The Role of Critical Thinking in Reading Comprehension for Secondary School Learners in Algeria. The Case Study of Ain Temouchent Secondary Schools

Abstract

The primary goal of education is developing students' critical thinking and building independent individuals. This study aims at exploring the relationship between critical thinking and reading comprehension for a successful teaching\learning process at the Algerian secondary school level context. It attempts as well to examine whether the curriculum encompasses critical thinking skills as an objective and the means set to achieve it. Furthermore, this investigation seeks to measure the responsibility and role of teachers in implementing critical thinking in reading comprehension in the classroom. To conduct this study and in order to achieve reliable results, we have used four research tools; a questionnaire, an observation, an experiment and a textbook evaluation. A questionnaire destined to ten EFL secondary school teachers, an experiment conducted at Saim Haddache secondary school with two classes during reading sessions, an observation that took place at Saim haddache and Abou Bakr Belkaid secondary schools in addition to a textbook evaluation investigating the content in respect to critical thinking. Among the findings of this research study, we note an alarming absence of critical thinking during reading sessions that might be due to the guidelines imposed by the Algerian education system. We note as well a need to enhance teachers’ skills in nurturing students' critical thinking abilities. Moreover, the study results reveal that the curriculum designers have not delivered efficient methods to ensure the implementation of critical thinking and to ensure attaining successful results. Finally, this investigation has attempted to raise awareness among the different Algerian secondary school stakeholders as far as critical thinking is concerned and has attempted as well to provide some helpful recommendations to solve the problem in hand.