Critical Listening Instruction in Thai Higher Education: Current Conditions and Instructional Approaches

Abstract

This study aimed to: (1) analyze the current state of critical listening instruction for undergraduate students, and (2) examine approaches to organizing instruction in critical listening for undergraduate students. A mixed-methods design was employed. The sample comprised two groups: five instructors of critical listening in higher education, selected through purposive sampling, and 150 first-year students from the Faculty of Education, Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University, enrolled in the first semester of the 2024 academic year. The student sample size was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan sampling table, and five classes were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires and analyzed by content analysis. The findings revealed:

            1) the current situation in critical listening instruction comprises two key issues. The first concerns existing teaching practices, in which instructors organize learning activities that (1) emphasize the promotion of learners’ internal factors and (2) focus on the development of external factors that support their learning. The second issue relates to problems encountered in the teaching of critical listening, which arise from two primary sources: (1) factors associated with instructors and (2) factors associated with learners. 2) approaches to enhancing the teaching of critical listening were identified and can be summarized into four main strategies. The first involves organizing activities that cultivate concentration and sustained attention during critical listening practice. The second emphasizes designing instructional activities in a systematic manner, with clearly defined and sequential steps to guide practice. The third highlights the development of essential instructional components that foster students’ ability to maintain focus while listening. Finally, the fourth strategy underscores the importance of designing activities that provide learners with constructive feedback throughout the process of practicing critical listening.