Poetry’s Role in Shaping Critical Thinking in Indonesian Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Authors

Hamzah Puadi Ilyas, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka, Jakarta, IndonesiaFollow
Nani Solihati, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka, Jakarta, IndonesiaFollow
Istaryatiningtias Istaryatiningtias, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka, Jakarta, IndonesiaFollow

Abstract

This research investigated the role of poetry interpretation activities in fostering the development of critical thinking abilities among Indonesian English as a foreign language (EFL) students in a higher education setting. Given the scarcity of research in this area, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the subject. To this end, the research posed three research questions: (1) How does poetry influence the development of critical thinking abilities in EFL learners? (2) What types of critical thinking activities are facilitated by poetry? (3) How do students perceive the benefits of using poetry for critical thinking? A total of 27 students enrolled in a reading course participated in the research study by interpreting five poems in five meeting sessions. The study's findings were revealed through a focus group discussion and a qualitative open-response questionnaire. The data were analyzed using qualitative coding methods guided by the approach outlined by Saldaña (2021), which involved multiple stages of systematic and iterative analysis to identify, interpret, and categorize patterns within the data. The results indicated that the activity supported the deep-learning process, with the areas of critical thinking enhanced being comparing, contrasting, analyzing, questioning, evaluating, interpreting, guessing, concluding, and reflecting. Additionally, the students reported a positive impact from interpreting poetry, which, apart from training their language and communication skills, encouraged the development of analytical, evaluating, and interpretation skills, which are also important in learning other university courses.

Keywords

roles of poetry, critical thinking, EFL, higher education

Author Bio(s)

Hamzah Puadi Ilyas is an Associate Professor in the field of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) who obtained his Ph.D. from the University of York in the United Kingdom. His Ph.D. thesis was on the representation of critical thinking in Indonesian English textbooks and education. Beginning at the undergraduate level in English literature, he has consistently engaged in qualitative research for his final project, with his research topics and interests primarily focusing on creativity and critical thinking in the EFL context. Please direct correspondence to hamzahpuadi@uhamka.ac.id.

Nani Solihati is a professor in the field of Indonesian Language and Literature Education. Her research interests lie in the domain of Indonesian literature pedagogy and the cultivation of higher-order thinking skills. She serves as a national assessor for research proposals within the Department of Higher Education of Indonesia and frequently receives governmental research funding.

Istaryatiningtias is an associate professor in Education Administration. She currently serves as the department head for the Education Administration program at the graduate school level. Her research interests include the areas of classroom management and curriculum development.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the two primary parties for their invaluable contributions to this research. Firstly, the Uhamka Research Institute provided financial support, enabling the realization of this study. Secondly, the research participants who enthusiastically joined this research project and gave their consent to be the objects of the research deserve the utmost commendation for their dedication and cooperation.

Publication Date

12-31-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8215

Recommended APA Citation

Ilyas, H. P., Solihati, N., & Istaryatiningtias. (2025). Poetry’s role in shaping critical thinking in Indonesian learners of English as a foreign language. The Qualitative Report, 30(12), 4787-4803. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8215