Volume: 2 Issue: 3
Year: 2025, Page: 110-123, Doi: https://doi.org/10.70372/jeltp.v2.i3.64
Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important skills in 21st-century education, especially in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). This study aims to examine the extent to which CT skills are expressed in English textbooks used at the primary level in Vietnam, specifically the Wonderful World 4 - Book 1 & 2.Based on Facione's (1990) theoretical framework with six core skills, the study employs a mixed-methodapproach, combining qualitative content analysis and quantitative coding. A total of 324 learning activitieswere collected and categorized by skills. The results show that only about 21% of activities truly promotehigher-order thinking such as evaluation and reasoning; interpretation and explanation skills are the mostcommon, while self-regulation skills are rare. It is also clearly shown that CT skills in the Wonderful World4 textbooks are still integrated in a limited and uneven manner. Therefore, it is suggested to make necessarychanges to the textbooks’ design and teaching methods in order to comprehensively develop students' CTabilities.
Keywords: Critical Thinking Skills; Textbook Evaluation; Facione Framework; Wonderful World 4; 21st -century skills
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Nguyen Thi Huong, Nguyen Thi Xuan. Examining Critical Thinking Skills in English Textbooks at Primary Schools in Vietnam. Journal of Effective Teaching and Learning Practices. 2025;2(3):110-123