Investigating Moroccan EFL teachers’ critical thinking attitudes: The impact of teaching experience and gender

Abstract

Given some of the current issues, including 21st-century challenges and the need for critical pedagogy, Critical Thinking (CT) has become necessary in education. Although this field of study has received much attention worldwide, investigations of CT in Morocco are scarce. Hence, this study aimed to provide insights into Moroccan EFL teachers' CT. It attempts to: 1) identify teachers’ CT attitudes; 2) examine whether gender significantly differentiates teachers’ attitudes towards developing students’ (15 to 19 years old) CT skills; and 3) investigate whether there are any statistically significant differences between novice and experienced teachers’ CT attitudes. Data were obtained from 506 Moroccan EFL teachers using a quantitative CT questionnaire. Relevant statistical tests showed that teachers had positive attitudes towards CT, and there were statistically significant differences in CT attitudes between experienced and novice teachers, with experienced teachers showing higher CT attitudes than their novice counterparts. However, they revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the attitudes of male and female teachers toward the development of students' CT skills. Therefore, it is essential to explore additional variables that may impact teachers' CT attitudes. In light of this, this study's findings have significant implications for policy and practice. One such recommendation is to focus on teacher training and professional development opportunities that can furnish pre-service and in-service teachers with the skills required to effectively incorporate CT thinking in language teaching.