examining critical thinking through the use of webquest
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Examining Critical Thinking and Language Use through the Use of WebQuests in an EFL Reading ClassTRANSCRIPT
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Examining Critical Thinking and Language Use through the Use of
WebQuests in an EFL Reading Class
Nunthika Puthikanon
Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree Doctor of Philosophy
in the Department of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education, School of Education Indiana University December, 2009
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UMI Number: 3390298
All rights reserved
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UMI 3390298
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Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Doctoral Committee
__________________________________
(Larry Mikulecky, Ph.D.)
__________________________________
(James Damico, Ph.D.)
_________________________________
(Sharon Pugh, Ph.D.)
_________________________________
(Bill Johnston, Ph.D.)
Date of Oral Examination
November 17th, 2009
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2009
Nunthika Puthikanon
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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In loving memory of my father
To my mother
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am deeply grateful to my advisor, committee chair, and director of the dissertation, Dr.
Larry Mikulecky, for his guidance, support, and belief in me throughout my academic journey at
Indiana. He inspires me to push the edge of knowledge and learn to become a good researcher.
My dissertation committee Dr. Sharon Pugh, Dr. Bill Johnston, and Dr. James Damico have
been helpful, patient, and generous throughout this process as well. This work bears the imprint
of their assistance, both direct and indirect, as I have learned from them over the years in various
ways.
I am grateful to all those who participated in my study. I am especially indebted to the
two teacher participants for their tireless participation and involvement. This study would not
have happened without their efforts.
I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues in Thailand and the United States,
who provided support and assistance to me in one way or another throughout my doctoral
studies. Thanks to Malinee Prapinwong for her support and helpful suggestions. Nattada
Chompusri and Warinda Patibhanthewa have also provided continual support and
encouragement, which have been invaluable to me.
I am also greatly thankful to Sampan Ampaiwan. In addition to being a wonderful
listener, he has provided love, encouragement, personal advice, and the invaluable certainty that
I could do this. Without him, I would likely have never passed all the challenges at crucial times
in this process.
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Finally, I could not begin to express in a few lines how grateful I am to my mother, my
brothers, my grandparents, and my aunts. Without their love and support, none of this would
have been possible. I also wish that my father could have been with me today to see my
accomplishments.
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NUNTHIKA PUTHIKANON
EXAMINING CRITICAL THINKING AND LANGUAGE USE THROUGH THE USE OF
WEBQUESTS IN AN EFL READING CLASS
Several studies have demonstrated the advantages of WebQuests as a potential tool to promote
critical thinking skills in L1 contexts. Yet, in EFL classrooms, inquiry into WebQuest use as an activity to
promote critical thinking skills and language learning is extremely scarce. Given the positive results from
the studies of WebQuests in L1 contexts, it is necessary to pursue the investigation of WebQuest use in an
EFL course. The study presented investigates how students used critical thinking in a college-level EFL
reading course in Thailand. It also examines how the teacher played a role in supporting students use of
critical thinking. The use of English language during the WebQuest activity is also explored.
A case study approach with mixed methods research design was employed in this study. The data
were collected from two classroom sections of an intermediate English reading course at a university in
Thailand. Two WebQuests were implemented as a supplementary reading activity in the class. A rubric
adapted from the Washington State University Critical Thinking Rubric was used to evaluate how
students used critical thinking skills during the activity. Through classroom observations, student group
discussions, student written products, interviews, and questionnaires, the role of the teacher and the
English language used during the class were also examined.
The results indicate that students used critical thinking during the WebQuest activity at a
relatively high level. Students at both higher and lower levels of English proficiency actively analyzed,
synthesized, evaluated, and reflected on information pertaining to the topic of the WebQuest. However,
although higher proficiency students were able to transfer their thoughtful opinions and reasoning into the
end products of the WebQuest, students with lower proficiency seemed to struggle with such tasks. The
study also found that the role of the teachers in supporting students use of critical thinking varied
depending on their level of involvement in the process of student WebQuest activities. In addition, the
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students primarily used English reading and writing skills, which were the stated objectives of this course;
they rarely used oral skills. The results of this study indicate that WebQuests can be a useful activity to
promote critical thinking and English language use in an EFL reading course.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................v
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... ix
TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................... xiii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiii
List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiv
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................1
Background of the Study .....................................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................4
Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................5
Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................8
Critical Thinking ..................................................................................................................8
WebQuests .........................................................................................................................11
WebQuests and Critical Thinking ......................................................................................15
WebQuests and Collaborative Learning ............................................................................18
WebQuests and Language Learning in EFL Contexts .......................................................19
Theoretical Frameworks for Data Analysis of Critical Thinking ......................................24
Blooms Taxonomy ...............................................................................................24
The Three-dimensional Model ...............................................................................26
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................32
Research Questions ............................................................................................................33
Context ...............................................................................................................................33
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Participants .........................................................................................................................35
Students ..................................................................................................................35
Teachers .................................................................................................................38
Research Procedures ..........................................................................................................39
Instruments and Materials ..................................................................................................43
WebQuests .............................................................................................................43
Classroom Observation and Field Notes................................................................49
Group Work Observation .......................................................................................50
Interviews ...............................................................................................................56
Interviews with the Students ......................................................................56
Interviews with the Teachers .....................................................................56
Student PowerPoint Presentations .........................................................................58
Student Written Assignments ................................................................................58
Questionnaires ........................................................................................................59
Other Documentation .............................................................................................59
Data Collection Strategies for Each Research Question ....................................................60
Research Question #1 ............................................................................................60
Research Question #2 ............................................................................................62
Research Question #3 ............................................................................................63
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS (1) ..............................................................................................66
Research Question #1 ........................................................................................................66
Students Use of Critical Thinking at the Group Level .....................................................66
Analysis of Types of Critical Thinking .................................................................67
Analysis of Critical Thinking by Proficiency of the Students .............................102
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Students Use of Critical Thinking at the Individual Level .............................................106
Summary of Students Critical Thinking Use during WebQuests ...................................114
CHAPTER 5 RESULTS (2) ............................................................................................115
Research Question #2 ......................................................................................................115
The Role of the Teacher in Facilitating Text Comprehension .........................................120
The Role of the Teacher in Encouraging Student Discussion .........................................128
Role Change .....................................................................................................................139
A Summary of the Role of the Teacher in Supporting Critical Thinking in a WebQuest Class
..........................................................................................................................................144
Research Question #3 ......................................................................................................145
English as the Language of Instruction ............................................................................145
The Amount of English Used during the Discussion .......................................................150
The Amount of English Used in the End Products ..........................................................158
Summary of the Amount of English Used during the WebQuest Activity ......................164
CHAPTER 6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION .......................................................166
Discussion of the Results .................................................................................................166
Students Use of Critical Thinking during the WebQuest Activity .....................166
The Role of the Teacher in Supporting Critical Thinking in a WebQuest Class .178
The Amount of English Used during the WebQuest Activity .............................182
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................185
Suggestions for Future WebQuest Implementation .........................................................187
Limitations of the Study...................................................................................................190
Suggestions for Future Study ...........................................................................................191
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................193
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APPENDIX A: A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests that Promote Critical Thinking ...203
APPENDIX B: Student Interview Questions ..................................................................206
APPENDIX C: Pre-project Interview Questions for Teachers ........................................207
APPENDIX D: Post-project Interview Questions for Teachers ......................................208
APPENDIX E: The Writing Rubric .................................................................................209
APPENDIX F: Student Pre-project Questionnaire ..........................................................210
APPENDIX G: Student Post-project Questionnaire ........................................................211
APPENDIX H: Results of Student Post-project Questionnaires .....................................213
APPENDIX I: Summary of the Results from the Written Assignments .........................214
CURRICULUM VITAE
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TABLES AND FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 The four-dimensional model ..............................................................................29
Table 2.2 The three-dimensional framework .....................................................................30
Table 3.1 Summary of the student numbers and majors ....................................................36
Table 3.2 Detailed information for students observed in group discussions .....................37
Table 3.3 Timeline of the study .........................................................................................42
Table 3.4 List of potential WebQuests for the study .........................................................44
Table 3.5 The Critical Thinking Rubric .............................................................................54
Table 3.6 Summary of data sources and data analysis strategies used for each research
Question .............................................................................................................64
Table 4.1 Aspects on the Critical Thinking Rubric ...........................................................67
Table 4.2 Summary of the critical thinking results ............................................................69
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 The procedures and reading resources provided on The Right to Die
WebQuest ..........................................................................................................15
Figure 2.2 Blooms taxonomy ...........................................................................................25
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Even though critical thinking is often recognized as one of the desirable goals for higher
education, it is considered a skill not promoted enough in English classrooms in Thailand.
Learning English in Thailand is often times associated with learning grammatical rules, in which
knowledge is expected to be transmitted from teachers to students. In traditional classrooms,
learning English to pass the examinations is often considered the primary goal, where only
language skills are emphasized while critical thinking, problem solving, or creative thinking
skills are treated as minimal. However, in order to be able to compete in the knowledge-based
economy (that is, to use knowledge for economic benefits), Thai teachers have been urged to
incorporate critical thinking into their classrooms.
An educational reform measure called National Education Act (NEA) was introduced in
Thailand in 1999. The NEAs school reform policy includes three components, namely learning
reform, reform of the educational administrative structure, and legal measures. The learning
reform component, the core of the educational reform, focused on lifelong learning that
promotes and develops the importance of the learner-centered teaching process, allowing
learners to develop learning and thinking skills, with consideration for individuals interests,
aptitudes, pace and potential (Atagi, 2002, p. 28). According to this new policy of school
reform, thinking processes such as analytical thinking, creative-thinking, and problem solving,
and moral values are to be developed proportionately (Atagi, 2002, p. 31).
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Technology is also identified as a tool that has potential to support the competitiveness of
Thailand and its people in the knowledge-based economy. The National Education Act of 1999
specifically mentions the importance of promoting information technology as an integral part of
learning and educational reform (Fry, 2002). Teachers are encouraged to use the Internet and
information technology generally to provide unlimited resources to students and offer
educational opportunities to people in remote areas. The NEA also anticipated that the
introduction of technology into classrooms would promote higher order thinking skills for
students (Office of the National Education Commission, 2003).
These particular efforts resonate with how technology has been promoted in many English
classrooms worldwide. Most educational institutions now have access to computers and the
Internet, and use them as part of a language classroom. Technology provides students with
access to a large number of authentic learning resources and opportunities to interact with other
speakers of the language. Consequently, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has
received much attention in recent years. Studies on technology in a second language class have
shifted their emphasis from language pedagogy software to the Internet and World Wide Web.
Kern (2006) suggests that the Internet is a suitable environment for language learners. Students
from cross-cultural classes in different parts of the world can collaboratively create a project by
exchanging emails or engaging in online chats. Thus they will not only learn to use the language,
they will learn to develop critical thinking skills as they try to express their own cultural and
personal experiences through language and other symbolic means (Kern, 2000).
Many studies suggest that technology not only provides unlimited resources to students, it is
also believed to help develop critical thinking skills among language learners (Arnold & Ducate,
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2006; Coster & Ledovski, 2005; Fox & MacKeogh, 2003; Hopson, Simms, & Knezek, 2001;
Meyer, 2003). In order for students to find useful information on the Web, they need to read
extensively, evaluate content of texts, select relevant information, and synthesize materials to
construct meaning. This process can hence develop higher-order thinking among students
(Crawford & Brown, 2002; March, 1998). Web-based group projects can also enhance higher-
order thinking skills in a similar fashion. These projects enable students to learn critical thinking
when they critique, negotiate, challenge or agree with ideas of others (Arnold & Ducate, 2006).
Contrary to the traditional ESL classrooms, with the use of technology, students can develop
skills in both researching and thinking critically when finding information from resources on the
Internet. They also have opportunities to use the target language through reading web pages,
writing presentations, listening to peers opinions, and discussing ideas on interesting issues. The
introduction of information technology into the language classroom thus enables students to
learn the language and at the same time develop the critical thinking skills needed in higher
education.
However, Kern (2000) cautions that it is the teacher, not technology, who is responsible
for the degree to which students will benefit from these innovations. Therefore, a well-structured
syllabus is needed to make technology in classrooms function effectively. To many EFL
teachers, the task of designing a web-based syllabus that promotes critical thinking in an English
course may be daunting when appropriate guidelines are scarce. The expansive size of the
Internet could also make the task even more intimidating for both teacher and students. A well-
structured web-based activity, such as WebQuest -- an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or
all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web (Dodge, 1998) -- could therefore
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provide the teacher with a pre-defined activity equipped with existing databases for the teachers
to explore and adapt to suit their students and the class objectives.
My preliminary experience with WebQuest began in 2006 when a colleague and I
developed a rubric that could be used to evaluate WebQuests for EFL students (Prapinwong &
Puthikanon, 2008). We later used this rubric to select a WebQuest deemed appropriate for EFL
students and implemented it in an EFL reading course in Thailand in 2007 (Prapinwong &
Puthikanon, 2007). In 2008, I had a chance to assist two teachers in implementing two
WebQuests as reading supplements in two college-level reading courses. The students seemed to
be satisfied with the activity and were motivated to discuss and express informed opinions on
controversial issues. As an EFL teacher, I perceived this Web tool as a potential learning activity
that motivated students to read extensive authentic texts in English, work collaboratively with
their peers, and exercise critical thought. These initial positive impressions of WebQuest use in
EFL contexts prompted me to pursue further research on Webquests and critical thinking in EFL
classrooms. As a result, I would like to investigate how WebQuest was used in a college-level
reading course and how the students used critical thinking during such activity.
Purpose of the Study
The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the use of WebQuest in EFL
classrooms in terms of its potential to encourage critical thinking skills and English language
use. The results from this study are aimed to assist the teacher in EFL classes to use and modify
this web-based activity to suit their classes. The secondary purpose of this study is to explore the
role of the teacher in supporting the use of WebQuests in an EFL reading course. Since the mere
use of WebQuests does not guarantee the effective use of critical thinking, I would like to
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explore how teachers assist students during the WebQuest activity. The findings of this study
could thus provide insights into how teachers can adapt themselves to a web-based learner-
centered activity in EFL contexts. Specifically, this study is aimed to answer three research
questions:
1) To what extent did the students with intermediate English proficiency use critical
thinking when completing a WebQuest task in an EFL reading course?
2) What was the role of the teacher in supporting critical thinking in a WebQuest lesson?
3) To what extent did the students with intermediate English proficiency use English
when completing a WebQuest task in an EFL reading course?
Statement of the problem
Even though many studies have linked WebQuest to the support of critical thinking skills
(Bradshaw, Bishop, Gens, Miller, & Rogers, 2002; Kanuka, 2005; Murray, 2006; Vidoni & Maddux,
2002), little attention has been paid to empirical evidence in the process and the extent to which
students employ such skills in the WebQuest context. Abbit and Ophus (2008) claim that even
though WebQuests have been around for more than ten years and received popular reception
among K-12 teachers, little research has been conducted on the effects of this technology-based
activity on learning (Abbit & Ophus, 2008). Most studies on WebQuests were either anecdotal or
lacked empirical evidence for the support of critical thinking use in the classrooms (Abbit &
Ophus, 2008). Many studies focused more on the designing aspect of WebQuest rather than
curricular aspects of the design (Sox & Rubenstein-Avila, 2009).
In addition, most of these studies focus on students in L1 settings while research
investigating the use of WebQuests with L2 learners is limited. For those that have been done,
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they seem to be more theoretical than empirical (Koenraad & Westhoff, 2003; Laborda, 2009;
Luzon, 2007). Moreover, most empirical studies on WebQuest use in L2 contexts focused on the
perceptions of the WebQuest users (Noordin, Samed, & Razali, 2008; Prapinwong &
Puthikanon, 2007; Prapinwong, 2008) or effects on English learning (Chuo, 2007; Prapinwong,
2008; Tsai, 2006). If little research has been conducted on WebQuest use in EFL classrooms,
even fewer studies have been carried out on the effects of WebQuests on critical thinking use in
EFL contexts.
However, despite the small body of research directly supporting the use of WebQuests to
develop higher order thinking among EFL students, related literature from L1 seems to indicate
promising results (Allan & Street, 2007; Bradshaw et al., 2002; Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007; Kanuka,
2005; MacGregor & Lou, 2006; Murray, 2006; Vidoni & Maddux, 2002). A closer look at how
EFL students exercise critical thinking while completing WebQuests, as proponents of
WebQuest have often claimed, is therefore necessary. This gap in the research literature suggests
the need to look at how teachers integrate WebQuest into the EFL classroom as a way to
promote critical thinking and language learning. I would therefore like to specifically examine
how students use critical thinking and English language during the WebQuest activity, and how
teachers support the implementation of WebQuests in the classroom. This study will thus
increase our knowledge of how WebQuests can be used to promote critical thinking skills in EFL
contexts.
Significance of the study
Taking the limitations of research studies on WebQuests in EFL contexts into account, I
am hopeful that this study will reveal insights into how EFL students use critical thinking during
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the WebQuest in a reading course. This study aims to add to the paucity of research on the use of
WebQuests to promote critical thinking among L2 learners, particularly EFL college students. It
will investigate whether patterns of higher order thinking skills occur among the participants
using WebQuests in L2 classrooms. Additionally, this study will explore how teachers in the
WebQuest class support students in thinking critically during the activity. Finally, this study will
also examine how students use English while completing WebQuest activities, in order to
explore how WebQuests can be effectively used in language learning contexts.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This section discusses the existing body of research pertaining to WebQuests and critical
thinking. It is organized into six areas: 1) Critical thinking; 2)WebQuests; 3) WebQuests and
critical thinking; 4) WebQuests and collaborative learning; 5) WebQuests and language learning
in EFL contexts; and 6) theoretical frameworks for data analysis of critical thinking.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is often considered one of the main goals in higher education. There are
various definitions of critical thinking in academic settings. Ennis (1989) defines critical thinking
as reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do (p. 4). He suggests
that it is also related to other concepts of thinking such as higher order thinking. While Ennis
views critical thinking as generic, McPeck (1990) believes that critical thinking is subject-
specific with respect to particular knowledge in certain fields. Lipman (1988) further defines
critical thinking as skillful, responsible thinking that facilitates good judgment because it (1)
relies upon criteria; (2) is self-correcting; and (3) is sensitive to context (p. 39). For Paul (1990),
critical thinking is not only viewed as analytical and evaluative, it is also considered the art of
thinking about your thinking (p. 32). In addition, he emphasizes the development of intellectual
habits that enhance students abilities as critical thinkers, namely intellectual humility;
intellectual courage; intellectual empathy; intellectual good faith; intellectual perseverance; faith
in reason; and intellectual sense of justice (Paul, 1992). In essence, these researchers regard
critical thinking as a teachable practice that can be defined and learned. Following from this,
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various strategies are offered to promote the development of critical thinking skills in classrooms
(Beyer, 1997; Paul, 1992).
In the field of English as a second language (ESL), some researchers in critical thinking
and second language learning (L2) believe that critical thinking is a concept difficult to teach in
L2 classrooms and was learned among L1 students or Westerners through their upbringing; in
this view, critical thinking is considered a social practice (Atkinson, 1997; Ramanathan &
Kaplan, 1996a; Ramanathan & Kaplan, 1996b; Ramanathan & Atkinson, 1999). Atkinson (1997)
defines critical thinking as a social practice; this originated from a set of behaviors that a person
was immersed in when being raised in a particular culture. It is tacit and cannot be easily
described by its users. Ramanathan and Atkinson (1999) claim that because ESL students come
from different cultural backgrounds, attempts to teach them critical thinking skills may not be
successful. Along the same line, Ramanathan and Kaplan (1996a, 1996b) state that critical
thinking is a socio-cognitive practice that primarily relies on the (mainstream) students shared
cultural practices and norms and is thus difficult for L2 learners to learn. They suggest that
English composition skills are often acquired as part of Western culture and cannot be taught in
L2 classrooms. Davidson (1998), on the contrary, argues that part of an ESL teachers task is to
prepare learners to interact with native speakers who value explicit comment, intelligent
criticism, and intellectual assertion (p. 121). It follows from this view that critical thinking
should be taught in ESL/EFL classes to prepare ESL/EFL students for the world outside their
societies. Additionally, Benesch (1993) suggests that when teaching critical thinking skills, the
teacher should encourage students to examine the language, politics, and history of the issue in
relation to their own experience, in addition to their evaluation of it. Thus, in ESL classrooms
critical thinking should be taught dialogically inviting students to discuss underlying
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assumptions about an issue and helping them to learn tolerance and social justice (Benesch,
1999).
Specifically to the Thai contexts, Jantrasakul (2004) investigated how the concept of
critical thinking is perceived and performed in EFL high-school classrooms in Thailand. The
results show that the concept of critical thinking was perceived by the participants as self-
expression, problem-solving, and virtue education. However, in classroom practices, the use of
critical thinking was presented minimally. The teachers were struggling to integrate critical
thinking into their classrooms but generally geared the class activities toward utilitarian
purposes, such as passing the national university entrance examination.
In the field of education, critical thinking can be seen as an exercise in higher order
thinking skills, associated with the ability to think logically based on evaluated information
according to certain criteria. Bloom et al. (1956) proposed a framework which defines cognitive
presence in education; this has been widely used among educators. It describes six types of
cognitive operations, namely knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation. The last three levels -- analysis, synthesis, and evaluation -- are considered higher
order thinking skills. Higher order thinking can also be thought of as the intellectually
disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing
and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generalized by, observation, experience,
reflection, reasoning or communication, as a guide to belief or action (Scriven & Paul, 2001).
Lewis and Smith (1993) propose the term higher order thinking as the type of thinking that
occurs when a person takes new information and information stored in memory and
interrelates and/or rearranges and extends this information to achieve a purpose or find possible
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answers in perplexing situations (p. 136). This definition can be further illustrated by the skills
students use when they evaluate whether or not to believe an argument or when they make
judgments based on claims or evidence given. On the contrary, lower order thinking requires
only memorization of previously learned items (Newman, 1990). However, it should be noted
that different learners backgrounds and abilities may contribute to differences in a persons need
to use lower or higher order thinking. Therefore, a task that requires lower order thinking for one
person may need higher order thinking skills by another (Lewis & Smith, 1993).
Since the definitions of critical thinking as a teachable concept seem relevant to the
characteristics and purpose of WebQuest, which emphasizes tasks using higher levels of
thinking, in this study I will use the term critical thinking to mean the ability to analyze and
synthesize information from different sources, solve problems, evaluate information, and make
judgments based on evidence presented (Barak, 2005; Bradshaw et al., 2002). This term is
intended to distinguish this type of thinking from the type which focuses on memorization and
drill practice while neglecting problem solving and creativity.
WebQuests
Technology has become part of many EFL classrooms. Several studies in L1 settings
have explored how the use of technology can facilitate the development of critical thinking.
Many online activities have the potential to enhance higher thinking skills, including projects
that require the location and evaluation of online resources and participation in online
discussions (Fox & MacKeogh, 2003; Hopson, Simms, & Knezek, 2001; Meyer, 2003). Online
interactions among learners, such as argumentation, negotiation, construction of understanding,
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and proposing solutions, help foster critical thinking practice (Arnold & Ducate, 2006; Fox &
Mackeogh, 2003).
WebQuest is a tool that seems effective in facilitating higher levels of thinking in a
classroom. Kanuka (2005) conducted an action research study that explored five types of web-
based teaching strategies, namely nominal group, debate, brainstorming, invited guest, and
WebQuest. According to the SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) taxonomy,
which describes the hierarchy of complexity through which learners show mastery of their
academic written work, WebQuest was shown to be a more effective instructional strategy than
the other four; results show that students writing reflected relational responses and extended
abstract responses more than with other instructional strategies. WebQuest is, therefore, a
learning tool with the potential to enhance higher thinking skills.
WebQuest is a term coined by Bernie Dodge and described as an inquiry-oriented
activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources
on the Internet (March, 2004, p. 2). Tom March, who is the co-creator of WebQuest, later
revised WebQuests definition and articulated it as a scaffolded learning structure that uses
links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students
investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise, and
participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into
a more sophisticated understanding (March, 2004, p. 3). To further elaborate, the main element
of a WebQuest is a scaffolding structure that encourages student motivation and facilitates
advanced thinking with integration of enriched learning resources (March, 2007, p. 2)
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In order to complete the main task of a WebQuest, students use information from various
sources to form their own opinions and share them with their group members to create a final
project, usually in the form of an oral presentation and/or written materials such as brochures,
newsletters, or websites. To complete a WebQuest task, students search through links provided
on the WebQuest; these links are relevant to the topic being learned about and are thus efficient
and focused learning tools. The students do not need to use general search engines as their
primary tools so they do not run the risk of accessing inappropriate materials. WebQuests are
designed to further several learning concepts. Their four underlying constructs are: (1) critical
thinking; (2) knowledge application; (3) social skills; and (4) scaffolded learning (March, 2007).
In sum, WebQuests are inquiry-oriented, group work-centered, higher order thinking-focused,
and selected Internet source-heavy (Dodge, 1998).
Below is an example of a WebQuest called The right to die, which was used in this
study. This WebQuest required the students to answer the question Should euthanasia be
legalized in Thailand? Students worked in groups of three to do research on the issue of
euthanasia. In order to gather information on the topic, each student was required to take the role
of either a physician, a lawyer, or a patient and pool their research findings to form group
opinions. The primary objectives were for each group of students to form group opinions and
create a PowerPoint presentation to explain their position on the issue.
This WebQuest scaffolded students learning by dividing activities into manageable tasks
and directing students with step-by-step guidelines to complete the task. Students were initially
provided some background knowledge on the issue of euthanasia through the activities in the
pre-activity section, which included a newspaper article reporting a case of a French woman who
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requested euthanasia and a whole-class discussion on the article. The procedures to complete the
task included a number of steps. First, the teacher introduced the students to the topic of the
WebQuest and informed them of the task they needed to complete using the Introduction and the
Task pages on the WebQuest. Second, the teacher guided the students through the pre-activity
discussion to activate their prior knowledge, as mentioned earlier. Then, the students were
directed to gather information for the role each was taking by reading the articles provided on the
WebQuest. During this step, the students read the articles with their peers who took the same
role. (This sub-activity could be seen as a scaffolding for reading the articles and understanding
the role.) Next, students worked with their group members to pool their research findings and
develop PowerPoint presentation slides that explained their position on the issue with supporting
evidence. Finally, the students presented their opinions on the issue to the class using PowerPoint
slides. The students were also asked to write a journal entry on the issue as homework. These
steps, therefore, scaffolded the students to answer the main question Should euthanasia be
legalized in Thailand?
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Figure 2.1 The procedures and reading resources provided on The Right to Die
WebQuest
WebQuests and critical thinking
The potential of WebQuests to advance critical thinking skills may be explained by how
the WebQuest task requires each member of the group to carry out a specific, meaningful role,
and then pool their respective research findings to formulate a response to a complex, open-
ended question. Unlike traditional learning activities, there can be multiple solutions to the
topical question posed in a WebQuest. A good WebQuest focuses on an issue with multiple
15
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facets, such as social, political, and/or environmental, and requires more than information
gathering; students must process the information in order to form their opinions (March, 1998).
Crawford and Brown (2002) suggest that WebQuests emphasize higher order thinking skills,
according to Blooms Taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956), because they help develop higher
cognitive processes by requiring students to sift through large amounts of information until they
can construct an understanding of the problem and offer a solution.
March (1998) asserts that the main question on the WebQuest requires students to
transform information collected from online resources into something new. This process invites
students to consider an issue, compare and synthesize information to form a hypothesis, and
suggest a solution. Additionally, scaffolding techniques, in the form of specific sub-tasks on the
WebQuest, prompt students to engage in higher levels of thinking. It is also suggested that the
way students must sift through large amounts of information to form an understanding of the
problem not only connects to their schema, but also builds new awareness that could be modified
when they encounter similar problems in the future. This process of text selection requires
students to evaluate content of texts as well as draw and test their inferences (March, 1998).
These characteristics of WebQuests thus help to develop the critical thinking process.
Since its inception, extensive research has been carried out on how WebQuests affect
students learning. However, most WebQuest studies primarily explored the attitudes and
perceptions of students and teachers, while fewer studies investigated how WebQuests can
promote critical thinking skills (Abbit & Ophus, 2008). Although their number is still small,
several studies have now been conducted to investigate how WebQuests can support critical
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thinking among first language students in different subjects (Allan & Street, 2007; Bradshaw et
al., 2002; Kanuka, 2005; Murray, 2006; Vidoni & Maddux, 2002).
In L1 contexts, several studies have theoretically linked WebQuests with higher order
thinking skills. Vidoni and Maddux (2002) explored WebQuests in terms of six critical thinking
concepts as proposed by Weinstein (2000), namely, skillful thinking; responsible thinking; non-
routine thinking; employing criteria; self-correction; and sensitivity to context, and concluded
that WebQuests met all the six key elements in critical thinking and therefore could be a
powerful tool for promoting critical thinking skills for students. Similarly, Kanuka (2005) found
that WebQuests seem to be the most effective instructional tool for reinforcing higher levels of
learning when he showed that students writing in response to a WebQuest topic reflected
relational responses and extended abstract responses more than other instructional strategies.
WebQuest is, therefore, a classroom activity with potential to promote complex thinking skills
when it employs a learner-centered collaborative environment which takes advantage of
problem-based activity (Bradshaw et al., 2002).
Empirical studies in L1 contexts have also found that WebQuests could be used to
promote critical thinking or higher order thinking skills. Allan and Street (2007) conducted a
study on the impact of WebQuests in primary initial teacher training. The subjects were four
groups of teacher training students who were Bachelor of Education final-year students and
PGCE students at the University of Wolverhampton; the data were collected from a
questionnaire focusing on students perceptions of the impact of the WebQuest session, focus
group sessions, and an analysis of 48 feedback sheets for assignments. The results suggested that
WebQuests may encourage higher order thinking skills as part of an initial teacher training
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module. In addition, the authors claim that the addition of the pooling knowledge stage of the
WebQuest, where students are encouraged to discuss the issue or draw on prior knowledge, led
to a major shift in learning levels.
A number of studies that used WebQuests with grade school students have also showed
positive effects of WebQuest use. Ikpeze and Boyd (2007) used WebQuests with six fifth-grade
students for 10 weeks and found that the activities facilitated thoughtful literacy if the tasks were
carefully chosen, managed, and delivered. They also showed potential for teaching literacy and
technology skills by involving students with authentic problem-based activity. Similarly,
MacGregor and Lou (2006) used WebQuests with fifth-grade students and found that using
conceptual scaffolds (in the form of a study guide or a concept mapping template) helped
facilitate students higher order learning when they provided cues for what information to seek
and how to organize and synthesize such information. Likewise, Murray (2006) investigated the
use of WebQuests to promote higher level thinking skills among seventh-grade students in a
computer technology class. He found that WebQuests have potential to generate higher level
thinking through sequential activities, during which students had to evaluate information to
produce individual reports (on particular sub-cultures of the Australian people) and synthesize
them into a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. In sum, research studies on WebQuests in
L1 contexts seem to indicate promising results of their use to facilitate advanced thinking skills.
WebQuests and collaborative learning
Collaborative learning refers to an instructional method in which students work in small
groups for the purpose of achieving an academic goal. The active exchange of ideas within small
groups not only helps students learn but also stimulates critical thinking (Totten, Sills, Digby, &
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Russ, 1991). It allows students to learn from others skills and experiences (Gokhale, 1995).
Kanuka (2005) found that text-based Internet communication technologies have potential to
encourage effective collaborative learning environments which can facilitate higher order
thinking. The findings suggest that WebQuests are effective in encouraging students to deal with
a task in a deeper way, and thus promote critical thinking. WebQuest is also considered a
possible learning tool based on social-constructivism that allows second language learners to
construct knowledge of the target language through meaningful activities (Simina & Hamel,
2005). It can set the condition for collaborative learning which is promoted by social-
constructivism. Learners will participate in meaningful exchanges through authentic information
gaps (Felix, 2002). Through group work, language learners take on specific roles and work
collaboratively to accomplish a task that is meaningful to them.
WebQuests and language learning in EFL contexts
Not only can WebQuest be used to teach content, as evidently suggested in how it is
widely used among L1 students, it can also be used for the purpose of language learning. The
Dutch project Talenquest, or LanguageQuest in English, has been developed as a tool for
foreign language instruction. It provides a variety of language input and encourages learners to
collaboratively use language in an authentic environment. Koenraad and Westhoff (2003)
proposed a set of guidelines for the creation of WebQuests designed for language learning. They
suggest that the task should encourage use of the target language either in the form of instruction
language, or of the language used in the LanguageQuest end products, or a combination of both.
In addition, they state that the material presented in the LanguageQuest should be authentic and
reflect what learners would apply in their real life. The tasks within the LanguageQuest should
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also be flexible and promote collaboration and meaningful communication. These guidelines
theoretically connect WebQuests to language learning in the classroom.
In a more specific learning context, Laborda (2009) suggested that WebQuests could be
used in EFL content-based language learning classes, such as a tourism class, as social
constructivist instruction, and in professional development activities. They could also promote
verbal skills when tourism students engage in real-life communication situations containing
professional content. WebQuest can, therefore, be used in the tourism classroom to promote
interaction through the target language in a genuinely communicative and safe in-group
situation.
In a similar class environment, Luzon (2007) supported WebQuest use in English for
Specific Purposes (ESP) courses and proposed several ways to enhance its use in such classes.
She suggests that WebQuest activity used in an ESP class should be designed to help students
acquire knowledge and develop communicative skills in their discipline, promote autonomous
learning, and foster students use of new literacies and strategies for meaning construction of
texts. WebQuest is beneficial in ESP classes because it helps students use background
knowledge from their discipline to assess the problem, evaluate information from different
sources and synthesize a response to the main WebQuest problem. In addition, WebQuest
promotes autonomous learning when it provides scaffolded learning and facilitates higher order
thinking skills. WebQuest is also an appropriate activity that trains students to develop
multiliteracies by engaging them with multimodal texts and electronic literacy. From this view,
these several benefits confirm the potential for WebQuests to be used in a language learning
situation.
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Along the same lines, Noordin, Samed and Razali (2008) surveyed a group of Malaysian
student teachers in a TESL program; they participated in three computer lab sessions that
introduced them to WebQuest and involved them in a sample activity. A questionnaire was
administered to elicit these student teachers perceptions on the practicality and potential of
Webquest in EFL classrooms. The findings suggest that the majority of the students found
WebQuest beneficial to English learning. They found WebQuest activity meaningful, authentic,
motivating, and supportive of cooperative learning and higher order thinking. WebQuest,
therefore, has potential to foster critical thinking skills and language learning.
Apart from the studies mentioned earlier which explored prospective use of WebQuests
in EFL classes, a number of studies have empirically observed the effectiveness of WebQuests
use in EFL classrooms. Chuo (2007) investigated the effects of WebQuest on college-level
Taiwanese learners writing performance. She compared students writing in a traditional writing
section to that of students in a WebQuest-incorporated writing class and found that the students
in the WebQuest class performed significantly better than those in the traditional writing class.
The students also had more favorable perceptions of the WebQuest class because they
experienced more advantages in language learning using Web resources. In another study
conducted by Tsai (2006), Taiwanese students vocabulary acquisition in a WebQuest learning
module was examined. He found that students in the WebQuest class outperformed those in a
traditional reading class in both their vocabulary learning and story reading comprehension.
However, WebQuest did not produce any significant difference in student thematic reading
comprehension.
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Another research study conducted to investigate students perceptions of WebQuest in a
college-level reading course in Thailand showed that students had mixed opinions toward
WebQuest use (Prapinwong & Puthikanon, 2007). Some students expressed positive opinions
and experienced WebQuest as a fun activity that helped them to learn English. However, some
students found the reading in the WebQuest overwhelming and thus generally felt frustrated
when completing the WebQuest task. However, a subsequent study carried out in a similar
context indicated different results concerning the students and teachers perceptions.
Prapinwong (2008) used two WebQuests with a group of students in a reading course at a
university in Thailand. She found that both teachers and students showed favorable attitudes
toward WebQuest use. The task also seemed to have a beneficial impact on vocabulary learning;
the results showed a statistically significant gain in vocabulary acquisition among students.
Since WebQuests for ESL/EFL students require specialized design, rubrics that can be
used to assess appropriate WebQuests for students in such contexts are offered. Prapinwong and
Puthikanon (2008) developed a rubric to evaluate popular existing WebQuests used in the L1
context. The study was aimed at evaluating whether WebQuests that were highly recommended
in the L1 contexts would show similar benefits for EFL students. The rubric took into account
five aspects, namely vocabulary and grammar, content knowledge, level of interest, assistance,
and task demand, to examine whether a WebQuest would be beneficial for EFL students. The
results indicated that only four out of fifteen WebQuests which were rated highly for L1 students
were appropriate for EFL students. Most of the WebQuests needed some modification to make
them applicable to EFL classrooms.
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Another rubric similar to that mentioned above was developed by Sox and Rubenstein-
Avila (2009) to rate WebQuest effectiveness for English Language Learners (ELLs). The rubric
focuses on the linguistic, multimedia, and organizational features of WebQuests. They found that
even though the eight WebQuests in the study met the standards suggested by WebQuest
creators, not all of them were effective for ELLs. They suggest that WebQuests for ELLs should
contain linguistic features which are simple enough for ELLs to understand; integrate visual
displays and online aids which help ELLs understanding of texts; offer direct links to specific
information; focus attention on key information of the texts; give clear instructions; and provide
supplemental resources.
In summary, the body of research discussed in this chapter suggests that WebQuest has
potential to generate critical thinking among students in various subjects and classroom contexts.
However, most studies of WebQuests on critical thinking among L1 students offer anecdotal and
theoretical conjecture rather than empirical evidence. Few studies on benefits of WebQuests
employed research methods that could demonstrate the beneficial impact of WebQuests (Abbit &
Ophus, 2008). In a similar fashion, most of the studies investigating WebQuests in EFL contexts
seem to be based on a theoretical projection that WebQuests have prospects to engage students in
language learning and higher order learning skills. Similarly, even though a number of studies
have investigated the impact of WebQuest on language learning, few studies empirically
observed the effects of WebQuest on critical thinking use among EFL students in particular. This
study was thus aimed at providing insight into such issues.
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Theoretical frameworks for data analysis of critical thinking
In order to analyze the data, two theoretical frameworks will be used to investigate how
students used critical thinking during the WebQuest activity.
1. Blooms taxonomy
In this study, I chose Blooms Taxonomy of educational objectives (Bloom et al., 1956) as
one of the frameworks to define critical thinking and analyze data because it is widely accepted
among educators as an outline for cognitive presence in classrooms. It also clearly describes the
characteristics of higher order thinking skills, which many teachers in Thailand are familiar with,
so it was thought to be easier for the teachers to understand the critical thinking construct when
participating in the study. In addition, many studies on WebQuests used the higher levels on this
framework to refer to how WebQuests theoretically and empirically had potential to advance
students critical learning (Allan & Street, 2007; Crawford & Brown, 2002; Luzon, 2007;
MacGregor & Lou, 2006; Murray, 2006; Noordin, Samed & Razali, 2008). Therefore, to
empirically investigate such claims, it would be more practical to explore them through the
higher levels on Blooms Taxonomy.
Blooms taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956) was among the first models that provide
educators with systematic classification of cognitive operations and one of the most widely used
models of cognitive skills in education. It serves as a model that assists educators in presenting
ideas and concepts at varying levels of thought. It outlines six types of cognitive thinking skills,
ordered from the least to the most complex: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation. Although the model is hierarchical, subsequent levels of the cognitive
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skills may include some, but not necessarily all, of the mastery required in the previous level.
This model is, therefore, a conceptual framework, not a prescriptive one (Athanassiou, McNett,
& Harvey, 2003; Bissell & Lemons, 2006). The first three levels of Blooms Taxonomy, namely
knowledge, comprehension, and application, are often referred to as lower order thinking skills.
The remaining levels-- analysis, synthesis, and evaluation-- are known as higher order thinking
skills. Further discussion on each of the higher order thinking skills is provided below.
Figure 2.2 Blooms taxonomy
Blooms Taxonomy Evaluation
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Synthesis
Analysis
Application Lower Order Thinking
Skills Comprehension
Knowledge
Analysis
Analysis requires examination of parts or elements of concepts, analyzing the
relationship between conclusions and evidence, organizing knowledge based on a principle, or
making inferences based on data (Aviles, 1999, p. 11). It is the ability to break down material
into its component parts and may include the analysis of the relationship between the parts.
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Synthesis
Synthesis can be thought of as creativity or production of things that are new. It refers to
the ability to put parts together to create a whole. Students put ideas together to originate or
create a perspective that is new to them.
Evaluation
Evaluation requires students to make judgments. The judgments are based on defined
criteria which are developed by students or taken from outside resources. Evaluation can be
shown in the form of class discussions when students share their opinions based on their
judgments of the information presented. Judgments are, therefore, neither right nor wrong.
2. The three-dimensional model
In addition to Blooms Taxonomy, I employed a framework adapted from the three-
dimensional framework proposed by Damico, Baildon, and Campano (2005) which was also
used in the Critical Web Reader (Critical Web Reader) to increase understanding of how students
used language skills to comprehend texts on the Web and how they related their prior
knowledge, personal experience, cultures, or beliefs when evaluating claims and evidence or
reflecting on the issue of the WebQuest. This framework allowed me to see how language skills
and social dimensions influenced students use of critical thinking skills, in addition to their
analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information from the Web. Including this framework into
the data analysis was meant to yield a more comprehensive lens to investigate how students use
critical thinking in a WebQuest class.
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Damico, Baildon, and Campano (2005) first proposed a three-dimensional framework to
explore how students evaluate claims and evidence on Web pages through the operational,
academic, and critical dimensions. This three-dimensional framework is used as a set of lenses
which directs students to critically evaluate assertions and evidence on websites. It was built
upon three perspectives of literacy: 1) literacy as socially situated; 2) literacy as disciplined
inquiry in social studies; and 3) new literacies (Damico, Baildon, & Campano, 2005). They
developed this framework based on the three-dimensional model of literacy suggested by Green
(1988) and Durrant and Green (2001) to guide students to analyze, interpret, and evaluate
information using Internet resources. The model emphasizes the need for students to evaluate
claims and evidence from various web pages, as well as the imperative for them to activate their
prior knowledge in evaluation and look at several web pages to arrive at a conclusion.
According to Damico, Baildon, and Campano (2005), the three-dimensional model views
literacy as a socially situated practice developed from relations between people within a group or
a community. It also aligns with sociocultural perspectives of learning where knowledge and
ways of knowing are constructed in the context of significant problems through a dialectical
process in which certain tools or practices are used to solve problems (Damico, Baildon, &
Campano, 2005). In addition, a social studies classroom is viewed as a place where students
learn to become critical readers of all texts and where teachers guide students to evaluate
evidence, interpret information, and cross-check assertions to form interpretations. Literacy in
this view can also be situated in the New Literacy Studies where literacy is viewed as a
movement away from autonomous models of literacy in which literacy is viewed as sets of
technical, universal, and neutral skills and toward ideological models of literacy where literacy is
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viewed as sets of highly contextualized cultural and social practices (Damico & Baildon, 2007,
p. 254).
This model is categorized into three dimensions, namely operational, academic, and
critical. Damico, Baildon, and Campano (2005) describe the three dimensions as follows:
The operational dimension refers to the ability to identify and sort the components of a web page; locate key information on the site by scanning for headings and
topic sentences; determine the credibility of authors on the site and consider the
intended audience; and choose whether to examine the site more closely or to
move on to another site.
The academic dimension focuses on the ability to identify and draw upon relevant prior knowledge; evaluate claims and evidence within a website; and
check and cross-check these from various websites and sources to build
contextualized interpretations.
The critical dimension involves the ability to determine perspectives included and omitted on a website; identify techniques (such as loaded words, use of
provocative images, links to highly reputable websites, etc.) that the
author/creator uses to try to influence readers; and consider how ones own
beliefs, values, perspectives, prejudices, etc. shape ones reading.
The critical dimension was later divided into two dimensions, namely critical and
reflexive (Critical Web Reader), thus yielding a four-dimensional model. The reflexive
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dimension involves how one own beliefs, values, and experiences affect his or her reading of the
Web.
Table 2.1 The four-dimensional model (Critical Web Reader)
Dimensions Description
Operational the ability to identify and sort the components of a web page; locate key information on the site by scanning for headings and topic sentences; determine the credibility of authors on the site and consider the intended audience; and choose whether to examine the site more closely or to move on to another site.
Academic the ability to identify and draw upon relevant prior knowledge; evaluate claims and evidence within a website; and check and cross-check claims and evidence from other websites and sources to build contextualized interpretations.
Critical the ability to determine perspectives included and omitted on a website and to identify techniques (such as loaded words, use of provocative images, links to highly reputable websites, etc.) that author/creator uses to try to influence readers.
Reflexive the ability to consider how ones own beliefs, culture, values, or experiences affect his or her reading of the Web.
In this study, I adapted the four-dimensional framework to better suit the objectives of the
WebQuest activity in EFL contexts while maintaining the overall foundation of the framework.
There were several reasons why I saw the adaptation as necessary. First, the four-dimensional
framework was created to be a tool for assisting teachers and students in reading and evaluating
information from the Web (Critical Web Reader), while the framework in this study would be
used to analyze the data; therefore, the framework was adjusted to better suit this studys
purpose. Another reason was that the four-dimensional framework was used in social studies
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courses, which by nature focused on content, while the WebQuest in this study was used in an
EFL reading course, where students focused more on the English reading skills. Therefore, the
students might not have prior knowledge of the content, so we could not expect them to use prior
academic knowledge in evaluating the information. In addition, reading on the Web was used as
a supplementary activity, aimed primarily at helping the students to practice reading authentic
English texts and secondarily at giving them information to express their opinions in written and
spoken language. Therefore, the objectives of the activity for these students were to read texts
and express opinions in the target language, more than to evaluate claims and construct
knowledge on the issue.
For the above reasons, part of the academic dimension was not applicable to the course in
this study and was thus merged into a new construct called the critical dimension. The critical
dimension along with other dimensions in the framework, was redefined to better suit the study
objectives as follows:
Table 2.2 The three-dimensional framework, adapted from the four-dimensional model (Critical Web Reader)
Dimensions Description
Operational - The ability to summarize and locate key information on the site.
- The ability to determine the credibility of authors on the site and consider the intended audience
Critical - The ability to evaluate claims and evidence, including checking and cross-checking these with other sources.
- The ability to identify and evaluate techniques that an author uses to influence readers (such as loaded words, use of provocative images, links to highly
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reputable websites, etc.).
- The ability to identify and draw upon relevant prior knowledge.
- The ability to discern perspectives included and omitted on a website
Reflexive - The ability to consider how ones own beliefs, values and experiences affect his/her reading of the Web.
These two theoretical frameworks, therefore, serve as the theoretical lens which I used to
analyze how students used critical thinking during group work in this study. I used a rubric
adapted from the Critical Thinking Rubric developed by Washington State University
(Washington State University Critical Thinking Project, 2006), which incorporated the
theoretical aspects from Blooms taxonomy and the three-dimensional framework, as a tool to
analyze the data. The rubric and the analysis of the data will be further discussed in chapter 3.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this study is to examine how students used critical thinking skills during
the WebQuest activity, focusing on their use of critical thinking during small group discussions.
The role of the teacher in supporting this process and the amount of English used during the
activity will also be explored to gain more insights into WebQuest use in EFL contexts. Given
that using WebQuests to stimulate critical thinking in EFL courses in Thailand was a relatively
new phenomenon, the case study approach seemed appropriate to investigate this. Yin (2003)
suggests that case study methods can be used to examine a current phenomenon in context, when
divisions between the context and the phenomenon under investigation are not clear. A case
usually has an integrated system where behavior is patterned (Stake, 2003). Case study can thus
be used to portray a problem; indicate a means for solving a problem; and/or shed light on
needed research (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 11). This method is,
therefore, suitable to examine how students used critical thinking and language during the
WebQuest activity in this reading course.
This research employed a case study approach with mixed methods to assess how
students used critical thinking. Mixed methods design is advantageous when a researcher wants
to complement a quantitative study with a qualitative one, in order to obtain more detailed
information than can be gained simply from the results of a quantitative research strategy
(Creswell, 2005). In order to evaluate how students used critical thinking in a WebQuest class, I
employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect and analyze the data received from
the group work discussions, classroom observations, oral presentations, and written assignments.
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A rubric was used in an attempt to quantify the level of critical thinking used, while a description
of the process of such thinking demonstrated in more detail what actually happened in the
classroom. Since a case study relies upon many sources of data (Yin, 2003), in this study I used a
variety of sources, including classroom observations; transcriptions of student group work;
written assignments; PowerPoint slides; interviews; and questionnaires. The convergence of
multiple data sources was thus used to ensure the triangulation, which is a necessary procedure to
clarify meaning, verifying the repeatability of an observation or interpretation (Stake, 2003, p.
148).
Research Questions
My research questions are as follows:
1) To what extent did the students with intermediate English proficiency use critical
thinking when completing a WebQuest task in an EFL reading course?
2) What was the role of the teacher in supporting critical thinking in a WebQuest lesson?
3) To what extent did the students with intermediate English proficiency use English
when completing a WebQuest task in an EFL reading course?
Context
This study was conducted in an intermediate level reading course at a large university in
Bangkok, Thailand. The course, titled English for Opinions (ENG 123), was a mandatory course
for English major and English minor students. According to the syllabus, the course description
was the study and practice of reading skills used in reading argumentative texts; outlining and
summarizing; giving opinions about the texts through oral discussion or writing. The class met
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twice a week over a sixteen-week semester. Each class session lasted one and a half hours. Eight
to ten sections of such a course were offered each year during the second semester of the
academic year. WebQuests were implemented in the course as a supplementary activity to the
main textbook. The regular class sessions were held in a traditional classroom setting; the
WebQuest classes were held in a computer lab. Data collection was conducted over a six-month
period, from October 2008 through March 2009.
A textbook called Reading for Opinions (Sukkhakul, 1998), written by a faculty member
in the university English department, was used for the course. The book consisted of five
chapters, in which five articles discussing controversial issues were presented. The five topics
included were dam building, marijuana legalization, journalists ethics, mens and womens
rights, and human cloning. All of the readings were taken from magazines or newspapers
published for native speakers of English, such as the Time, Newsweek, or the Bangkok Post.
Many articles were chosen from the editorial sections of such publications. The article levels of
difficulty were that of a regular article intended for educated native English-speaking adults.
The textbook contains five sections, namely, preparing to read; reading selection;
discussing the issue; developing reading skills; and integrating reading and writing skills. The
preparing to read section was aimed at activating students interest in the issue. The reading
section presented the main passage of each chapter. The discussing the issue section focused
on examining the authors perspectives and inviting the students to reflect on the agenda. The
developing reading skills part focused on the reading skills needed to understand
argumentative texts. The last section was integrating reading and writing skills, where the
students were asked to write a journal giving their opinions on the issue.
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A typical class proceeded with students reading the main passage of a chapter with the
teachers guidance, analyzing the authors method in convincing the readers, and doing reading
exercises focused on text comprehension. It was followed by the reading skills section in which
the teacher presented a lesson as described in the textbook, asked the students to practice the
reading skills learned, and then required them to write a short essay expressing their opinions on
the article read.
Students were assumed to have learned basic English reading skills, such as skimming,
scanning, or guessing word meanings, from previous English courses. The teachers had
flexibility to adapt the teaching strategies and class activities as they saw fit. Some teachers
might focus more on text comprehension and thus would work to help the students understand
the texts and interpret the authors points of view, rather than encouraging the students to express
their opinions. Other teachers emphasized the students capability to express informed opinions,
in addition to their ability to comprehend the text. Other than reading the passages in the
textbook, supplementary readings in the form of news articles on controversial issues were
generally used for reading practice throughout the course. Some activities frequently included in
this course were debating, group discussions, group presentations, or class projects involving the
presentation of information on a controversial issue.
Participants
1. Students
The group of students who participated in this study consisted of 39 Thai students from
two sections of ENG 123 course. These two sections will be called class A and class B hereafter.
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Each section comprised sophomore students (20 in one, 19 in the other) aged from 19-22 years
old. Their majors were varied, including Psychology, English, French, Economics, History, etc.
The majority of students were psychology majors, and most of them were females. Their English
proficiencies were considered intermediate, based on their English scores on the university
entrance examination. The scores ranged from 40-80 out of 100, with an average of 60. The top
10% of the students would be capable of comfortably reading an article from an English
newspaper written for native English speakers, with only minimal help from the dictionary. The
bottom 10% of the students would have struggled with reading such an article; it would be
difficult for these students to capture the main idea. However, they would be able to read a
modified text, such as an abridged English novel. On average, most of the students would be able
to read an article taken from an English newspaper with the help of a dictionary. The average
students proficiency could be translated as approximately 133 on computer-based TOEFL, or
39-40 on TOEFL iBT, or 4 on IELTS. Most of the students were familiar with information
technology, as evident in their ability to comfortably use web browsers during the class.
However, they were either not familiar with WebQuest or had no prior experience participating
in a WebQuest activity.
Table 3.1 Summary of the student numbers and majors
Student Numbers Majors by student number
Average English Entrance Examination
Scores (100) Class A 20
(18 females and 2 males) History (1),
International Relations (1), English (3),
Psychology (15)
60.7
Class B 19 (18 females and 1 male)
International Relations (1), Economics (1),
French (2),
61.4
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Psychology (15)
In order to obtain more insights into student group discussion, I selected four groups to
observe more closely. A total number of 13 students were chosen from both classes. Two groups
of students were selected from each of these classes. I intended to select one group of higher
proficiency students and the other of lower proficiency students, from each class. In order to do
so, I worked with the teachers of both classes to identify such groups. Students were thus
selected based on their levels of English proficiency, as perceived by their teachers along with
their English subject scores on the Entrance Examination. As a result, groups A1 and B1
represented higher proficiency students, while groups A2 and B2 represented lower proficiency
students. All names have been changed to protect the students identities.
Table 3.2 Detailed information for students observed in group discussions
Group Name Gender Major English Subject Entrance
Examination Scores (100)
A1 Kanya F International Relations 80 Naphat M Psychology 63 Wan F Psychology 65
A2 Dew F Psychology 43 Thida F Psychology 42 Aey F Psychology 40 Bam F Psychology 55
B1 Pim F International Relations 75 Nid F French 65 Nuj F French 66
B2 Sita F Psychology 56 Am F Psychology 55
Ploy F Psychology 54
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2. Teachers
Naree (pseudonym), the teacher for Class A, was a Thai female in her late twenties. She had
received a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from a university in the U.K. and had been
teaching English for four years. She had taught this reading course only once prior to this study.
She had a brief experience using a WebQuest in her other reading class and found it interesting
and useful.
Pichet (pseudonym), the teacher for Class B, was a Thai male teacher in his late thirties. He
had received a doctoral degree in Applied Linguistics from a university in the U.K. He had been
teaching English for approximately 8 years, and had been teaching ENG 123 regularly for
several years. His research interest concentrated on the use of concordances in English teaching.
He was not familiar with WebQuests but had some knowledge about computer-assisted language
learning.
These teacher participants were selected based on their relative levels of interest in
participating in the study and using WebQuests in their classrooms. In this study, Pichet, the
teacher for Class B, represented a teacher who was knowledgeable on computer-assisted
language learning and also experienced in teaching the course. In contrast, the teacher for Class
A, Naree, represented a lesser experienced teacher who was interested in using information
technology with her students. Both teachers considered critical thinking skills essential for Thai
students in EFL classes and were interested in exploring how they could encourage students to
use these skills in their classrooms.
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Research Procedures
The data collection took place during the second semester of the 2008 academic year, which
lasted from November 2008 to February 2009. I contacted the two teachers before the semester
started for a pre-project interview and WebQuest selection for the classes. In addition, I provided
a WebQuest training session in which I described the class procedures of a typical WebQuest
lesson and discussed each step the students would need to undergo to complete the WebQuest
task for this study. A lesson plan for each of the WebQuest classes was also provided and
discussed as a guideline; however, the teachers were invited to use any teaching strategies
deemed appropriate for their students. After the semester began, I observed two regular classes
with each of the teachers to obtain a clear picture of the procedures and activities which took
place during each class.
Three short term1 WebQuests were implemented in the classes. The first WebQuest, Piracy2,
was used as a pilot project to familiarize the students and teachers with the WebQuest class
procedures. It was also used to test the data collection procedures so as to ensure the most
effective ways to record and collect data. The other two WebQuests, The Right to Die
WebQuest, also called Euthanasia WebQuest3, and the Cosmetic Surgery WebQuest4, were used
to obtain the data. During the first week of the course, I introduced myself to the students and
1