It is generally acknowledged that research engagement provides students with a space to engage in a systematic process of inquiry which can foster their critical thinking (CT); however, to what extent and how it takes place remains under-investigated. This study, which, informed by the approach of practitioner research (PR), explores the CT development of a group of Bachelor of Education (English Language) undergraduate students by involving them as assistants in a research project. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with the participants and their written reflections, the study revealed that the students’ research engagement in various forms (e.g., workshop learning, individual and collaborative analysis, group consultation, presentations and critiquing) enhanced their CT skills (i.e., analysis, categorization, and interpretation) and CT dispositions (i.e., flexibility, adaptiveness, and open-mindedness). The students also actively transferred the CT acquired in the project to their own disciplinary context, language teaching, which benefited their professional learning as future language teachers. The findings indicate that when designing and implementing courses, workshops, or projects aimed at enhancing students’ CT, various dimensions need to be considered, including the degree of structured guidance, the collaborative arrangement, the integration of CT and content, as well as the students’ motivation, learning styles and preferences.

人们普遍认为，研究参与为学生提供了一个进行系统的探究过程的空间，这可以培养他们的批判性思维（CT）；然而，在何种程度上以及如何进行研究仍未得到充分研究。这项研究以从业人员研究（PR）的方法为基础，通过让他们作为研究项目的助手，探索了一群教育学学士（英语）本科生CT的发展。通过对参与者进行半结构化访谈的数据及其书面反思，研究表明，学生以各种形式（例如，车间学习，个人和协作分析，小组咨询，演示和批判）进行研究活动，提高了他们的CT技能（即分析，分类，和解释）和CT处置（即灵活性，适应性和开放性）。学生们还积极地将在项目中获得的CT转移到他们自己的学科环境中，即语言教学，这有利于他们作为未来的语言老师的专业学习。调查结果表明，在设计和实施旨在提高学生的CT的课程，讲习班或项目时，需要考虑各个方面，包括结构化指导的程度，协作安排，CT和内容的整合以及学生的动机，学习方式和偏好。作为未来的语言老师，他们的专业学习受益匪浅。调查结果表明，在设计和实施旨在提高学生的CT的课程，讲习班或项目时，需要考虑各个方面，包括结构化指导的程度，协作安排，CT和内容的整合以及学生的动机，学习方式和偏好。作为未来的语言老师，他们的专业学习受益匪浅。调查结果表明，在设计和实施旨在提高学生的CT的课程，讲习班或项目时，需要考虑各个方面，包括结构化指导的程度，协作安排，CT和内容的整合以及学生的动机，学习方式和偏好。