demystifying the relationship among intercultural sensitivity, critical thinking ability, self-efficacy, and efl teachers’ professional development

As key factors in efl teachers' professional development entangled with self-improvement and successful adjustment, ones' belief in self-efficacy, their intercultural sensitivity, and critical thinking ability are of paramount importance. the present study was an attempt to investigate the relationship among intercultural sensitivity (is), critical thinking (ct), self-efficacy (se), and efl teachers’ professional development (pd) in the iranian context. a correlational study was designed in which 30 male and female efl teachers randomly selected from different high schools in tehran city were asked to fill out the questionnaires of intercultural sensitivity scale, teacher sense of efficacy scale, and ricketts critical thinking test. then, out of the students of each teacher, five students were randomly selected to fill out the teachers’ professional development survey. in the inferential analysis, pearson correlation and linear regression were taken into consideration. findings of the study revealed that self-efficacy and critical thinking had significant correlations with the efl teachers’ pd, while intercultural sensitivity had no significant correlation with this variable. in addition, all of these variables could relatively predict efl teachers’ professional development, while critical thinking alone could predict a high percentage of teachers’ success. in fact, the results of data analysis revealed that critical thinking was a better predictor of teachers’ professional development. the findings have practical implications in the efl context.

Demystifying the Relationship Among Intercultural Sensitivity, Critical Thinking Ability, Self-Efficacy, and EFL Teachers’ Professional Development

As key factors in EFL teachers' professional development entangled with self-improvement and successful adjustment, ones' belief in self-efficacy, their intercultural sensitivity, and critical thinking ability are of paramount importance. The present study was an attempt to investigate the relationship among intercultural sensitivity (IS), critical thinking (CT), self-efficacy (SE), and EFL teachers’ professional development (PD) in the Iranian context. A correlational study was designed in which 30 male and female EFL teachers randomly selected from different high schools in Tehran city were asked to fill out the questionnaires of Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, and Ricketts Critical Thinking Test. Then, out of the students of each teacher, five students were randomly selected to fill out the Teachers’ Professional Development Survey. In the inferential analysis, Pearson correlation and linear regression were taken into consideration. Findings of the study revealed that self-efficacy and critical thinking had significant correlations with the EFL teachers’ PD, while intercultural sensitivity had no significant correlation with this variable. In addition, all of these variables could relatively predict EFL teachers’ professional development, while critical thinking alone could predict a high percentage of teachers’ success. In fact, the results of data analysis revealed that critical thinking was a better predictor of teachers’ professional development. The findings have practical implications in the EFL context.