M.A. Thesis:

Investigating the Relationship among EFL Teachers’ Critical Thinking٫ Experience and Autonomy in Public and Private Contexts

The primary aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between teachers’ critical thinking and their autonomy among public and private EFL teachers. In addition, it examines the role of years of teaching experience on teachers’ critical thinking and their autonomy. Furthermore, the present study investigates differences between two main contexts of English language learning (public and private contexts) in regards of teachers’ critical thinking and their autonomy. Two different samples comprised the participants of the present study. The first sample was selected from EFL private language institute teachers and the second sample was selected from EFL high school teachers from Mashhad and Sabzevar, two major cities in Khorasan Razavi. The main instruments used in this study consisted of two questionnaires. They are California Critical Thinking Skill Test -Form B (CCTST), and Teacher Autonomy Scale (TAS). Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 24) was used for data analysis and computing descriptive statistics, reliability analysis of the instruments, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and t-test. Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS 24.0) software was used to perform Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). As the results of SEM indicated, all sub-factors of EFL teachers’ critical thinking (analysis, evaluation, inference, inductive reasoning) except deductive reasoning, are positive significant predictor of their autonomy. In addition, experience is a positive significant predictor of their autonomy. Furthermore, among five sub-factors of EFL teachers’ critical thinking, four sub-factors are predicted by experience: analysis, inference, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning. However, experience did not predict evaluation. In addition, the results of Pearson correlation indicated that total critical thinking correlates positively and moderately with autonomy, and positively and weakly with experience. Furthermore, the results of independent-samples t-test showed that there is a significant difference between two different contexts in the level of autonomy. It means that private EFL teachers are more autonomous than public EFL teachers in Iran. Finally, results of independent-samples t-test for the last research question revealed that there is no significant difference between two types of context in critical thinking ability. The findings of the study highlight the importance of promoting teachers’ Critical thinking. The study also concluded to .convince public and private EFL teachers that teacher autonomy is a very important factor

Keywords: critical thinking, autonomy, public EFL teachers, private EFL teachers, years of teaching experience