Critical thinking in students of education, spanish and literature major

Abstract

speaking and writing with a critical attitude is a need that students and professionals must fulfill. Hence the need for contributions to the development of linguistic and discursive skills, and critical thinking (PC). This paper discusses data collected by Tenías (2006) related to the students’ discursive level at the Unellez-Barinas campus. The data coding that is proposed, is the basis for the discourse analysis of 836 students of Grammar I, II and Morphosyntax courses, belonging to the junior year of the Education program, Spanish and Literature major, offered by the Vice-Principal of Planning and Social Development at Unellez, Barinas. It was observed that the trend to develop critical thinking is: low (55%), middle (38%) and high (7%). It was also observed that the 55% of students developed a reproductive discourse or related to any category at all, and 38% of them produced a convergent reproductive discourse; but only 7% achieved an evaluative or divergent discourse. This confirmed that Spanish and Literature students are still having (at least until the junior year) difficulties to express themselves, as well as being critical and productive; even after doing subproject courses where communicative and linguistic proficiency is a natural requirement.

Keywords

• communication
• language
• critical thinking
• reproductive discourse
• divergent discourse
• intentionality
• students of education