A Study on Students' Critical Thinking and 5C Competencies Using AI-Powered English Teaching Software

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of integrating AI-enhanced English learning software into bilingual instructional practices on junior high school students’ critical thinking and 5C competencies. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted in this study. The participants consisted of 50 junior high school students ranging from seventh to ninth grade. The experimental group (n = 24) engaged in bilingual learning using Cool English, while the control group (n = 26) received instruction through traditional Cool English teaching videos. The intervention lasted for three weeks. Pretests and posttests were administered, and the collected data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. The results indicated that the experimental group demonstrated significantly superior performance compared to the control group in both critical thinking and 5C competencies. The effect sizes were above the medium level, with a particularly large effect observed in the dimension of post-intervention cognitive strategy performance. These findings suggest that the use of AI-enhanced instructional software effectively promotes the development of students’ critical thinking and 5C competencies.