An analysis of critical thinking, formative assessment, and their complex relationships as demonstrated by Chinese English as foreign language teachers in higher education

Abstract

Critical thinking (CT) and Formative assessment (FA) have been on the Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching agendas in higher education since 2018 and 2007 respectively; however, CT and FA are concepts originally from Western education and culture, and hence their implementation in the Chinese context faces the potential barriers of cultural difference and misunderstanding, and the dominant collectivist and Confucianist views in higher education in China, which might contradict the progress of CT and FA as practices. This is the first study that investigates CT and FA in unison and uncovers their complex pedagogic relationships in the context of Chinese EFL higher education scenarios. Further, this study specifies the ways in which cultural translation works in the specific terms of taking the Western concepts of CT and FA and applying them to Chinese EFL teaching and learning. This study is a three-stage qualitative investigation into Chinese EFL higher education practices that deploy CT and FA. To facilitate analysis of this study and understanding of the knowledge that it produced, a suitable and novel theoretical framework was developed. This theoretical framework includes the philosophy of education of John Dewey (1859–1952), the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework that heavily relies on John Dewey’s ideas, and Chinese collectivism that exemplifies Confucian philosophy. The theoretical framework for this study blends Western philosophical elements that encourage an understanding of how individual thought happens in educational contexts with Eastern perspectives that foreground the wisdom of Chinese culture. In sum, the design of the theoretical framework highlights the epistemology of this study. First, it was found that, while Chinese EFL teachers view the purposes, dispositions and skills of CT similarly to western practitioners of CT, Chinese EFL teachers in higher education focus on asking CT questions related to analysing others’ opinions rather than explaining their own, and hence understanding of meaning relies on the receiver rather than the speaker. Second, it was found that Chinese EFL teachers in higher education use constructive feedback to enable students to be engaged in learning, and emotional supportive feedback and cooperative feedback as supplements to FA. In addition, Chinese EFL teachers shift from traditional authoritarian roles to make students the centre of class activities to facilitate FA. Third, regarding the complex relationships between CT and FA, it was found that Chinese EFL teachers bring fairness to students practising FA through CT. classrooms. Finally, this thesis is the first to provide empirical evidence in the Chinese EFL higher education classroom that unites enhanced CT and FA practices and delves more deeply into how contrasting epistemologies from the East and West intermingle through education.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	David R. Cole (Supervisor) & Pegah Marandi (Supervisor)