Indonesian Journal on Learning and Advanced Education (IJOLAE)
Vol. 6, No. 3, September 2024

Book Clubs as a Pedagogical Tool for Developing Critical Thinking: Evidence from an English Education Program in Indonesia

Rusiana Rusiana (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muria Kudus)
Nuraeningsih Nuraeningsih (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muria Kudus)
Titis Sulistyowati (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muria Kudus)
Muh. Syafei (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muria Kudus)
Farid Noor Romadlon (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muria Kudus)
Agung Dwi Nurcahyo (Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muria Kudus)
Loreen P. Agulan (College of Education, Neuva Ecija University of Science and Technology)
Natthanan Thongmark (Faculty of Education, Thaksin University)
Sibhekinkosi Anna (Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand)
Havva Kurt-Taşpınar (School of Foreign Languages, Izmir Institute of Technology)
Abdurrahman Ahmed Milad (Faculty of Information Technology, Elmergib University)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Sep 2024

Abstract

In higher education, critical thinking skills are essential for students to develop their ability to explore problems, questions, or situations, find a solution, and justify their positions. Such skills can be cultivated through sustained, authentic dialogue with peers or in groups. To provide a supportive environment for dialogue and interaction among students, a book club was utilized as an alternative and extension activity of Extensive Reading course within the English Education Study Program at a private university in Indonesia. The book club enables students to connect with others, expressing and exchanging ideas and thoughts, thereby sharpening their critical thinking skills. This mixed-method study investigated the students’ reading and critical thinking skills after participating in the book club, the effectiveness of book club in developing these skills, and the ways in which the book club fostered critical thinking skills. Twenty-three freshmen from one class participated in the study. The instruments used were a reading test, a survey of critical thinking skills, and students’ work. The reading test and critical thinking survey were administered sequentially after the treatment, while students’ work was qualitatively analyzed. The findings reveal that book club is effective in developing student’s critical thinking skills, particularly in terms of creating alternative t endings to a given story.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijolae

Publisher

Subject

Education Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

Indonesian Journal on Learning and Advanced Education (IJOLAE) aims to promote creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in education in order to face global challenges such as education in the disruption era, internet of things in education, child-friendly education, HOTS-based education, STEAM ...