대학 영어 수업에서 비판적 사고와 영어 쓰기 능력 변화 연구

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore changes in critical thinking skills and English writing abilities of students attending college-level English classes in Korea. The study focused on Vygotsky’s social interaction theory. In total, 9 focus group students out of 60 college students at a private university in Busan, Korea, were selected to participate in this research. Over the period of 16 weeks, the focus group students participated in 2 in-depth interviews and completed 4 reflective journals, 4 discussions, 4 English writing tasks and 4 rounds of peer feedback. NVivo 12 was used to analyze qualitative data by means of line-by-line coding to categorize recurring themes. Furthermore, the data was analyzed based on the content that supported important themes uncovered in the quantitative analysis findings. The students’ English writing tasks were assessed by using the ESL Composition Profile. The scoring data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA using SPSS 23. Comprehensive results of qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that changes in critical thinking and English writing abilities caused by social interaction were represented by various instruction types. The results were as follows. First, the results of in-depth interviews showed important changes in students’ reading and writing abilities, discussions and feedback. In terms of students’ reading ability, there were changes in students’ data search ability, writing ability, critical thinking skills and critical feedback acceptance ability at the end of the semester. Feedback received from higher-level learners helped the students to change their thinking and improve the quality of their writing. Based on Vygotsky’s theory, scaffolding through social interaction helped the students to develop their abilities and skills. The results of the analysis of students’ discussions showed that changes related their critical thinking skills such as suggesting for alternatives, solutions, hypotheses and recognizing problems became more pronounced by the end of the semester. Next, the results of the analysis of students’ writing demonstrated that changes related to questioning, suggesting solutions and grasping other people’s viewpoints were more noticeable by the end of the semester. At the beginning of the semester, students’ texts were composed with simple background explanations and examples. At the end of the semester, the students were able to think about situations from different perspectives. Peers’ feedback analysis also showed that content-based feedback, detailed ideas and evidence, as well as feedback that demanded rationality of conclusions increased a lot. In terms of composition, there was an increased demand for logic and consistency, which showed students’ insight and their grasp of the flow of the text. More detailed changes were observed in the students’ reflective journal analysis. The results of the analysis were more noticeable in terms of claims, evidence and grasp of writers’ intentions as the students reached the end of the semester. Second, the results of English writing scoring data showed that the average score increased as students’ compositions were revised. The results of in-depth interviews also showed important changes in students’ writing abilities. These results indicate that social interaction in English lessons has an overall effect on students’ English language abilities as well as their critical thinking skills. According to the results of the study, it is imperative to consider various methodologies that can lead students to develop their critical thinking skills in future English classes. In addition, this study provides some pedagogical implications for teachers who what to teach critical thinking skills in second language classes. Complementing the content of English language classes by activities that focus on enhancing learners’ autonomy and creativity, rather than repetitive English writing or conversation activities that fit in a specific framework, can improve learners' higher-level thinking abilities. In addition, if various teaching methods, multi-faceted approaches and mixed research methods are developed, critical thinking lessons that can be applied in English language education in Korea are likely to have great educational consensus.