The Relationship among Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study investigated the probable relationship among critical thinking, creativity and reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. The significance of the reading skill as a base input provider for EFL learners inspired the researcher to carry out the present study. The participants of the study took part in the reading section of a Preliminary English Test as an English language proficiency test and 62 out of 103 students were considered as a homogeneous sample. The selected participants’ scores in this test were taken as their reading score. The critical thinking and creativity of the participants were also measured through Critical Thinking Questionnaire and Torrance’s Creativity Questionnaire. Due to the normal distribution of the data, the researcher ran three Pearson’s correlation analyses to analyze the collected data and find answers for the research questions of the study. The results of the correlation analyses revealed that the participants’ critical thinking, creativity, and reading comprehension were significantly and positively correlated. The results of the study could be useful for EFL learners, teachers, textbook designers and material developers.                                                                              

Keywords: Critical Thinking; Creativity; Reading Comprehension; Iranian  EFL Learners: English as a foreign Language.