CRITICAL READING AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Critical reading is an important component of developing literacy. It is commonly described as involving higher order thinking skills. The challenge for instructors is to activate studentsʹ awareness of this skill. Critical reading plays a central role in university study, yet how to develop this skill is not often discussed. Problems arise when adult learners are confronted with testing situations that require specific responses to text. The purpose of this study is to help you develop the skills to read, think and write more critically. The procedure involved several interventions: 1) reviewing current research on metacognition, critical thinking, and critical reading; 2) probing student awareness of critical thinking by a questionnaire; 3) adjusting teaching strategies to address the needs for critical reading skills. Results of pre- and post- questionnaires, analysis of quiz and tests, and a review of written reflections by students and instructor reveal learners’ awareness and application of higher level critical thinking and critical reading skills. This research project was beneficial to both students and instructor in several areas; activating prior knowledge of critical thinking, reviewing of major aspects of critical reading, and increased focus on text structure and test question- and-answer relationships.