خلاصة:
Given the role philosophical mentality can fulfill in bringing individuals the essential skills of wisdom and well thinking, the present paper, by applying Smith’s (2007) theoretical framework, strived to explore the extent philosophic-mindedness exists among the participants. Considering the fact that, a philosophic mind begets philosophical answers, the participants’ philosophical thinking ability was evaluated through analyzing their answers to philosophical questions. To this end, through convenience sampling, a group of 40 EFL students in BA degree, 21 female and 19 male with the age range of 19 to 35, at Shiraz University, Iran, were selected. They were asked to read two simple short passages, story and non-story, and answer the related questions. Based on three characteristics of philosophic-mindedness (i.e. comprehensiveness, penetration, and flexibility) it was revealed that the majority of the participants signified rigidity and dogmatism in their way of thinking and were in the habit of shallow and superficial thinking. They seemed to be unable to afford themselves a profound insight into the questions. The minority, on the other hand, took notice of different options in the questions, reappraised their varying strands, and provided reasonable answers. In addition, it was inferred that lack of comprehensiveness alone assures lack of philosophical mentality. Finally, the three dimensions of philosophic-mindedness recommended in the framework can be utilized by stakeholders in educational fields to realize a person with (non-) philosophical mentality.
ملخص الجهاز:
2660 Evaluating EFL Learners’ Philosophical Mentality through their Answers to Philosophical Questions: Using Smith’s Framework Gholamhossein Shahini Abstract Given the role philosophical mentality can fulfill in bringing individuals the essential skills of wisdom and well thinking, the present paper, by applying Smith’s (2007) theoretical framework, strived to explore the extent philosophic-mindedness exists among the participants.
Hence, in order to avoid bigotry and narrow-mindedness whatever seems to be needed to be Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 37(3), Fall 2018 150 cultivated is a) a comprehensive mind to consider all ideologies when facing them b) a penetrating look to plunge into every single ideology to discover and reach the roots; and c) a flexible outlook to switch among the ideologies to creatively permit all to exist.
Addressing the second part of the research question, the answers were identified to be (non-) philosophical based on three characteristics of comprehensiveness, penetration, and flexibility.
The following philosophical answers connote that the participants have spared a profound thought on the texts and questions to achieve a comprehensive, penetrating, and flexible outlook.
With respect to question 4, the following philosophical responses on the definition of ‘fate’ imply that the respondents have attempted not to give cursory and trivial answers but to take into account at least two facets Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 37(3), Fall 2018 162 of the issue, probe into that, and then evaluate its bilateral sides so as to come up with the right impression.