Thesis Defense, In-Class Debate: Critical Thinking for Language Classroom

After conducting one year research for my Master’s thesis, finally I got approval for the examination in front of Board of Examiners (Dr. Mirjam Anugerahwati, M.A and Prof. Dr. Punaji Setyosari, M.Ed.) in the mid of June. I have been conducting a study focusing on the critical thinking in academic debate practices and how possible integration of the practices in accommodating critical thinking into language learning in the form of in-class debate.

 

Guk Sueb posing after the thesis defense in H3.108 Hall
of Graduate Program of State University of Malang
left-right: Prof. Bambang Y. Cahyono, Guk Sueb,
Dr. Mirjam Anugerahwati, M.A., Prof. Dr. Yazid
Basthomi, M.A. and Prof. Dr. Punaji Setyosari

Since I presented the thesis proposal in 2013, my advisor told me, repeatedly, that my proposal seemed a huge and ambitious project. Moreover, my advisor was breaking down my proposal even into three theses: observatory grounded-theory study, research and development, and class action research. He emphasized that I needed to scoop down—or, choose one of the section—being the focus of the study.

I decided to switch the focus of the study to observatory grounded-theory study concerning on the principles and instructional strategies in academic debate practices in accommodating critical thinking and how those instructions could be integrated into language classroom context.

The following is the abstract of my Master’s thesis:

Critical Thinking Reflected in Academic Debate Practices for English Language Classroom

Keywords: in-class debate, academic debate practices, critical thinking, language learning

Critical thinking has become one important educational goal over the last two decades. Therefore, critical thinking competence is considered as one of essential cognitive skills to be acquired by the learners in learning process. This research was aimed at affirming the integration of critical thinking through in-class debate activities by observing the possible model of critical thinking reflected in academic debate practices in Indonesia. More particularly it focuses on the attitude of Indonesian debaters towards critical thinking, how the critical thinking is reflected in the debate, how the critical thinking is accommodated in academic debate including the interactions in academic debate practices, and the possibility in the integration of critical thinking in academic debate practices into language classes based on the principles of language pedagogy. This qualitative study involved two major academic debate communities, Malang Debating Union (MDU) and JogjakartaDebating Forum (JDF), during regular practices and competitions. There are four findings from this study. First, the attitude of debaters towards critical thinking was positive; this includes clear stance to controversial issues, objective and relevant data, and logical reasoning. This was to refute the previous assumptions that critical thinking is Western-tailed culture and Asian students tend to be hierarchical in thinking. Second, the critical thinking of the debaters was reflected through their debate performance, both spoken and written forms. Debaters showed clear assertion with multi-layer reasoning, and the use of relevant data and fallacy. The next finding is based on the observations to the academic debate practices which concerned the critical thinking aspects through some activities and instructions; the aspects cover the clarity and logical reasoning, independence and autonomy in learning, and coach’s instructions to the debaters, reflections towards the issues (motions) in debate. Lastly, the possible in-class debate to integrate critical thinking should refer to the academic debate practices in the forms of some formats which are in line with the principles of language pedagogy.

For the accomplishment of this thesis, I would like to give my best gratitude to my advisors: Prof. Bambang Yudi Cahyono, Ph.D and Prof. Dr. Yazid Basthomi, MA for being the best academicians at the campus and in this country. The other acknowledgement is for the debating society in Indonesia for the commitment to debate proliferation in Indonesia.