A Study On Critical Thinking Dispositions Of English Majors

In the 21 st century, the development of society puts forward higher demands and expectations over talents training. Training of students’ capabilities like critical thinking ability has becoming an important education research in the new century. Critical thinking ability not only refers to a variety of speculative comprehensive application of skills, but also a variety of combinations of personality traits or dispositions. As an important part of critical thinking ability, it is an important breakthrough through cultivating students’ dispositions to develop critical thinking ability. In recent years, many domestic research focused mainly on mastering knowledge or improving skills on critical thinking ability, few on critical thinking disposition. Among the study of critical thinking disposition, most students majored in nursing or other specialties were investigated. Therefore, a survey among English majors can help them detect their shortage accurately and apply their critical thinking dispositions actively, hoping to provide a new direction to help teachers improve students’ critical thinking and formulate the talent training programs and discipline construction, or giving a case support for the other researchers to survey English majors’ critical thinking disposition.With California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version(CCTDI-CV) translated, revised and compiled by Peng Meici, an expert representing the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as the measuring tool, 200 English majors from grade one to four were randomly sampled in a comprehensive university at provincial level. 13 teachers of the same department were interviewed as well. Through the combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the paper investigates the basic situation of critical thinking disposition of English major students in this college and determines the factors which influence the CT disposition of English majors.Research questions as follows:(1) what is the overall situation of English majors’ critical thinking disposition?(2) What is English major students disposition situation in each grade and its tendency variation?(3)What are the influential factors of English majors’ critical thinking disposition?The data is analyzed by using SPSS17.0 through descriptive analysis and ANOVA. The study results show:(1) generally speaking, the total point span of English major students is smaller. CT disposition is mostly below average level, and that means English major students do not form a good personality traits of critical thinking disposition;(2) with the increasing of grade, critical thinking disposition of English major students is improved but not very obviously. This rising trend develops at its peak till grade three and yet reduces from grade four;( 3) Through the different tests of seven dimensions among each grades, open mindedness, analyticity, self-confidence and inquisitiveness have significant difference because of different grades. This means these four dimensions play a crucial role in developing and improving students’ critical thinking disposition;(4)Through the interview with the English teachers from English majors, the author finds various factors influenced students’ critical thinking ability and dispositions such as curriculum provision, teaching model, evaluation methods and evaluation standards, students’ learning style and teachers’ consciousness. Therefore, CT ability can’t be improved only by the changes of teachers’ teaching methods or models. Teachers can enhance students’ critical thinking through the policy formulation, teacher guidance, students’ initiative and social help. Also we need an interaction of each aspect above.