Impact Of Family Position On The Development Of Critical Thinking And Collaboration Among Non-Native English Language Learners: A Study Of Urban And Rural Secondary Level School Students

Abstract

The present study examines the influence of family position on the development of critical thinking and collaboration among non-native English language learners at the secondary level. Recognizing that family structure and dynamics play a crucial role in shaping students’ cognitive and interpersonal abilities, the study highlights how a supportive and participative family environment fosters higher-order thinking and cooperative skills. Moreover, critical thinking enables learners to navigate and cope with challenges arising within the family, particularly in contexts marked by rigid authority, limited communication, or socio-cultural constraints. A sample of 100 students was selected from four Sr. Secondary schools in Agartala, West Tripura, India, two of which were in urban regions and two of which were in rural areas, in order to examine differences across family types and localities. The Bhatnagar and Rastogi Family Scale and standardised instruments for evaluating teamwork and critical thinking were used to gather data. It is relevant that most non-native English language learners inhabiting in urban areas live in nuclear family, whereas most non-native English language learners inhabiting rural areas live in joint family environments. Students from nuclear families and urban settings exhibited significantly higher levels of both skills compared to their counterparts from joint families and rural areas. These findings highlight how crucial it is to incorporate critical thinking and family-sensitive teaching strategies into school curricula in order to more effectively involve students from a range of socio-geographic and familial environments.