The Comparative Impact of Autonomy and Critical Thinking on EFL Learners’ Writing Achievement

The present study was an attempt to compare the effect of critical thinking techniques, and autonomy techniques on EFL learners' writing achievement. To fulfill the purpose of the study, 74 participants of a total number of 100 learners at intermediate level who were studying in Kish Way Language School in Karaj were selected by means of a piloted PET. At the next stage, the 74 participants were divided into two experimental groups randomly so that one group would receive critical thinking techniques and the other autonomy practice as the two treatments. Prior to the start of the treatments, the scores of the writing section of the PET obtained by both groups were compared to make sure that the learners were homogeneous regarding their writing ability at the outset. At the end of the instructional period, both groups were given a writing posttest, and the comparison of their means revealed that the difference between the two groups' writing posttest scores was non-significant, hence the null hypothesis failed to be rejected, implying that both groups benefited the treatments equally in their writing improvement.