On the relationship among critical thinking, language learning strategy use and university achievement of Iranian English as a foreign language majors

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship among critical thinking, strategy use and university achievement. To this end, 76 English major students sat the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and filled out Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning. Participants’ Grade Point Averages were regarded as their university achievement. The results indicated that both critical thinking and strategy use had significant positive correlations with university achievement, with the former being stronger. The regression analyses revealed between critical thinking and language learning strategy use, the former significantly predicted university achievement. The results of analysis of variance demonstrated that the three groups of high, mid and low achievers were not significantly different in their use of language learning strategies; however, the three groups performed significantly differently on the test of critical thinking. From post-hoc comparisons and descriptive statistics, it became evident that critical thinking was an asset to the high-achieving group.

Keywords:

• critical thinking
• English majors
• strategy use
• university achievement