. 01

6.66 %

Total. 15

100 %

Table 24 displays teachers’ responses to the first question in the second part of
the administered questionnaire. The results clearly show teachers’ most used
strategie . The highest percentage of the asked teachers stated they rely on both on
group discussions and classroom debate. 26.66%of the total sample claimed that they
rely only on classroom debates and 13.33% said they most use all of the suggested
strategies to present their lessons. However, one member of the sample declared he/
she relies on group discussions, classroom debate as well as peer assessment and none
 25

of the reporting teachers opted for the “B” or “D” option as the only strategy they most
use . In order to explore the reasons behind using a given strategy more than other
ones we asked teachers to provide justifications for their answers to clearly explain the
reasons behind their choices. The teachers who opted for the use of the four strategies
reported that they usually use the TPS strategy.TpS stands for think, pair and share ;
the learners are to think individually (solo-work) and then share with his partner for
the sake of sharing and assessment(peer-assessment), this pair may share with another
peer and this make group discussion .Of course any reflection needs
feedback.Classroom debate ensure this , they argued also that they do use all of them
in a well staged collaborative work because they are all necessary each in a way in
enhancing the learners’ critical thinking. Moreover, the teachers who affirmed they
prefer using group discussion and classroom debate believed these two strategies best
lead to fruitful results as they increase interest among students and enable them to take
responsibility for their own learning as they gain self confidence to express their
thoughts and arguments ,solve problems, make decisions and thus become critical
thinkers.The two strategies ensure opportunities for almost all students and make of
them active participants in the classroom as they are allowed to share ideas, develop
new ones and get involved in debating and analysis. Other teachers do rely only on
group discussion strategy as they assume it is more inclusive and ensure fair
opportunities for almost all students and train them to communicate, listen to and learn
from each other. Those who opted for the classroom debate strategy reported that they
encourage their students to debate because learners have different dispositions and it is
best to debate. They find debate more effective as it help students to develop their
speaking, thinking and communicative skills; through debate learners share ideas and
learn to accept others’ ideas and opinions, they see that there are many ways reality
can be seen and understanding be achieved, they learn to see things from different
perspectives, they test themselves as debaters and this will enhance their presentation
skills and by the same token their critical thinking. Finally, only one member of the
whole sample preferred to present his lessons through classroom debate and- peer
assessment and justified his view by claiming that students understand the lesson
 26

better when they are involved in classroom debates and that peer assessment allows
students to mirror their levels and assess themselves through their pairs and peers.

Q02- Which obstacles do you face when putting collaborative into practice in your
class ?

Table 25 . Obstacles of Implementing Collaborative Work

Options. Number of teachers

Percentage

Answered. 15.

100%

Not answered. 00

00%

Total. 15

100%

In this second question teachers are asked to mention the obstacles they face
when putting collaborative work into practice in their classes. The total sample assured
there are some factors that hamper them from successfully implementing collaborative
learning . The obstacles mentioned by teachers included mainly: Dominant learners
working with lazy ones which oblige them to do themselves the majority or whole
work ,Noise and this factor was mentioned by most teachers; teachers focused on the
idea that active noise is quite normal and acceptable when talking about collaborative
work due to the fact that learners are given the freedom to move and to share learning
with their mates, yet teachers finds that their students are not enough mature and
serious and do not commit the the rules of the class as they talk nonsense and make of
the learning environment kind of a mess. Other teachers find that the only obstacle is
large classes that do not allow for implementing many interesting strategies.
Considering that the Algerian educational system adopts the CBA approach without
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taking into account the problem of overcrowded classes. Also, some teachers pointed
to the problem of time management since group work is time- consuming and the
teaching programme needs to be accomplished.

Q03- How do you judge your students' level of thinking abilities?

Table 26 : Teachers’ judgement of their students’ thinking abilities:

Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

A. 00

00%

B. 06

40

C. 07

46.66

D. 02

13.33

E. 00

00%

Total. 15

100%

According to table 26, It is indicated that nearly half of the participant teachers
argued that their students level is average while 40% declared their students are of
high level. The rest members stated that their students have low levels of thinking
abilities . The results clearly show that students' general levels varied from school to
another and even from class to another since there are no specified factors to group
students in classes . Each class consists of slow , average as well as fast learners and
 28

the dominant of one or more category of learners over the other is what determines
the class general level.

Q04- According to you, to what extent is developing critical thinking important?

Table 27 : Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Importance of Critical Thinking Skill

Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

A. 15

100%

B. 00

00%

Total 15

100%

The table above (26) displays teachers’ responses to the third question in the
second part. It is proven by the total sample that critical thinking is a skill of great
importance and none of them expressed the contrary. 100% of them stated it is very
important to develop it. This recommends teachers to do their best to raise their
students’ awareness towards the existence of this skill and to what extent it is
important as well as how to develop it and reach a higher level of thinking.

Q05- Do you think your learners are aware how to develop their critical thinking skill?
If no. How can you help them ?

Table 27 Students’ Awareness of how to Develop their Critical thinking

Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

A. 00

00%

B. 15
 29

100%

Total. 15

100%

The results obtained from the fifth question reveal that all the reporting teachers
agreed upon the fact that their students are not aware how to develop their critical
thinking and this was also revealed from the results gathered from the questionnaire
administered to students. On the contrary, none of the teachers opted for the “no “
option. Teachers were asked in the second part of the questions to provide some
solutions to help the enhancement of this complex skill. Through exploring teachers’
answers , learners can be best helped to foster their critical thinking through providing
challenging tasks and assignments that requires them to use high level thinking skills
such us analysis, synthesis, evaluation and creativity and ensure to involve them in the
learning process by considering their preferences in all aspect of learning to make sure
they are aware of what they are learning and whether they are assimilating it in
addition to engage them in their own assessment , this contributes in developing their
critical thinking either consciously or unconsciously. Also, implementing group
discussion can be very helpful, students are supposed to discuss different topics and
encourage them to think differently without the need to follow the majority especially
that thinking differently can be risky and challenging and may be rejected by the
teacher or by peers. Some teachers rather think that university students need to be
trained already from high school in order to be ready for higher education and that
teachers need to stop spoon feeding them. Finally, many teachers argued that the best
way to improve critical thinking is through getting them aware about it and about its
importance and then getting them to develop it, the how may be done both implicitly
or explicitly depending on the level of the learner, the students’ level matters a lot as
each level requires selecting the appropriate methods and techniques that help them
accordingly to achieve the intended purpose, which is to enhance critical thinking
adequately. Teachers here pointed out that the right tasks , the right teaching strategy
and the right interaction pattern may be so helpful.
 30

Q06- Despite the importance conveyed by modern education to develop critical

thinking, efforts to put this skill into practice have not been noticeable so far . Why?

Table 28 : Obstacles impeding to Put Critical Thinking into Practice.

Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

Answered. 15

100%

Not answered. 00

00%

Total. 15

100%

The results displayed in table 28 demonstrate teachers’ perceptions towards

the obstacles that hinder them from practically fostering their learners' critical thinking
skills. Some teachers argued that the will exists but the field practice is absent and this
may be due to the fact that it is not easy at all to teach critical thinking as it is a
complex skill. Teachers can do it but with limitations .This is why it is not noticeable .
Developing critical thinking depends also on the teaching context and on the teachers’
roles and on their readiness to implement it as well; some teachers are not well trained
to successfully do so. Many of them still adopt the role of the teacher as a provider of
knowledge and the authoritative figure in the class . Moreover, teachers argued that
some teachers are resistant to change and are against all what is new .They feel at ease
in their comfort zone and went further by arguing that many teachers do not know
about it. In addition, others claimed that the obstacles may be the conditions of work
which are difficult and not compatible with the demands of modern education
(equipment, classroom seizes and the teacher training...etc). On the other hand, some
teachers consider the learners themselves as an impeding factor as they heavily rely on
memorization rather than analyzing and evaluating information and do not work on
developing this skill by themselves since both the out class experiences such as the
 31

number of unassigned books read ( intensive reading) and in class variables such as
type of tasks and the degree of implementation enhance critical thinking . It is assumed
then, that teachers are not the only factor hindering the enhancement of this skill, other
factors take parts including learners passivity and unwillingness to improve as well
work conditions. Finally, teachers pointed to an interesting fact which is related to
whether developing this skill is considered a priority or not; i.e, Developing this skills
are often a secondary aim as they usually appear while teaching argument writing,
critical reading and communication in general. So there is no particular focus on
critical thinking (taught implicitly as it is integrated in some tasks). At university, there
are now studies as part of study skills because these skills are needed everywhere and
integrating them within the teaching of the other skills is not promising. However,
students need to develop them just like their reading and writing skills and they should
be given equal importance since good writing and many other study fields (biology,
languages, medecine..) requires critical thinking and education should focus on what
students can do with knowledge instead of whether they know something or not. By
being critical, students make knowledge their own and develop as critical thinkers.

Q07- Collaborative learning is desirable only if grounded on disciplined critical

thinking. According to you how can collaborative learning help your learners develop
their critical thinking?

Table 29: Teachers’ perceptions of the effect of collaborative learning on

students’ critical thinking

Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

Answered. 14

93.33%

Not answered. 01

6,66%

Total. 15

100%
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In response to the last question where the participating members of the sample
were required to enrich the research with their assumptions concerning the role of
collaborative learning in enhancing critical thinking , 93.33% which presents the
overwhelming majority of them provided answers to the question while the rest 6.66%
did not answer it. Teachers' answers were very close as they had nearly similar views.
The main points they highlighted in their answers are quoted as follows:

● “Collaborative and cooperative learning creates relationships among learners

that stimulate the exchange and sharing knowledge whatever the skill is,
Consequently, this involves reasoning in a logical way, permanently asking
questions, relating their previous knowledge with the new information and more
importantly creating the productive interaction among the students, this makes
the first steps towards the acquisition of the critical thinking skill.”
● “Critical thinking is best developed when students work in groups. This gives
the opportunity to students to exchange their opinions, way of thinking and
presents their arguments and counter arguments, doing so necessitate
developing higher thinking abilities.”
● “Collaborative learning enables students to develop their critical thinking skills
by encouraging them to share their knowledge with others and to respond to
each other's views, It opens for learners new ways of thinking as well as new
perspectives”.
● “Engaging in group work tasks, students learn to analyze, synthesize, then
evaluate the information and pick as a group the most suitable answer.
Collaborative learning increases interest among learners due to the active
thinking and exchange of thoughts.”
● “If students are aware of its benefits and advantages of collaborative learning
for their cognitive development, they will certainly take the most of it. In
addition, it has to be conducted in a purposeful and organized way with explicit
instruction from the part of the teacher on how to work collaboratively to
develop critically. Collaborative learning can be effective in terms of critical
 33

thinking if the conditions to achieve this aim are appropriate. This involves a
well structured and organized group work in which the tasks and instructions
for each member are clearly stated and the topic provided do stimulate the
learners’ reflection and critical thinking.”
● “Critical thinking is often learned and developed through the interaction with
others. A student can not know whether his thinking is critical or not when
being isolated from others. This is what collaborative learning offers students; it
creates the right interaction and the appropriate atmosphere for learners to
express their thoughts and ideas, listen and negotiate and then reach
compromise by taking common final decisions and being flexible enough to
accept differences. The ability to accept differences and admit that one cannot
be always right and that constructive criticism is needed for one to improve is
what students need to develop their critical thinking. If students learn that they
can learn from their peers just like they do with their teachers or may be better,
they would benefit more from the collaborative work to develop critically. So,
what matters more is changing students’ attitudes and encouraging them to be
tolerant, open-minded and willing to work and share knowledge with others.”

Summary of Findings from Teachers’ Questionnaire

The first section of the questionnaire revealed that that the teachers’ sample are
qualified enough to enrich the research as most of them have a PHD,Master and
Magister degree and have been teaching English for at least more than four yours to 20
year as the highest number of years teaching experience. This shows the adequateness
of choosing this sample which provided helping, reliable and credible data to be used
in this research.

Through the analysis of the first part second section which consisted of a range of
statements intended to test and explore teachers’ perceptions of the different
conceptions and definitions of critical thinking as well as to what extent critical
thinking awareness prevails among college and university teachers in addition to the
will, attempt and practice of developing this key skill in their students, it is indicated
 34

that teachers have ample information concerning the varied conceptualizations and
definitions of critical thinking as well as its basic characteristics and abilities. The
results showed also that teachers do have a good understanding of collaborative
learning as well. It is generally argued that teachers commonly use collaborative
learning and implement it successfully to develop their lessons when such strategy is
required.Yet, teachers did not agree upon the fact that collaborative learning is
implemented purposefully to enhance critical thinking, some teachers believe teachers
do not have the will to train their learners how to develop critical thinking since they
are themselves not aware of it, they are not willing to try what is new and challenging,
or because they are not well trained on how to develop such a soft skill in their
students in addition to other factors that goes beyond the teacher willingness and
readiness that may include the learners and work conditions as important moderating
factors. In addition to teachers' perceptions of collaborative work and critical thinking
as familiar, important and affective skills , the results gathered indicated also that
teachers are aware that critical thinking being a cognitive skill, can be developed
through practice and have insight into how to do so. Considering that, teachers need
then the will and the field practice for the enhancement of this skill. For that to take
place many factors are to be considered including the students’ level as well as their
awareness of the skill, the learning - teaching conditions, the nature of tasks implanted
in the educational curriculum among others.

In the second part of the questionnaires, teachers stated the most strategies they rely on
in their teaching and argued on that. Classroom debate and group discussion which are
kind of group work were the strategies most used by teachers. Teachers claimed that
this kind of strategies are so effective as they raise interest among learners., enable
them to take responsibility for their own learning, teach them decision making, open-
mindedness, and problem solving and lead them to be critical thinkers as they actively
engage, discuss and reflect on different topics and issues. Teachers also revealed that
they may use the four suggested strategies to develop their lesson starting from a
discussion to a group work and then peer or group assessment and finally classroom
debate to ensure feedback; teachers stated that what matters more in using the four
strategies is a well staged and organized group work that gives opportunities to all
 35

students to participate in achieving the final common objective of the lesson.

Moreover, all the participating asserted teachers that putting collaborative work into
practice is hindered by many obstacles including the factor of noise that was
mentioned by the majority of teachers claiming that it annoys both mates and
administration and leads to time management disequilibrium, stating their awareness
of the idea of active noise that is tied to collaborative work and that the lack of
seriousness from the part of some students is what impede them. Teachers referred to
large class problems that do not allow for the implementation of such a strategy.
Passivity of some group members was also discussed by teachers. Considering this last
factor, it is worth to mention that teachers need to train their learners interpersonal and
team work skills, and to provide ample opportunities to practice this skill and to
actively participate rather than letting work to other team members.

Teachers had varied opinions regarding the general level of their students' thinking
abilities and asserted that critical thinking is a skill of high and crucial importance.
What recommends them to do their best to help their students develop it to reach a
high level of thinking abilities.

all of them ensured that they believe their learners are not aware how to develop their
critical thinking skill. Teachers suggested that learners be acquiring this ability already
from high school and then develop more in college and university. They stated also
that providing challenging tasks and assignments that require analysis, evaluation and
creativity can be very helpful. Also, implementing group work in a well staged and
purposeful manner to actively involve students and give them equal chances to
develop in many skills. Finally, teachers pointed out the fact that the best way to
enhance students’ critical thinking is to make them initially aware of it and of its
importance either implicitly or explicitly depending on their levels; students’ level
plays a key role in selecting the right methods, strategies and tasks that are intended to
foster critical thinking.

Teaching critical thinking still presents a problem for teachers. Efforts to make this
skill into practice have not been noticeable so far and this is according to the reporting
teachers due to the fact that it is a complex and challenging skill, it can be developed
 36

but with limitations . The will exist and the field practice is absent. Developing critical
thinking depends on teachers, learners and the teaching context. Some teachers as well
as learners are resistant to change, they prefer to stay in their comfort zone rather than
being continuously updated. The condition of work, being incompatible with the
demands of modern education can also hinder teachers from developing this skill
despite their willingness and readiness to do so. Finally, teachers argued on the
effective role of collaborative learning on the development of critical thinking.
Teachers claimed that the quality of interaction collaborative work offers positively
influences the participants’ thinking ability since they exchange ideas and share
information and opinions with others. This interactivity and negotiation leads them to
higher order thinking and develop communicatively, interpersonally and cognitively.
Teachers also highlighted the fact that developing critical thinking through group work
can be so promising yet, if the conditions to help achieve this aim are appropriate. This
involves a well structured and organized group work in which the tasks and
instructions for every member are clearly stated and the topic provided does stimulate
the learner's reflection and critical thinking. Interestingly, Collaborative work
influences cognitive growth and many other communicative and interpersonal skills in
students. Thus, it is with critical thinking among the most important skills deemed
necessary for college students to acquire.Yet, Many factors need to be put into practice
before waiting for good outcomes. Teachers need to be trained and made aware of the
importance of critical thinking as well as how to develop it in order to be able to
implement this skill in their learners. Since collaborative learning is commonly used
by them, teachers need only to have insight on how to purposefully use it to foster
critical thinking in addition to the development of the other skills. This can be done
through selecting the right tasks, instructions as well as the role of the teacher in
organizing, assessing and guiding his learners.

Conclusion

Considering attentively the crucial importance of critical thinking as being a key

skill the most frequently discussed by modern education and a professional ability
required for students in both school and work fields. We devised and administered our
 37

questionnaires to both students and teachers. The results of the present study indicate
that teachers are more aware than learners concerning the critical thinking notion and
its importance. Findings from the students’ questionnaire show that earners do not
have full understanding of critical thinking and its basic characteristics and are then in
need of their teachers to help them enhance their critical thinking. While some of them
perceive themselves as critical thinkers, others did not consider they do have this
ability. Similarly, teachers argued that their students do not acquire this skill and
provided measures to help them as far as the learners are ready and the teaching
conditions are appropriate. Teachers show deep awareness of the obstacles impeding
poth collaborative learning and critical thinking to be successfully implemented and
stated that teachers play a vital role in achieving that.

The findings from both questionnaires reveal that the participants believe that
exposure to collaborative work influences the development of critical thinking. They
stated that it plays a central role in developing many other skills such as analyzing,
evaluating, problem solving, decision making and assessing one's level and way of
thinking. This is done due to the high degree of interaction that allows students to
exchange knowledge, ideas and arguments and opens them to new views and
perspectives. They stated that it helps them to perceive issues from different scopes,
think adequately and thus, reach evident conclusions and establish credible data. As a
matter of fact these abilities lead them to be professional critical thinkers if given
ample opportunities to practice within a well staged and organized collaborative work.
In sum, relying on the above mentioned detailed results and findings, we answered the
research proposed questions .
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Options. Number of teachers. Percentage

A. 05. 33.33%
B. 02. 13.33%
C. 05. 33.33%
D. 03. 20%

Total. 15. 100%

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