Asking the Right Questions—the Impact of Critical Questioning Training on English Majors’ Critical Thinking Development

This study investigates whether critical questioning training can enhance learners' questioning ability, critical thinking awareness, and regulate cognitive biases. Two groups of English major learners were involved, with the experimental group undergoing a 12-week critical questioning training program. The results showed that the questioning ability of the experimental group significantly improved after the training, as evidenced by a marked increase in the number of conceptual clarification and evidence-based questions posed. Before the experiment, a significant correlation existed between the degree of text agreement and questioning levels in both groups. After the experiment, the significant correlation between text agreement and questioning levels was still observed in the control group, but not in the experimental group. Moreover, the degree of text agreement in the experimental group decreased, indicating a stronger critical awareness. However, the score of critical thinking disposition questionnaire of both groups did not show significant improvement.