Integrating Literary Texts into Japanese Language Education A Literature-Based Approach to Fostering Critical Thinking
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Abstract
In Japanese language education, fostering learners’ critical thinking skills has become an important pedagogical goal. Previous studies have shown that reading activities contribute to comprehension and basic analysis, yet offer limited opportunities for higher-order thinking. This study aims to examine the potential of literary texts as pedagogical resources for fostering critical thinking, with a particular focus on value-laden conflicts and evaluative reasoning embedded in narratives. Drawing on Kusumi’s model of critical thinking and Paul and Elder’s intellectual standards, the study analyzes literature-based teaching materials developed from the Downtown Rocket series. The analysis demonstrates how literary texts can support learners’ progression from comprehension to analysis, evaluation, and application by encouraging perspective shifts and value-based judgment. These findings suggest that literary texts can function not only as reading materials but also as structured pedagogical resources that systematically support the development of higher-order thinking in Japanese language education.
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