the differential effects of debate and media analysis as relate to enhancing efl learners critical thinking ability and writing performances

critical thinking ability has an important role in education. accordingly, scholars around the world are searching for new ways for teaching and improving students critical thinking ability. in line with the studies in efl contexts supporting the positive relationship between critical thinking and writing performances, this study investigated the differential effects of halverson’s critical thinking techniques debate and media analysis on intermediate efl learners writing performance. for this purpose, 60 male and female participants were selected randomly from among 200 students in a language institute in esfahan. they were divided into three groups, two experimental and one control groups. before the instructional treatment, the experimental and control groups writing and critical thinking abilities were assessed to ensure that they were at the same level of the two constructs. after the treatment, the participants critical thinking ability and writing performances were assessed again. the results of performing t-test procedure showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control one. more specifically, the experimental group, receiving halverson’s “debate” treatment outperformed another experimental one, receiving “media analysis” treatment. findings of this study can help efl teachers and program designers to use these techniques to improve the efl students critical thinking ability and writing performances.critical thinking ability has an important role in education. accordingly, scholars around the world are searching for new ways for teaching and improving students critical thinking ability. in line with the studies in efl contexts supporting the positive relationship between critical thinking and writing performances, this study investigated the differential effects of halverson’s critical thinking techniques debate and media analysis on intermediate efl learners writing performance. for this purpose, 60 male and female participants were selected randomly from among 200 students in a language institute in esfahan. they were divided into three groups, two experimental and one control groups. before the instructional treatment, the experimental and control groups writing and critical thinking abilities were assessed to ensure that they were at the same level of the two constructs. after the treatment, the participants critical thinking ability and writing performances were assessed again. the results of performing t-test procedure showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control one. more specifically, the experimental group, receiving halverson’s “debate” treatment outperformed another experimental one, receiving “media analysis” treatment. findings of this study can help efl teachers and program designers to use these techniques to improve the efl students critical thinking ability and writing performances.