The study explores Iranian English teachers’ perceptions of the importance of critical thinking
skills and the extent to which they practice their beliefs in real classroom setting. As a secondary
purpose, the study discovered the possible hindrances in the way of implementing critical thinking
in reading classes. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, data were collected through survey
questionnaire, interviews and class observations from 4 universities and several English language
institutes. Fifty participants took part in the study. A questionnaire with 16 closed-ended and two
open-ended questions was utilized to collect data about the teachers’ beliefs. For the next phase
of the study, one teacher from among 10 teachers who showed strong beliefs was conveniently
selected for class observation and interview. The results of one sample T-test and independent
sample T-test indicated that teachers believed critical thinking was important and that there was
not any significant difference between male and female regarding critical thinking. Qualitative
analysis of the data showed that despite the teachers’ strong beliefs about the importance of critical
thinking, they did not implement it much in their classroom practices. The hindrances as well as the
implications of the study are fully explained in the paper.
Keyword(s) : perception
The dynamics of affective-cognitive aspects of experiencing new information by high school and university students
There is a need to develop new psychological and pedagogical methods that improve the quality of learning new information, and take into account the individual personal characteristics of students. This article explores the changes in the structure of the relationships between cognitive states and emotional experiences during lessons where the new teaching material is perceived by the students as easy to understand and when the new information seems difficult. A survey was conducted with 60 high school students and 45 third-year students at KFU. The study showed the general psychological regularities of individual cognitive states and the emotional dynamic. It established a relationship between the time factor, the subjective evaluation of the quality of perception of new information and the general emotional well-being in high school students and students. The conclusions provide a basis for the new strategy for the provision of educational information.