The Influence of Students’ Critical Thinking towards Their Reading Comprehension Ability

Abstract

Reading comprehension is essential in English learning, but many students still face difficulties despite having good basic skills. Previous studies often separated the discussion of critical thinking and reading comprehension, leaving a gap in understanding their relationship, especially in EFL contexts. This study aims to investigate how students’ critical thinking skills on their reading comprehension. Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected through questionnaires and comprehension tests involving 65 eleventh-grade students from SMAN 8 Purworejo. The findings reveal a moderate but significant correlation (r = 0.459, sig. = 0.000), with critical thinking contributing 21.1% to reading comprehension (R square = 0.211). The study concludes that enhancing critical thinking skills can improve students’ reading comprehension. Thus, English educators should adopt student-centered approaches that integrate critical thinking to support deeper reading engagement and better academic performance.