DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING IN READING COMPREHENSION OF TEXTS FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AT ALL LEVELS OF BLOOM'S TAXONOMY

Abstract

This study tackles the role of the ESP teacher, course design, teaching techniques, and evaluation procedures. It further focuses on evaluating teaching techniques which should improve student reading comprehension, which operates at multiple levels, by applying Bloom’s six levels to in-class reading tasks. To accomplish this, twelve B2 level students engaged in activities that revolve around their reading of a text for specific purposes. Through these activities, teaching techniques were assessed and student comprehension was evaluated on each of the six levels. The activities used for research at level 1 were done in person in the classroom. The research activities for levels 2-6 were arranged through an eLearning platform, and students worked independently to complete them and return them to the teacher via the Internet. The research method used was action research. Based on the findings, it is aimed to offer answers and suggestions that may be useful for EAP and ESP teachers. The research has shown that using reading comprehension strategies at all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy in achieving comprehension is beneficial not only in language education, but also for development of the higher order thinking skills of adolescents. It equips them with the ability to think critically and creatively, and provides them with vital tools that they will use during their whole life.