A Study Of The Correlation Between Critical Thinking Disposition And Learning Style Of English Majors

The21st century is a highly internationalized information era full of exchanges and competitions, in which English language talents with comprehensive abilities should be skilled in foreign language, but also good at thinking. However, an obvious problem in the English majors is the relatively low logic thinking and thinking discrimination ability, which is described as critical thinking deficiency. Although more and more scholars turn to the study of critical thinking ability, there is little research on critical thinking dispositions and learning style.This research was conducted on160undergraduate English majors in Taiyuan University of Technology with two questionnaires The Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory---Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) and Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI). It analyzed the characteristics of English majors’critical thinking dispositions and learning styles, explored the correlation between the two variables and found out the best learning style so as to promote the English majors’critical thinking dispositions. This research helps to get a general knowledge about their critical thinking dispositions and learning styles and provides practical guidance and theoretical basis to the reform of foreign language education so as to adopt corresponding teaching modes and strategies to improve English majors’critical thinking dispositions.Data analyses on the questionnaire CTDI-CV reveal that (1) The mean of the total CCTDI scores of English majors is291.83which is more than the cut-off score280, suggesting that English majors have an overall positive disposition toward critical thinking. The mean scores of the four critical thinking dispositions open-mindedness, analyticity, inquisitiveness and maturity are more than the subscale cut-off score40, and the other three critical thinking dispositions truth-seeking, systematicity and self-confidence are less than40, indicating that English majors have a strong inclination toward open-mindedness, analyticity, inquisitiveness and maturity and have a weak inclination toward truth-seeking, systematicity and self-confidence.(2) There is no correlation between the grades and critical thinking dispositions. In other words, the fact is that higher grade English majors will not get higher scores than the lower grade towards both the overall critical thinking disposition and the seven critical thinking disposition subscales.(3) The female English majors have a stronger inclination toward critical thinking disposition than the males, indicating that there is correlation between critical thinking dispositions and genders.Data analyses on the questionnaire LSI reveal that (1) The English majors’ preferred learning style is converger (39.7%) and the least one is diverger (13.9%). On learning modes, English majors are partial to abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.(2) There is no significant difference on learning styles and learning modes between different grades.(3) There is no significant difference between male and female on learning styles and learning modes.Correlation analyses reveal that (1) English majors with the learning style assimilator get the highest score on the overall CTD1-CV, and those ones with the style accommodator score lowest. The sequence of scores on CTDI-CV from the highest to the lowest is assimilator, converger, diverger, and accommodator.(2) There is correlation between critical thinking dispositions and learning styles. The convergers get the highest scores on truth-seeking; the assimilators get the highest score on open-mindedness, systematicity and self-confidence; the divergers score highest on analyticity; the accommodators score highest on maturity.(3) There is correlation between the seven critical thinking dispositions and the four learn modes. Negative significant correlations between truth-seeking and reflective observation, systematicity and concrete experience are found. Positive significant correlation between truth-seeking and abstract conceptualization, systematicity and abstract conceptualization are found.