Developing Critical Thinking through Literature: A Study at Bachelor Level in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study aims to develop the critical thinking among bachelor students in ESL classrooms through literature. Finding out the advantages of critical thinking for ESL students in the English Department at the National College of Business Administration & Economics in District Rahim Yar Khan is the sole goal of this study. The ability for independent thought and decision-making is known as critical thinking. The study emphasizes the key components of critical thinking, such as self-awareness, social cognition, problem solving and language use. The study's participants include one English department professor and twenty-eight university students. To assess the efficacy of the four curriculum components of Multiliteracies pedagogy, the researcher used Daniel Dafoe's novel Robinson Cruise (1917). A questionnaire has been used to examine teacher and students’ perceptions and beliefs that teaching literature fosters critical thinking. According to the finding analysis, the model is viewed as very successful by both students and the teacher, especially when it comes to self-reflection. However, the present study also suggests that developing critical thinking of English language teachers shall be prioritized before educating that of ESL learners’, which is worth reflecting in the long run.