An investigation of technology integration to promote Thai EFL university students’ critical thinking skills: a phenomenological study

The study aimed to explore the essence of lived experiences of EFL university teachers’ technology integration to promote Thai EFL university students’ critical thinking skills. Furthermore, Thai EFL university students’ perceptions towards learning with technology integration to promote critical thinking skills were investigated. A phenomenological qualitative research approach was implemented to conduct the present study. For selecting participants to provide their experiences of promoting critical thinking skills through English instruction with a wide range of technologies, a purposeful sampling technique was implemented. There were 16 EFL university teachers and 16 Thai EFL university students who were willing to participate in the study. To elicit teachers’ and students’ experiences, phenomenological semi-structured interviews and class observation were employed. The data derived from the interviews were transcribed and the field notes derived from the class observations were organized. The significant responses regarding promoting critical thinking skills with technology-implemented English language instruction were underlined and those significant statements were clustered into different units of meanings.The results indicated that certain aspects of critical thinking skills were fostered through technology-implemented English language learning activities such as exploring more information, sharing thoughts and opinions, evaluating information, and providing reasons to strengthen thoughts. Furthermore, those aspects of critical thinking skills were developed in certain English language skills with technology integration. Further results regarding problems and influential factors which affected promoting critical thinking skills with technology integrating into ELT were discussed.