Wang, Yuling
(2024)
The Effect Of Blended Learning And critical Thinking On Tertiary EFL Argumentative Writing In China.
PhD thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
With the rapid development of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT), the blended learning method is widespread in English-as-a-Foreign-Language
(EFL) instruction. It is viable for tertiary English instructors to utilise online platforms
like WeChat and Pigai.org to integrate face-to-face instruction, online learning, and
critical thinking training to improve EFL argumentative writing. As no single standard
for blending exists, more research reports on blended learning cases are needed. This
study aims to examine the effect of blended learning and critical thinking on EFL
students’ performance in argumentative writing, and the factors that influence
students’ argumentative writing performance in a blended learning environment were
explored in the current study. This study used a mixed research method on 66 firstyear
undergraduates majoring in English at a university in Chongqing, China. These
participants were from two intact classes randomly assigned to the control (N=33) and
experimental (N=33) groups. The data on critical thinking skills and writing
performance were measured by argumentative writing pre- and post-tests, and the data
on influencing factors were measured through questionnaires and semi-structured
interviews. The T-test and Pearson Correlation were used to analyse the quantitative
data collected from writing tests and questionnaires. Coding and thematic analysis
were employed to analyse the qualitative data from semi-structured interviews. After
the intervention, a significant improvement was found in the writing scores of the
experimental group.The findings of this study also indicated a significant positive
correlation between critical thinking skills and EFL argumentative writing performance in a blended learning setting. Qualitative results showed that the internal
factors (such as psychological factors, learning objectives, and skills) and external
factors (such as rules, community, division of labor, and devices) influenced EFL
students’ writing in blended learning contexts. Moreover, the findings in the current
study suggest that the influencing factors (such as subject, rules, community, division
of labor, and object) in a blended learning environment have different degrees of
positive correlation with students’ writing performance. These findings provide new
perspectives to EFL writing instruction, encouraging educators to be more flexible in
blending different technologies and critical thinking training in practice to foster
students’ writing competence better.
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