Undergraduate critical thinking and reading of academic texts
Abstract
This article sought to investigate whether seven Malaysian undergraduate students were able to respond critically to the academic texts delivered to them and to the reading strategies they used to read those texts. Data were collected through the thought protocol out loud and the retrospective interview, and subsequently transcribed, translated and analyzed for recurring topics. The findings indicate that the seven participants responded critically to the texts given, as evidenced by the adoption of all or some of the strategies of critical reading of interpretation, analysis, evaluation, deduction, explanation, and self-regulation; the interpretation being the most used strategy. The results of the study also revealed that although university students could use critical reading strategies, they could only do so to a certain extent. It concludes by urging instructors and policymakers to seriously consider the teaching of critical reading, as it gives a purpose and guidance to university students to think critically and prepare for better academic performance and future challenges.
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