Examining the Effects of Teacher Support and Collaborative Learning on Critical Thinking in College English Classrooms: The Mediating Role of Learning Engagement

Abstract

Critical thinking has become an increasingly important learning outcome in higher education, particularly in College English classrooms, where students are expected not only to acquire linguistic knowledge but also to interpret information, evaluate evidence, compare perspectives, and construct reasoned arguments. However, the classroom processes through which critical thinking develops remain insufficiently explained. This conceptual article proposes an integrated framework in which teacher support and collaborative learning function as classroom antecedents of students’ critical thinking, while learning engagement serves as a mediating mechanism. Seven theoretical propositions are developed to explain the direct and mediated relationships among the four constructs. The proposed framework contributes to College English research by shifting attention from isolated classroom variables to the learning processes through which supportive and collaborative classroom environments may promote critical thinking. The article concludes with implications for classroom practice and directions for future empirical research using structural equation modelling, longitudinal designs, classroom observation, and performance-based measures of critical thinking.