Authors : Wenfeng Wang; Su-Hie, Ting

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/35ax3zmc

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/5fanca4s

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul1667

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Abstract : Integrating critical thinking (CT) into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction has been widely advocated in curriculum reforms and research has found largely positive attitudes among instructors. However, little is known about EFL teachers’ reservations about integrating CT into classroom instruction and how this links to their conceptual understanding of CT. This study examined EFL teachers’ beliefs and conceptual understanding of integrating CT in senior high schools in Shandong, China. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 teachers from five senior high schools. The findings revealed that although teachers generally expressed positive beliefs about CT integration, their understanding of CT was limited when examined against established CT frameworks. Most teachers conceptualised CT primarily as personal expression of ideas or reading comprehension ability rather than as a set of higher-order cognitive skills. When evaluated against Facione’s (1990) framework, teachers’ understanding of CT was concentrated primarily on interpretation. Only a small number demonstrated awareness of inference, analysis, or evaluation, while explanation and self-regulation were absent from all responses. Teachers also identified limited instructional time and students’ English proficiency as the main barriers to CT integration, and attributed their minimal integration of CT to these practical obstacles rather than to their limited understanding of CT instruction.

Keywords : Critical Thinking, EFL Instruction, Senior High School, Semi-Structured Interviews, Teacher Beliefs.

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