The Relationship between Critical Thinking Ability and Reading Strategies used by Iranian EFL Learners

The current empirical study aimed to identify those categories of reading strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive, and compensation) that are mostly used by Iranian EFL learners, and investigate if there is any significant relationship between critical thinking ability and reading strategies used by these learners. It also pursued if there is any significant difference between critical thinking ability of male and female learners. Seventy five Iranian EFL senior students (35 males and 40 females) majoring in English Literature and EnglishTranslation at the University of Sistan and Baluchestan in Iran participated in this study. Based on the purposes of the study, two questionnaires were administered to the participants- a critical thinking questionnaire and a reading strategy questionnaire. Results of the study showed that the most frequently used reading strategy was meta-cognitive strategy. Statistical analyses revealed a low positive significant correlation between learners’ critical thinking ability and their overall use of reading strategies. The participants’ critical thinking ability also correlated positively with their use of each one of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and compensation strategies. An independent-samples t-test was employed to examine the difference between critical thinking ability of males and females and the result revealed a significant difference between male and female learners in their critical thinking; males’ critical thinking ability was higher than that of females.