Integrating Analytical Thinking Skills In The ESL Reading Class: An Investigation Of EL Teachers’ Knowledge, Perception, Practices And Challenges

Malaysian students are found to be weak in both English language proficiency and higher order thinking skills which are crucial for any nation to thrive in the global market. They, not only rank below the OECD average in Mathematics, Reading and Science but are found to be struggling in higher order thinking skills in international
assessments such as TIMSS and PISA. Past studies purport that the EL teachers’ incompetence in both these areas to be the main cause for this predicament. This study attempts to identify strategies to overcome this problem by investigating the EL
teachers’ knowledge, perception, practices and challenges in relation to the teaching of analytical thinking skills. The methodology includes quantitative and qualitative methods. A questionnaire, classroom observation and teacher interview were used to collect data. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The study found that all the 132 participants had sound knowledge of analytical thinking skills and held positive perception towards teaching them in the ESL reading class. The study found significant correlations between teachers’
knowledge and their classroom practices at 0.05 level, and between teacher perception and teachers’ classroom practices at 0.01 level. The usage of a standard lesson plan, questioning techniques, group/collaborative activities and task-based activities
emerged as major themes that enhanced the teaching of analytical thinking skills in the ESL reading class. The post-observation interviews showed that the reading-text, comprehension questions, and teaching activities in the text book were ineffective to teach analytical thinking skills. Gathering relevant teaching materials and the students’ poor English language proficiency were identified as the biggest challenges for these teachers. Based on the findings, a framework of guidelines is proposed for the EL teachers to use as a reference when integrating analytical thinking skills in their ESL
reading class.