Cultivating Critical Thinking in Literature Classroom Through Poetry

Authors

  • Mahmoud Azizi Department of English, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran Province, Babolsar, Iran
  • Neshat Azizi Department of English, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran Province, Babolsar, Iran
  • Elwira Lewandowska Department of Modern Languages, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; University of Bielsko-Biała
  • Yulia Nickolaevna Gosteva Department of Russian language, The Institute of Russian language; RUDN University
  • Peter Majda Theological Institute in Spišské Podhradie. Spišská Kapitula 12, 053 04 Spišské Podhradie The Catholic University in Ružomberok

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.1.285.298

Keywords:

Critical Thinking, Literature, Poetry

Abstract

Aim. The development of learners' CT is considered to be one of the most important skills in today’s fast pacing world.   It has also been regarded as the mainstay of and an important component of literature teaching. However, this is one of those areas that was overlooked mainly in eastern culture in general and in the EFL classrooms in particular.  

Methods. To this end, to foster learners' critical thinking skills, a poetry program was specifically designed to draw learners’ attention towards the significance of CT. Through a case study approach,  
a poetry program with a focus on culture-specific information was incorporated into the course. Four female students were engaged in a number of tasks in which they gradually learned to think critically through reflecting on and evaluating the assigned poems. A checklist was generated and used to observe and rate students’ CT before and after the intervention through teacher diaries.  

Results and conclusion. Analysis of the case study data indicated that students’ CT had improved and they developed good critical habits as a result of their involvement in the intervention. Thus, it was concluded that poetry could be regarded as a useful and effective source for developing critical thinking skills among students.  

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Mahmoud Azizi, Department of English, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran Province, Babolsar, Iran

    Mahmoud Azizi got both his BA and MA from the University of Tehran and received his PhD from CUP in India. He has been teaching English language and literature at different Iranian universities for over 25 years. He is currently an academic staff member of the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages and Director of the Office of International and Scientific Cooperation (OISC) at the State University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran. His research interests are Shakespearean Studies, 18th Century English literature, Romantic and Transcendental literature, and 20th-century drama.

  • Neshat Azizi, Department of English, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran Province, Babolsar, Iran

    Neshat Azizi is a BA graduate in English Language Teaching (ELT) from the Department of English Language and Literature of the University of Mazandaran. So far she has translated many books and has taught at different language institutes. Her research interests focus on using literature in teaching a foreign language as well as the notion of critical reading and thinking.

  • Elwira Lewandowska, Department of Modern Languages, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; University of Bielsko-Biała

    Elwira Lewandowska holds a PhD in English Didactics earned at the Department of Language Pedagogy and Intercultural Studies of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia She works as an assistant professor at the University of Bielsko-Biała. Her research concentrates on the various aspects of SLA and L2 use, with the main focus put on teaching English as a lingua franca and transversal skills.

  • Yulia Nickolaevna Gosteva, Department of Russian language, The Institute of Russian language; RUDN University

    The researcher’s scientific interests include the problems of a researcher specializing in organisation, administration of the educational process, problems of socio-cultural and academic adaptation of students, methods of foreign language teaching, linguodidactic assessment, ethnomethodics, and intercultural linguodidactics.

    Yulia Nickolaevna is now actively interested in issues relating to the specifics of digital technology's integration into the educational system during pandemic COVID 19.

    She is the author or co-author of scientific papers, textbooks and monographs (4 in the last 5 years) that represent the findings of her research. She actively participates in a number of international conferences in order to convey the findings of her work. She is a member of the Russian society of Russian language and literature teachers (ROPRYAL).

  • Peter Majda, Theological Institute in Spišské Podhradie. Spišská Kapitula 12, 053 04 Spišské Podhradie The Catholic University in Ružomberok

    Peter Majda is a graduate of Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia). He completed his BA degree at the John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin (Poland) in the field of Pastoral Theology and subsequently completed his Doctorate at the Faculty of Theology in Košice (Slovakia) at the Catholic University in Ružomberok (Slovakia) in the field of Catholic Theology and was habilitated at the University of Prešov in Prešov (SR) in the field of Catholic theology. The author is the rector of the Bishop Ján Vojtaššák Seminary in Spišské Podhradie (SR) and, among others, the moderator of the Theological Institute in Spišské Podhradie, and is a professional advisor to the Commission for the Clergy of the Bishops. His research interests comprise i.e. pastoral theology, rhetoric,  spiritual literature and mass media communication He is a member of the editorial and professional boards of many domestic and foreign journals.

References

Akimjakova, B., & Tisovicova, A. (2017). A man and values in historical and educational reflection. Revue Internationale des Sciences humaines et naturelles, 3, 91-100.

Alvarez, Z., Calvete, M., & Sarasa, M. (2012). Integrating critical pedagogy theory and practice: classroom experiences in Argentinean EFL teacher education. Journal for Educators, Teachers and Trainers, 3, 60-71.

Bean, J. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. Wiley.

Bobkina, J., & Dominguez Romero, E. (2014). The use of literature and literary texts in the EFL classroom: Between consensus and controversy. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 3(2), 248-260.

Bobkina, J., & Stefanova, S. (2016). Literature and critical literacy pedagogy in the EFL classroom: Towards a model of teaching critical thinking skills. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 6 (4), 677-696.

Braun, N. ( 2004). Critical Thinking in the Business Curriculum. Journal of Education for Business, 79, 232-236.

Bursová, J., & Janus, A. (2021). Axiological aspects of creative management in the social work. Trends in today´s society. In: McNamara, A., M. (Ed.) Trends in today´s society: Proceedings of an international conference. Dublin: International scientific board of catholic researchers and teachers in Ireland, 2021. 71-79.

Chanmann-Taylor, M., Bleyle, S., Hwang, Y., & Zhang, K. (2016). Teaching poetry in TESOL teacher education: heightened attention to language as well as to cultural and political critique through poetry writing, TESOL Journal. DOI :10.1002/tesj.263.

Condon, W., & Kelly-Riley, D. (2004). Assessing and teaching what we value: The relationship between college-level writing and critical thinking abilities. Assessing Writing, 9, 56-75.

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: MacMillan.

Dincer, A. (2020). The More I Read, The More I Want To Read: Extending Reading With Reading Logs. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 20(2), 140-156.

Duff, A., & Maley, A. (2007). Literature (2nd Edition), Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Ennis, R., H. (1985). Critical Thinking and the Curriculum. National Forum: Phi Kappa Phi Journal, 65(1), 28-31.

Fisher, A. (2001). Critical thinking: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gadušová, Z., Pavlíková, M., & Havettová, R. (2021). Intervention in teaching reading in a foreign language: development of divergent thinking and ambiguity tolerance. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 12(1), 297–313. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2021.1.297.313

Harmer, J. (2010). How to teach English. China: Pearson.

Hess, N. (2003). Real language through poetry: a formula for meaning making. ELT Journal, 57(1), 19-25.

Hughes, J., & Dymoke, S. (2011). Wiki-Ed poetry: Trans¬forming pre-service teachers’ preconceptions about poetry and poetry teaching. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55(1), 46-56.

Iida, A. (2016). Identity in second language writing: Exploring an EFL learner’s study abroad experience. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 1- 14. Retrieved from: http://www.ejal.eu/index.php/ejal/article/view/62/23

Khatib, M. (2011). A new approach to teaching English poetry to EFL students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2 (1), 164-169. Retrieved from http://ojs.academypublisher.com/index.php/jltr/article/ view/0201164169/2499

Khonamri, F., & Farzanegan, M. (2016). Literature-based extensive reading accompanied by reading logs: A case for developing critical thinking skills of English literature students. International Journal of Education, 9(1), 58-67.

Khonamri, F., Aziz, M., & Kralic. R. (2020). Using Interactive E-based Flipped learning to Enhance EFL literature Students' Critical Reading. Science for Education Today, 10(1), 25-42. DOI: 10.15293/2685-6762.2001.02

Kırkgöz, Y. (2008). Using poetry as a model for creating English poems. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 4(2), 94-106. Retrieved from http://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/view/69/69

Kondrla, P. (2021). Multicultural Education in Slovakia: Perspectives and Risks. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 18(3), 507-519. https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2021-18-3-507-519

Králik, R. & Máhrik, T. Interpersonal relationships as the basis of student moral formation. In ICERI2019: 12th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville, Spain, 11-13 November, 2019. 8896-8900.

Lazar, G. (1993). Literature and language teaching: A guide for teachers and trainers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lazar, G. (1996). Literature and Language Teaching; Exploring Literary Texts With the Language Learner. TESOL Quarterly, 30(4,) 773-776. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3587934

Lewandowska, E. (2017). Teaching for Creativity in the World of ELF. Journal of Human Dignity and Wellbeing, 1(3), 30-47.

Lyutaya, T. (2011). Reading logs: Integrating extensive reading with writing tasks. English Teaching Forum, 49(1), 26-34.

McIlroy, T. (2013). What teachers talk about when talk about poetry: discussing literary texts in the university EFL context. The Journal of Literature in Language Teaching, 2(1), 26-31.

Nation, P. (2005). Teaching vocabulary. The Asian EFL Journal, 7 (3), 47-54. Retrieved from http://www.asian-efl journal.com/September_2005_EBook_ editions.pdf

Panavelil, A. (2011). Teaching poetry in an ESL/EFL class: An integrative and communicative approach. ELT Voices – India: International Journal for Teachers of English, 1 (3), 11-20. Retrieved from http://eltvoices.in/ Volume1/Issue3/EVI13.2.pdf

Panavelil, A. (2011). Teaching poetry in an ESL/EFL class: An integrative and communicative approach. ELT Voices – India: International Journal for Teachers of English, 1 (3), 11-20. Retrieved from http://eltvoices.in/ Volume1/Issue3/EVI13.2.pdf

Pithers, R., T, Soden, R. (2000). Critical thinking in education: A review. Educational Research, 42(3), 237–249. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/001318800440579

Pushpa, V., & Savaedi, S. (2014). Teaching Poetry in Autonomous ELT Classes. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 1919 – 1925.

Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning teaching: The essential guide to English language teaching (3rd ed.). Spain: Macmillan.

Shcherbiak, I. (2020). Transformational Changes of the Modern Ukrainian Family in the Context of Globalization: Socio-Pedagogical Aspect. Revue Internationale des Sciences humaines et naturelles. Zürich: Internationale Stiftung Schulung, Kunst, Ausbildung, 2, 9-23.

Tkáčová, H. (2021). Forms of prejudice about Christians and social cohesion between university students in Slovakia: media as an essential part of the issue. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 12(1), 429-444. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2021.1.429.444

Tkáčová, H., Králik, R. (2021). Communication in a Multicultural Virtual Environment for Modern Slovak Students. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 18(4), 770-784. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2021-18-4

Tkáčová, H., Pavlíková, M., Maturkanič, P., & Kobylarek, A. (2021a). Problems of pedagogical practice: disinformation in media and credibility factors in a group of high school students in Slovakia. ICERi2021. 14th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville, Spain, 8th - 9th of November, 3514-3522.

Tkáčová, H., Pavlíková, M., Maturkanič, P., & Kobylarek, A. (2021b). Homogeneity - a mechanism responsible for students' confidence in disinformation in the social media environment. ICERi2021. 14th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville, Spain, 8th - 9th of November, 2021, 3583-3590.

Tvrdoň, M., Králik, R., & Máhrik, T. (2021). The importance and place of creativity in social work. ICERi2021. 14th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville, Spain, 8th - 9th of November, 2021. 6606-6611.

Tung C. A., & Chang S. Y. (2009). Developing critical thinking through literature reading. Feng Chia Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 19, 287-317.

Valentová, M., Brečka, P., & Hašková A. (2020). Applying strategies of higher-order thinking in pre-gradual preparation of technical subject teachers. In: Auer, M. E., & Rüütmann T. (eds) Educating Engineers for Future Industrial Revolutions. ICL 2020. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 1328, 775-786. Cham, Springer.

Welnitzova, K., Jakubickova, B., & Kralik, R. (2021). Human-Computer Interaction in Translation Activity: Fluency of Machine Translation. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 18(1), 217-234.

Welnitzova, K., Mala, E., Pavlikova, M., & Durackova, B. (2021). A Case Study in Slovak Translators’ Training: English Loanwords. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 18(3), 520-531.

Willingham, D. T. (2007). Critical thinking. Why is it so hard to teach? American Educator, 31, 8-19.

Yaqoob, M. (2011). Reader and text: Literary theory and teaching of literature in the twenty-first century. International Conference on Languages, Literature and Linguistics IPEDR, 26, 511-515.

Downloads

Published

2022-06-30

How to Cite

Azizi, M., Azizi, N., Lewandowska, E., Gosteva, Y. N. ., & Majda, P. . (2022). Cultivating Critical Thinking in Literature Classroom Through Poetry. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 13(1), 285-298. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.1.285.298