Investigating Effective Instructional Strategies to Enhance Critical Skills in EFL Classroom

Abstract

The current study intended to investigate third-year (L3) EFL teachers' usage of the most effective instructional strategies in developing students' critical thinking. It is exploratory and descriptive in nature. To meet the study's objectives, a questionnaire was submitted to fifteen (15) L3 EFL teachers at the Department of English at the University of Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia in Jijel. The findings obtained revealed that the majority of teachers aim to develop their students’ critical thinking while teaching several content- and language-based subjects. The instructional strategies that teachers use the most are discussion and small group work because they help students develop their critical thinking skills by sharing their points of view and collaborating together, while debating and questioning are the best strategies for keeping them active and cooperative