Trends and hotspots in critical thinking research over the past two decades: Insights from a bibliometric analysis.

Critical thinking has received significant scholarly attention in education over the years. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of critical thinking during the last two decades (2000-2021) to identify research trends and hotspots of critical thinking. After data processing, 2043 publications related to critical thinking were retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS). Our analysis covers the number of publications per year, most used keywords, most productive countries/regions, institutions and authors, and most cited publications. The results show that critical thinking received increasing interest throughout this period; the research topics of critical thinking were rich and constantly evolving; the publications in western countries/regions have a stronger impact and higher recognition than do those in non-western countries; and critical thinking instruction has become the most popular research topic. This study holds important implications and should serve as a reference for future research.

Exploring the relative contributions of learning motivations and test perceptions to autonomous English as a foreign language learning and achievement.

Past studies on the contributions of language learning motivations and test perceptions to language learning have been conducted relatively independently, with few simultaneously gauging the relative effects of these two types of variables on learning behaviors and outcome. In contexts where testing plays a significant role in language education, it is argued that both types of variables are likely to influence language learning. Through a series of multiple regression analyses, this study juxtaposed the relative effects of three types of language learning motivation (i.e., integrative, development and requirement motivation) and two types of perception of a high-stakes English test on Chinese high school students' (n = 3,105) EFL learning practice and achievement, casting fresh lights on the motivational factors that may drive EFL learning. More specifically, it was found that integrative and development motivations were the major drives behind students' overall effort expenditure on EFL learning for Year 1 students. For students from higher grades who were more closely confronted with the test, however, the effect of development motivation diminished and that of perceived test validity increased. The same pattern applied to students' reported learning achievement. The motivational profiles behind each specific type of learning practice and their variational patterns across grades were also found to differ. Implications for both research and educational practice are discussed.

Impact of learners' perceptions of a high-stakes test on their learning motivation and learning time allotment: A study on the washback mechanism.

This study investigates the relationships between learners' perceptions of a high-stakes test and their learning motivations and time allotment to explore the mechanism of test washback on learning. A questionnaire was administered to 3105 Chinese senior high school students. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, standard multiple regression and structural equation modelling were performed. The study found that students' positive test perceptions (i.e., validity and importance) better predicted their intrinsic motivations (i.e., communicative and development motivations) than their negative test perceptions (i.e., perceptions of test impact), which were found to better predict their extrinsic motivation towards external requirements. In addition, students' perceptions of test validity and test impact both had direct effects on learning time allotment and a small indirect effect through development motivation and requirement motivation, while perceptions of test importance only indirectly influenced learning time allotment through development motivation. These findings have important implications for learning and teaching.

Research Trends and Development Patterns in Language Testing Over the Past Three Decades: A Bibliometric Study.

This study used bibliometric data from Language Testing, a prestigious international peer-reviewed journal in the language testing field, to investigate research trends and development patterns in language testing. The bibliometric information included the number of publications, the most frequently researched test types and topics, the most cited publications and authors (as measured by references), the most prolific countries/regions and institutions and the most frequently collaborating countries/regions. The results showed that interest in language testing has increased over time and that regional tests and international tests have been major concerns, while classroom tests/assessments have received less attention. Research topics were wide-ranging and addressed almost all language testing related issues, among which validity/validation received the highest interest across periods. Moreover, the publications were produced by a wide range of countries/regions and institutions and included collaborative research spanning various institutions and regions, although collaborative publications across countries were relatively scarce. Based on the findings of this study, implications and suggestions have been highlighted for future research, academic agencies and this journal.