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A Study of the Relationship between Critical Reading and Critical Thinking

Abilities of Undergraduate Learners

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Journal of Positive School Psychology http://journalppw.com
2023, Vol. 7, No. 4, 1639-1647

A Study Of The Relationship Between Critical Reading And

Critical Thinking Abilities Of Undergraduate Learners
Sumaira Younis1 , Saman Naeem2 , Dr. Zahid Ali3 , Nargis Yaqoob4 , Dr. Noor Ullah5

1
Scholar, Department of Education, National University of Modern Languages, Karachi Campus
Email: [email protected]
2
Scholar, Department of Education, National University of Modern Languages, Karachi Campus
Email: [email protected]
3
Associate Professor, School of Education, American International Theism University Florida-USA
Email: [email protected]
4
Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Education, Sindh Madressatul Islam University, [email protected]
5
Islamic Culture Center Oslo, Norway, [email protected]

Abstract
Critical thinking skills are often emphasized in introductory university courses because of their importance
in later levels of study. The primary purpose of this research is to examine and assess the relationship
between reading comprehension and critical thinking. Students who plan on furthering their education after
high school would benefit greatly from classes that teach them to read critically and assess texts. This study
set out to quantify how much critical thought students put into their English reading. The research relies on
a questionnaire administered to undergraduates at a single Karachi university as part of a qualitative
investigation. Undergraduates still lack the abilities necessary for reading for pleasure, a problem that is
highlighted by the study because of the importance of the link between reading comprehension and critical
thinking. The results of this study reveal that college students have an optimistic view of reading
comprehension, but that this view is not reflected in either their level of critical thinking or their aptitude
to read critically. Reading a book instead of looking at a screen is better for your health, your mind, and
your capacity to think critically. Instilling in children a lifelong love of reading is crucial to their academic
achievement. Among the most significant recommendations provided by the current study are the
refurbishment and expansion of libraries, the encouragement of students' use of higher order thinking skills
to enhance their reading and comprehension in any context, and the revision of the English curriculum.

Keywords: Critical Reading, Critical Thinking Abilities, Undergraduate Learners’

Introduction reading is frequently addressed in great depth in

Critical thinking has a great amount of English for Academic Achievements programs.
prominence in the learning objectives of The specifics may vary from school to school, but
introductory college courses. This is due to the this is generally the case. In recent years, there
fact that it is so important to the long-term has been a rise in both interest in and research into
academic performance of students. Students who the subfields of cognitive psychology (Aloqaili,
choose to continue their education after high 2012). Some of these subfields include reading
school should have the ability to grasp difficult comprehension and critical thinking. Reading
texts and evaluate the significance of the comprehension is backed up by a complex
information that they come across. Critical theoretical framework that was built by cognitive
 Sumaira Younis 1640

scientists (Limbach & Waugh, 2010), Inference approaching them from a variety of perspectives.
making, critical thinking, previous knowledge, Students who are able to think critically will have
and metacognitive abilities are some of the a significant advantage in both their academic
principles that are included in this paradigm. endeavors and in the professional world of the
Because it is widely held that critical thinking is future. Reading is one of the most effective ways
vital to both the teaching and learning of foreign to expand one's knowledge since it can improve
languages, it is of the utmost importance that one's analytical thinking skills, broaden one's
students develop their capacity for critical viewpoint, and bring new insights into both one's
thinking. According to Din (2020), critical personal life and the larger world in which one
thinking requires the ability to analyze data and lives. According to Karadeniz (2015), reading
put such analysis to productive use. After giving can also assist pupils in making sense of the world
some attention to one's own perspectives and around them and in making plans for the future.
several potential courses of action, the objective
of critical thinking is to arrive at conclusions that Reading is a challenging activity because it needs
are logical. It requires sorting through the reader to make use of their own prior
information, making inferences from that knowledge and skills in conjunction with the
information, and resolving disagreements using information that they get from reading the text.
logic and reason. According to Wilson, (2016) According to Shihab (2011), the reader, along
Active reading and critical reading are regular with the authors, is responsible for providing the
components of English classes aimed to increase meaning and interpretation of the text based on
academic achievement; nevertheless, the their own prior experiences and knowledge.
emphasis that is placed on these abilities varies Utilizing mental schemas and engaging in critical
greatly from course to course. Active reading and thinking are two very effective ways to
critical reading are both forms of reading. significantly improve one's ability to form
conclusions and draw inferences based on prior
According to Zubaidah, Corebima, & Mahanal, knowledge. Reading for fun, in the sense that
(2018), the 21st century has sparked calls for an Clark and Rumbold (2006) describe it, Reading
increase in the quality of education across the for enjoyment is something that we do in our own
board in order to better prepare students for their time and at a moment that is most convenient for
futures. Students need to be able to think critically us; it is a pleasant activity that is optional. Around
in order for them to be able to evaluate the age of thirteen and a half, the students'
arguments, come to sound judgments, and see enthusiasm for reading for the simple pleasure of
flaws in what they are reading. Students who it begins to decline. The decrease in leisure time
cultivate their ability to think critically have an available for reading had, unfortunately, a
advantage in their ability to grasp and function negative effect on academic performance as a
effectively in the world. The skills that they whole. When a person has a positive emotional
acquire in this environment are transferable to a reaction to reading as well as a strong and
wide variety of other settings. Students learn to passionate interest in reading, that person will
solve problems more successfully by relying on read on their own initiative. This is because
evidence and facts rather than on preconceived having a positive emotional reaction to reading
assumptions, which is one of the many benefits of and having a strong and passionate interest in
teaching critical thinking. In addition to this, it reading go hand in hand. According to Sharma
encourages students to diversify their and Singh (2015), this type of excitement shows
perspectives and think critically about topics by a desire to give one's complete attention to and
1641 Journal of Positive School Psychology

enjoyment in an activity that was voluntarily skills than their counterparts in other nations.
picked. Reading requires mental work on the part How well a country takes care of its young people
of the reader, and the skill of developing a habit will determine how successful that country will
of reading is one that can be perfected with time be in the future. It is impossible to overestimate
and effort throughout the course of one's lifetime. the significance of conducting exploratory
Reading preferences can be used to gain some research on the reading behaviors and interests of
understanding of a person's personality. Reading Pakistani students who live in metropolitan areas
is a habit that, according to studies in in this context. Even though the vast majority of
developmental psychology, needs to be nurtured students still favor paper books over electronic
from a young age. Children who make reading a ones, Soroya and Ameen (2016) found that less
habit can reap several benefits, one of which is students are reading books. This is despite the fact
the opportunity to improve their academic that the majority of students still prefer paper
performance to that of great students. It is books. The vast majority of students still prefer
important for parents to encourage their children reading from traditional books than electronic
to read and to ensure that there is easy access to reading devices. Reading is a skill that can be
books in the home. The production of books for improved greatly by encouraging children to
children is a collaborative endeavor that includes pursue their interests. This implies that authors,
parents, teachers, book distributors, as well as publishers, parents, and schools can all work
authors and illustrators. It is argued that reading together to ensure that children have access to the
is a method of acquiring knowledge because it highest-quality books and reading resources that
involves interaction with and examination of are available.
written text. A fervent interest in reading has also
been suggested as a defining characteristic of a Literature review
person's personality. Reading on a consistent The development of students' critical thinking
basis is beneficial to not just one's reading skills, as stated by Davies and Barnett (2015), has
comprehension but also one's reading fluency. become an increasingly significant focus of both
research and policy in the field of higher
When compared to the rest of the world, the education. The value of teaching students the
literacy rate of Pakistan's population is slipping abilities that will help them succeed in their
more and further behind. Pakistan is a developing careers, as active members of their communities,
nation. This is primarily due to the fact that its and as lifelong learners has been the subject of a
younger population has performance levels that number of studies. They continued by talking
are below average in terms of reading about the three separate but interconnected ways
comprehension. The lack of adequate educational of critical thinking that have been revealed by the
opportunities is a problem that needs to be studies. There is a great deal of common ground
addressed and fought against on multiple fronts between these ideas, despite their frequent
since it puts the future of today's children in disagreements. It is possible that instructors of
jeopardy. In an effort to enhance the standard of English for Academic Purposes might profit
education offered throughout Pakistan, the enormously from adopting Davies and Barnett's
government of that nation has disseminated its paradigm in order to make sense of all of this
education plan for the academic year 2011-2012. intricacy. The first is Skills’ perspective on
The government of Pakistan has taken an interest critical thinking, which contends that logical
in the education sector due to the fact that young fallacies, contradictions, and the weight of
people in Pakistan tend to have weaker reading supporting evidence may be identified and
 Sumaira Younis 1642

evaluated by dissecting arguments and giving collaborates with the text to produce meaning by
them significant consideration. Skills’ position on making use of a variety of mental processes.
critical thinking maintains that logical errors, Reading takes place in a social setting. The reader
contradictions, and the weight of supporting must actively engage with the material in order to
evidence can be identified and evaluated. This comprehend it; a passive reading method will not
method is fantastic for locating weaknesses in a suffice. When someone reads a text, their
line of reasoning and determining the overall previous knowledge acts as a foundation upon
persuasiveness of an argument. The second way which a new understanding can be constructed.
of thinking is referred to as the "criticality This new understanding is called "new
perspective," and its proponents are supporters of understanding." According to Shihab (2011), the
the criticality movement. This movement lays an structure is created by linking new information
emphasis on instructing students how to think from the text, such as sentences, to information
critically. The critical pedagogy movement offers that was previously obtained. They are able to
a third perspective on the topic of teaching critical represent any sort of experience or knowledge
thinking by highlighting the significance of due to their flexibility, which enables them to
making students aware of the power dynamics store information in their memories and retrieve
that are responsible for the formation of our social it with minimal effort whenever it is required.
environment and the constraints that are placed This allows them to represent any kind of
on individual liberty. This piece of work is experience or knowledge. Because of this, one
referenced by two different authors (Barjesteh can use schemas in order to make sense of the
and Vaseghi, 2012). The question of whether or various pieces of information that they come
not critical thinking skills can be taught has been across. Imaginative schemas foster critical
brought to the forefront of the debate brought reading and urge readers to actively interact with
about by the adoption of these skills into the the text by symbolizing a wide range of reader
educational system. Teaching, assessing, and experiences and knowledge. This encourages
performing analyses on critical thinking readers to actively engage with the text. A method
capabilities can make use of a wide variety of for bridging the gap between the past and the
different models and approaches. Problems that present. In order to perform an in-depth analysis
arise in terms of culture, emotions, and of a piece of writing, one needs to be able to
generalizability in relation to acquired abilities weigh the facts, draw inferences, and come to
have all been taken into consideration by conclusions.
specialists. Critical reading, along with critical
thinking, has been identified as a crucial talent for In today's increasingly globalized society, the
today's college grads to have as they enter the ability to communicate effectively in multiple
workforce (Brten & Braasch, 2017). languages is absolutely necessary. In order for
students to be able to communicate effectively,
The primary purpose of education should be to they need to have a solid understanding of the
cultivate critical thinking notwithstanding the English language across all four competencies.
wide range of opinions that exist regarding the Reading comprehension is a vital skill, so these
methods that are most likely to be successful in preparatory sessions place a significant emphasis
accomplishing this aim. Reading comprehension on developing students' capacity in this area.
can be defined in a variety of ways and Reading instruction and study for EAP students
operationalized in a few different ways. Reading has mostly concentrated on developing students'
is a social activity in which the reader reading comprehension skills. Even while
1643 Journal of Positive School Psychology

advanced reading abilities are essential for higher Thompson et al., 2018) some of the most
education, they nevertheless need to be taught as frequently encountered reading difficulties that
part of the curriculum (Grabe & Stoller, 2019). have been reported by teachers as well as pupils.
Comprehension skills can be operationalized as Reading course materials, reading strategically,
the ability to understand not just the literal reading journal articles, reading thoroughly and
meaning of a word or sentence, but also its extensively, and identifying issues and arguments
inferred meaning, information across sentences, in texts are all important reading skills. Reading
paragraphs, or the entire text, as well as the ability journal articles is another important reading skill.
to synthesize information from a variety of undergraduate academics have observed that
sources. Applicants to colleges are expected to English as a Second Language (ESL) students
demonstrate a high level of reading view reading as a tool of memorization rather
comprehension ability. This requirement has than an outlet for application, evaluation, and
been in place for some time. When readers read integration of knowledge. Participants in the
to learn from texts, generate information, study who were undergraduates reported having
compose, and analyses texts, they engage in more difficulties with both critical reading and
cognitively demanding activities. Zubaidah, academic text comprehension. Students who
Corebima, and Mahanal (2018) found that participated in the research conducted by Weir et
students' ability to engage in critical analysis al. (2012) described the challenges they had in
improves the more frequently they read the text. completing their assignments due to time
Reading calls for more than just taking in restrictions and the length of the required reading
information in a receptive manner; it also materials. The findings of these research
necessitates an active mental processing of the demonstrate how difficult it is for pupils to
material that is read. Deciphering confusing complete reading tasks that require analytical
sentences and providing an explanation for their thinking.
meaning calls for the application of critical
thinking. Critical thinking is defined as the College students in Pakistan are reading fewer
process of inferring meaning from a piece of books than in previous years, which is cause for
written material by Aloqaili (2011). According to concern. Because the traditional academic model
the assertions that were made by a number of does not allow for it, teachers are unable to
experts before, it would appear that reading and encourage their pupils to read or emphasize the
the development of one's capacity for critical significance of reading books that are not
thought go hand in hand with one another. necessary for class. According to Dilshad,
Adnan, and Akram (2013) and Shah and Saleem
Academic success in higher education requires (2010), the fall in students' reading habits is
both an advanced degree of reading driven by a number of concerns that are prevalent
comprehension and reading fluency on the part of in society. The low rate of literacy, the absence of
the student. Skills such as critical reading a reading culture, the lack of discretionary
(Moore, 2017).), comparing and contrasting income, an inadequate education system, an
concepts within a text or across texts and inadequate library, an unattractive reading
incorporating knowledge from texts into atmosphere, and an unenthusiastic staff are all
assignments (Weir et al., 2012) were revealed. factors that contribute to Pakistanis' and notably
Undergraduate students may find it challenging, students' lackluster reading habits. A shift in the
for a variety of reasons, to fulfil the reading way that individuals think about and engage with
requirements of their universities. (St Clair- reading can lead to an improvement in the
 Sumaira Younis 1644

situation. Reading and doing schoolwork on

mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and Instrumentation
e-readers is becoming more and more common The reading comprehension exams that were used
among today's college students. Paperback books as the study instrument in this analysis were
published in the traditional format, on the other extremely distinct from one another in terms of
hand, are still widely used as an important the amount of difficulty, the level of complexity,
educational and recreational resource. In the and the types of questions that they asked.
modern world of education and employment Reading Passage 1 featured some terminology
growth, it is essential for college students to that was difficult to understand and was
maintain a strong relationship with literature and somewhat lengthy, whereas Reading Passage 2
read a wide variety of texts. Students can take a had vocabulary and phrases that were easier to
mental health break from their classes, understand and had questions with multiple
assignments, and note-taking by reading, which choice answers at the end of the passage. Both of
is an excellent method to relax and unwind at the the reading passages were worth the same amount
same time. In the same vein, students who read of point’s total. The participants were given a
on screens should be taught that these devices are choice between the two comprehensions and
merely supplemental tools and should not be seen were instructed to solve whichever of the two
as replacements for printed literature. Din, (2020) comprehensions they felt most comfortable with
stated that students need to develop their critical first. This was done before the participants were
thinking abilities in order for them to be asked questions regarding their reading
successful in school (Zivkovic, 2016) This is understanding. The questionnaire was divided
necessary for students to be able to make into two sections that were completely separate
meaningful contributions to society through from one another. The first section of the test
effective communication, strong leadership, and consisted of nine questions and addressed both
teamwork, as well as an awareness of various demographic information and certain
cultures and countries. The development of comprehension questions to which the
students' abilities and skills in critical thinking is participants had already provided their answers.
widely regarded as one of the most desirable The second portion of the survey consisted of a
outcomes of educational programming. total of 29 questions that covered a variety of
subjects. Some of these subjects included
Methodology cognitive vocabulary, academic writing and
This qualitative research was carried out at one of learning abilities, the incorporation of technology
the educational institutions located in Karachi, into the classroom, and the development of skills
Pakistan. Undergraduate students, most of whom for reading for pleasure. It was decided to
were affiliated with the Department of Education, perform an initial run-through of the reading
constituted the sample for this study. These comprehension passages as well as the
individuals come from a variety of educational questionnaire.
backgrounds and have chosen distinct fields of
study. The undergraduate students from all four Discussion
years were included in the sample for this inquiry, According to the findings, out of a total of 46
which had a total size of 46 participants. During participants, 39 of them selected Paragraph 1 to
the even semester of the school year 2022-2023, solve first because they judged the passage to be
the sample was taken using a random sampling easier, more engaging, and equipped with
method. multiple choice questions at the conclusion of the
1645 Journal of Positive School Psychology

reading. Forty out of the forty-six participants felt develop reading as a habit. Getting students into
the need to consult either a dictionary or the the routine of reading on a consistent basis is the
internet in order to finish the task of finding the first step in improving their critical reading skills.
appropriate responses to the passages, Reading books can help students develop their
particularly for the questions that were cognitive vocabulary and critical thinking skills
considered to be more difficult. Inadequate since books often feature better writing and more
cognitive vocabulary, poor academic writing and content than what is displayed on a computer.
learning skills, a lack of classroom technology Students can improve their cognitive vocabulary
integration, and a lack of skills in leisure reading and critical thinking skills by reading books.
were found to be detrimental to university Students should be allowed to use screens when
students in this study. Additionally, the findings reading, and they should be taught that screens
of this study demonstrate the critical relationship can be used as a tool, but that they should not be
that exists between reading comprehension and considered as a replacement for books. However,
critical thinking. In addition, the findings of this students should not be allowed to use screens
research point to the negative consequences that while writing. The English course material ought
are caused by the aforementioned elements. Even to be brought up to date and modernized with the
while students have positive attitudes towards use of technology. Reading for pleasure is one of
reading comprehension, the data demonstrate that the best methods to increase vocabulary, attention
there is a significant disparity between those span, and critical thinking skills, and it should be
attitudes and their levels of critical thinking and a priority for both teachers and parents. Reading
reading comprehension. This dichotomy is helps build vocabulary, attention span, and
concerning because it suggests that students' critical thinking skills. It is necessary to offer
reading comprehension and critical thinking students with higher-order thinking skills that
skills are not on par. This void requires filling in they may use to any circumstance in order to
some way. These findings underscore the boost their critical thinking abilities when reading
requirement for educators to concentrate on and comprehension. These approaches should be
developing students' critical thinking and applicable to a wide variety of contexts. It is
comprehension skills, as well as utilizing important that pupils be able to quickly recall and
technology and building a culture of reading for implement the tactics that are being taught to
enjoyment in the classroom. In addition, these them. Because they are the ideal place to
findings emphasize the significance of the role encourage kids to read, libraries should always be
that educators play in fostering a culture in which kept current and filled with quality books. This is
people read for the sheer enjoyment of it. If these because they are the best place to inspire students
concerns aren't addressed, it's likely that students' to read. Changes in reading habits and mentalities
academic performance will suffer, which would, are going to need to take place if traditional
in turn, hinder their ability to engage in critical teaching methods employed by university
thinking in both their personal and professional instructors are going to be made more successful.
life. If this scenario plays out, no one wins.
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