Abstract:
A Critical Thinking Formative Assessment Framework: in Chinese English as a Foreign Language Teaching
Chenhui Wang, Pegah Marandi, David R. Cole*
Abstract— Chinese background students are the largest international students in Australia who are enrolled in Australian higher education (Liu et al., 2023). Since 2018, critical thinking (CT) instruction has been promoted in Chinese higher education. Additionally, since 2007, the Ministry of Education in China has advocated for formative assessment (FA) in higher education EFL teaching (Jian & Luo, 2014). Although research indicates that FA feedback can promote students’ CT development (Cáceres et al., 2020; Huang, 2016), empirical evidence on the relationship between CT and FA remains scarce, particularly under the influence of globalization and Chinese collectivism.
This study aims to develop a comprehensive critical thinking formative assessment framework by integrating insights from literature reviews, an open survey and a focus group interview with Chinese and Australian experts by using the Delphi method, and open surveys with 28 Chinese EFL teachers in higher education. Furthermore, the data collected through reflection journals, interviews, class observations with four out of 28 Chinese EFL teachers in higher education The result of framework itself will be operationally practical for Australian educator to design a class with CT, and the practical results will benefit Australian educators to have insights how to teach Chinese background students’ CT based on FA. The framework is designed to help create CT-enhancing classes, grounded in Dewey’s theory and the Community of Inquiry with a theory related to cultural external context, which aids in analysing CT, FA or both in the classes.
Keywords—critical thinking; formative assessment, critical thinking formative assessment framework, Chinese EFL teachers in higher education
Chenhui Wang, Pegah Marandi, David R. Cole*
Abstract— Chinese background students are the largest international students in Australia who are enrolled in Australian higher education (Liu et al., 2023). Since 2018, critical thinking (CT) instruction has been promoted in Chinese higher education. Additionally, since 2007, the Ministry of Education in China has advocated for formative assessment (FA) in higher education EFL teaching (Jian & Luo, 2014). Although research indicates that FA feedback can promote students’ CT development (Cáceres et al., 2020; Huang, 2016), empirical evidence on the relationship between CT and FA remains scarce, particularly under the influence of globalization and Chinese collectivism.
This study aims to develop a comprehensive critical thinking formative assessment framework by integrating insights from literature reviews, an open survey and a focus group interview with Chinese and Australian experts by using the Delphi method, and open surveys with 28 Chinese EFL teachers in higher education. Furthermore, the data collected through reflection journals, interviews, class observations with four out of 28 Chinese EFL teachers in higher education The result of framework itself will be operationally practical for Australian educator to design a class with CT, and the practical results will benefit Australian educators to have insights how to teach Chinese background students’ CT based on FA. The framework is designed to help create CT-enhancing classes, grounded in Dewey’s theory and the Community of Inquiry with a theory related to cultural external context, which aids in analysing CT, FA or both in the classes.
Keywords—critical thinking; formative assessment, critical thinking formative assessment framework, Chinese EFL teachers in higher education