Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An Exploration of Japanese Students’ Concept and Application of Critical Thinking in Academic Writing

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in Japan

Part of the book series: English Language Education ((ELED,volume 14))

Abstract

A key requirement to successful academic writing is the demonstration of critical thought, and in the West, it is a central criterion in distinguishing novice from expert writers. Yet the concept is difficult to define, identify and implement. This is especially the case for students from a non-Western background where knowledge telling is valued more than knowledge transforming, and therefore such students suffer when attempting to effectively implement critical thought into their essays. Universities emphasise “critical thinking” along with the expectation that students develop a Western mode of argument with the understanding that students will apply this to their discipline-specific courses. However, post-EAP learners often continue to struggle in grasping not only the meaning of critical thinking, but more importantly, how it is demonstrated in argumentative writing. Overall, the importance of the argumentative essay for the Japanese EAP student cannot be undermined. It is also vital to investigate how students’ understanding of argumentation develops during their academic careers.

This study used in-depth semi-structured interviews with three Japanese undergraduate students to explore their understanding of and challenges with critical thinking as well as questions pertaining to their personal development as critical thinkers. The findings suggest the three participants’ understanding as to what critical thinking involves was initially confused and uncertain but was clarified through repeated written assessments, feedback from faculty and other educational support systems. The results also revealed that their cultural and linguistic backgrounds were not deemed as a deterrent to displaying critical thought. While subject knowledge and acquiring a “workable balance between self and sources” (Groom, 2000, p. 65, as cited in Wingate 2012) proved to be obstacles, all participants revealed that they learned to analyse articles, evaluate and synthesise sources, include relevant evidence in arguments and tailor a structured text. The results of the research suggest that a more direct approach in the instruction of critical thinking in writing is required.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andrews, R. (1995). Teaching and learning argument. London: Cassell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, R. (2007). Argumentation, critical thinking and the postgraduate dissertation. Educational Review, 59(1), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, D. (1997). A critical approach to critical thinking in TESOL. ,TESOL 31, 71–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacha, N. (2010). Teaching the academic argument in a university EFL environment. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9, 229–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canagarajah, S. (2002a). Multilingual writer and the academic community: Towards a critical relationship. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 1, 29–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canagarajah, S. (2002b). Critical academic writing and multilingual students. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Casanave, C. (2004). Controversies in second language writing: Dilemmas and decisions in research and instruction. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, B. (1995). Critical thinking education faces the challenge of Japan. Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 14(3), 31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dooey, P. (2010). Students’ perspectives of an EAP pathway program. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9(3), 184–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durkin, K. (2008). The adaptation of East Asian masters students to western norms of critical thinking and argumentation in the UK. Intercultural Education, 19(1), 15–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egege, S., & Kutieleh, S. (2004). Critical thinking: Teaching foreign notions to foreign students. International Education Journal, 4(4), 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elander, J., Harrington, K., Norton, L., Robinson, H., & Reddy, P. (2006). Complex skills and academic writing: A review of evidence about the types of learning required to meet core assessment criteria. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(1), 71–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahim, M., Barjesteh, H., & Vaseghi, R. (2012). Effects of critical thinking strategy training on male/female EFL learners’ reading comprehension. English Language Teaching, 5(1), 140–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Floyd, C. B. (2011). Critical thinking in a second language. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(3), 289–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grabe, W., & Kaplan, R. B. (1996). Theory and practice of writing. Harlow: Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemming, H. (2000). Encouraging critical thinking: “but...what does that mean?”. McGill Journal of Education, 35(2), 173–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in intercultural education. Language Learning, 16, 1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kearney, P., & Plax, T. G. (1996). Public speaking in a diverse society. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing Company. In Makino, Y. (1998). Transcultural speech making principles- mechanisms of linear logic and configural logic. Intercultural Communication Studies, 8(1), 103–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keaton, J. A., Kelly, L., & Finch, C. (1997). Development of an instrument to measure reticence. Communication Quarterly, 1(45), 18–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A. (1997). Traditional Chinese text structures and their influence on the writing in Chinese and English of contemporary mainland Chinese students. Journal of Second Language Writing, 6(3), 223–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi, H., & Rinnert, C. (2002). High school student perceptions of language literacy instruction: Implications for second language writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 11(2), 91–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kubota, R. (1997). A re-evaluation of the uniqueness of Japanese written discourse. Written Communication, 14(4), 460–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, D. (1999). A developmental model of critical thinking. Educational Researcher, 28(2), 16–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic patterns. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liaw, M. (2007). Content-based reading and writing instruction for critical thinking skills in an EFL context. English Teaching & Learning, 31(2), 45–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mack-Cozzo, J. B. (2002). If you think we have problems... Japan’s inferior university system. American Enterprise, 13(6), 46–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsuda, P. K. (2001). Voice in Japanese written discourse: Implication for second language writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10, 35–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKinley, J. (2013). Displaying critical thinking in EFL academic writing: A discussion of Japanese to English contrastive rhetoric. RELC Journal, 44(2), 195–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPeck, J. E. (1990). Teaching critical thinking: Dialogue and dialectic. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehta, S. R., & Al-Mahrooqi, R. A. (2015). Can thinking be taught? Linking critical thinking and writing in an EFL context. RELC Journal, 46(1), 23–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, T. J. (2017). On the teaching of critical thinking in English for academic purposes. In R. Breeze & C. S. Guinda (Eds.), Essential competencies for English-medium university teaching (pp. 19–35). Cham: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mulvey, B. (2016). Writing instruction: What is being taught in Japanese high schools, why, and why it matters. The Language Teacher, 40(3), 3–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pally, M. (2001). Skills development in ‘sustained’ content-based curricula: Case studies in analytical/critical thinking and academic writing. Language and Education, 15(4), 279–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perpignan, H., Rubin, B., & Katznelson, H. (2007). ‘By-products’: The added value of academic writing instruction for higher education. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 6, 163–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan, V., & Kaplan, R. (1996). Some problematic “channels” in the teaching of critical thinking in current LI composition textbooks: Implications for L2 student-writers. Issues in Applied Linguistics, 7(2), 225–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rear, D. (2017). Reframing the debate on Asian students and critical thinking: Implications for western universities. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 12(2), 18–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. New York: Cambridge University.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rinnert, C., & Kobayashi, H. (2001). Differing perceptions of EFL writing among readers in Japan. The Modern Language Journal, 85, 189–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaheen, N. (2016). International students’ critical thinking-related problem areas: UK university teachers’ perspectives. Journal of Research in International Education, 15(1), 18–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stapleton, P. (2001). Assessing critical thinking in the writing of Japanese university students: Insights about assumptions and content familiarity. Written Communication, 18(4), 506–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, J. (2014). A dialectical approach to critical thinking in EAP writing. Second Language Studies, 33(1), 53–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, J., & Gilliland, B. (2017). Critical thinking instruction in English for academic purposes writing courses: A dialectical thinking approach. TESOL Journal, 8(3), 657–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, C. (2002). Teaching critical thinking in EAP courses in Australia. TESOL Journal, 11(4), 15–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wette, R. (2014). Teachers’ practices in EAP writing instruction: Use of models and modelling. System, 42, 60–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wingate, U. (2012). Argument! Helping students understand what essay writing is about. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11, 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Y. C., & Gamble, J. (2013). Effective and practical critical thinking-enhanced EFL instruction. ELT Journal, 67(4), 398–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Akita International University, Akita, Japan

    Leigh Yohei Bennett

Authors
  1. Leigh Yohei Bennett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leigh Yohei Bennett .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Rachael Ruegg

  2. Akita International University, Akita, Japan

    Clay Williams

Appendix A: Semi-structured Interview Guide

Appendix A: Semi-structured Interview Guide

  1. 1.

    Summary of participant’s academic writing experience during EAP course.

  2. 2.

    Description of criteria and features of academic writing in English compared to that of Japanese.

  3. 3.

    Understanding of critical thinking in academic writing.

  4. 4.

    Difficulties with academic writing and presenting argument(s).

  5. 5.

    Development in critical thinking post-EAP:

    • Strategies employed.

    • Tutor feedback and/or support from peers.

    • Other institutional support.

  6. 6.

    Closing comments, questions and suggestions.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Bennett, L.Y. (2018). An Exploration of Japanese Students’ Concept and Application of Critical Thinking in Academic Writing. In: Ruegg, R., Williams, C. (eds) Teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in Japan. English Language Education, vol 14. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8264-1_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8264-1_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-8263-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-8264-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation