# Exploring the impact of family background and English as a foreign language teachers’ feedback literacy on undergraduates’ critical thinking styles

## TL;DR

This study explores how family background and EFL teachers' feedback literacy influence undergraduates' critical thinking styles in Chinese universities.

## Contribution

The study reveals how family background and teacher feedback literacy interact to shape students' critical thinking styles.

## Key findings

- Students from more advantaged families were more likely to be Engagers, while those from less advantaged backgrounds were more likely to be Seekers.
- Higher EFL teacher feedback literacy was linked to a greater likelihood of the Seeker style.
- Family educational capital and EFL teacher feedback literacy interacted, with the effect of feedback literacy being stronger for students from families with lower educational capital.

## Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between family background and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ feedback literacy on the critical thinking styles of undergraduates in Chinese universities.

We collected data from 1,454 undergraduates using the validated measures of the validated measures of the University of Florida Critical Thinking Inventory (UFCTI) and the EFL Teacher Feedback Literacy Scale. In addition, they reported on family background indicators, including parental education level, family income and family educational capital. We conducted chi-square tests and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses with two types of critical thinking styles as dependent variables.

The study revealed the following findings: (1) Students from more advantaged families were more likely to be Engagers, whereas students from less advantaged backgrounds were more likely to be Seekers. (2) Higher EFL teacher feedback literacy was associated with a greater likelihood of the Seeker style. (3) There was a significant interaction between family educational capital and EFL teacher feedback literacy; specifically, the effect of EFL teacher feedback literacy on critical thinking styles in students from families with lower educational capital was enhanced.

The results of this study indicate that critical thinking styles are contextually sensitive cognitive approaches, which impacted by both an individual’s family background and the ecology of feedback received in EFL classes. Besides, educators and policymakers should design feedback and support systems that recognize style diversity while mitigating inequalities linked to family background.