The effects of reflective writing on EFL student-teachers’ critical thinking: a quasi-experimental study

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Xehetasun bibliografikoak
Argitaratua izan da:	Humanities & Social Sciences Communications vol. 12, no. 1 (Dec 2025), p. 1353
Egile nagusia:	Tola Chala, Gemechu
Beste egile batzuk:	Tadesse Degago, Adinew, Admassu Endashaw, Abera, Getachew Tsegaye, Alemayehu
Argitaratua:	Springer Nature B.V.
Gaiak:	Ethiopia Students Language acquisition Teaching methods Student teachers Writing Curricula Teacher education Intervention English as a second language Foreign language learning Colleges & universities Second language teachers Teachers Second language writing Skills Learning outcomes Experiential learning Academic achievement Quasi-experimental methods Critical thinking Cognition Prerequisites (Education) Education English as a second language instruction Inference Cultivation Thinking skills Language disorders Foreign languages Educational systems Competency based learning Trainees English language Groups Classrooms
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Deskribapena
Laburpena:	Critical thinking (CT) enables EFL students in Ethiopia to analyze language, solve problems, and adapt to academic and real-life challenges, while reflective writing (RW), as an independent variable, supports them to think and reflect about experiences to learn better. This study examined English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student-teachers’ CT using a quasi-experimental method. The participants were first-year second-semester EFL diploma trainees at Asella College of Teacher Education (ACTE), comprising two intact groups: an experimental group (D1) and a control group (D2). The study employed MANCOVA (Analysis of covariates) as a statistical model, considering age, Ethiopian University Entrance Examination (EUEE), and pretest results. In addition, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) was used to assess both the students’ prior skills and post-intervention. The MANCOVA analysis revealed that RW significantly improved all aspects of CT with p < 0.001 and a large effect size (η2 = 0.691) compared to the control group. However, the most substantial gains were observed in Analysis (η2 = 0.540) and Interpretation (η2 = 0.507), while Evaluation (η2 = 0.282), Explanation (η2 = 0.352), and Inference (η2 = 0.396) improved less. This indicates the effects of RW are more noticeable in reasoning skills, while other higher-order thinking skills may need other targeted instructional support. Finally, age and EUEE had no influence on outcomes, while students with better initial CT benefited more from RW. This indicates that RW for cognitive growth may benefit learners across diverse backgrounds and academic profiles. In conclusion, integrating RW into EFL education is particularly timely and relevant in Ethiopia’s shift toward a competency-based curriculum and the cultivation of skilled professionals. Thus, this study suggests that as CT becomes an essential skill for the current education, the insights gained from Ethiopia’s classrooms offer valuable guidance for education systems facing similar constraints globally.
ISSN:	2662-9992 2055-1045
DOI:	10.1057/s41599-025-05643-9
Baliabidea:	Social Science Database