How does self-efficacy, learner personality, and learner anxiety affect critical thinking of students

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Applied Linguistics

Background:

• Critical thinking is crucial for problem-solving and informed decision-making in academic and real-world contexts.
• Developing critical thinking skills is a key objective for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners.
• Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) provides a framework for understanding the interplay of personal, behavioral, and environmental factors in learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors influencing critical thinking among Chinese EFL learners.
• To examine the role of metacognitive learning strategies (MLS) in EFL critical thinking development.
• To explore the mediating and moderating effects of personal and cognitive factors within the SCT framework.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study involving 305 Chinese EFL learners.
• Online data collection and analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM).
• Application of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to model relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Metacognitive learning strategies (MLS) showed a significant positive relationship with critical thinking.
• Self-efficacy, self-oriented learning perfectionism, and learner anxiety were significant predictors of MLS.
• MLS mediated the relationship between personal factors (self-efficacy, perfectionism, anxiety) and critical thinking, while learner proactivity moderated the MLS-critical thinking link.

Conclusions:

• Metacognitive learning strategies are vital for enhancing EFL learners' critical thinking.
• Interventions should address learner anxiety, proactivity, and self-efficacy to foster critical thinking.
• Educators and policymakers can leverage SCT to create supportive learning environments for critical thinking development in EFL contexts.