The Effect of Scaffolding Strategies on EFL Learners’ Critical Thinking and Speaking-Listening Skills

Developing higher-order thinking skills has become a central goal in modern language education. Among these skills, critical thinking plays an essential role in improving learners’ communicative competence and language performance. The present study investigated the effect of scaffolding strategies on EFL learners’ critical thinking and their speaking-listening skills. The participants of the study were ۳۶ university students majoring in translation at Islamic Azad University of Abadan. They were selected through an Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of ۱۸ students. The experimental group received instruction through scaffolding strategies designed to promote critical thinking, while the control group received traditional instruction. The treatment lasted for seven instructional sessions and included discussion activities and listening tasks based on audio materials from the New Interchange ۱ course book. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests of critical thinking as well as classroom discussion performances and listening activities. The results of the study indicated that the use of scaffolding strategies significantly improved learners’ critical thinking ability. Furthermore, the findings showed that enhancing critical thinking through scaffolding strategies also contributed to the improvement of learners’ speaking and listening skills. The results highlight the importance of integrating scaffolding techniques and critical thinking instruction in EFL classrooms

کلیدواژه ها:

Scaffolding strategies ، Critical thinking ، Speaking-listening skills ، EFL learners ، Language instruction