Iranian Journal of Educational Research

en Enhancing Oral Argumentation and Speaking Skills through Critical Thinking-Based Instruction: A Pedagogical Framework for Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners Educational Psychology پژوهشي Original <div style="text-align: justify;">Objective: The objective of this study is to examine how critical thinking–based instruction can enhance oral argumentation and overall speaking proficiency among intermediate learners in Iranian EFL classrooms, where speaking instruction often prioritizes linguistic accuracy and fluency while neglecting the development of argumentation skills. Methods: This article adopts a conceptual and analytical approach grounded in existing scholarship on communicative language teaching, argumentation theory, and critical thinking, drawing on the works of Toulmin (2003), Kuhn (1991), Facione (1990), and Richards (2008). It reviews the theoretical connections between critical thinking and oral argumentation and analyzes the pedagogical characteristics and challenges of the Iranian EFL context. Based on this analysis, a practical pedagogical framework is proposed, built on four key principles: scaffolding, interaction, reasoning, and reflection. The framework is accompanied by suggested classroom activities and assessment strategies for developing oral argumentation skills. Results: The analysis indicates that incorporating critical thinking into speaking instruction can significantly support the development of learners’ oral argumentation skills, including the ability to justify opinions, provide evidence for claims, and respond to opposing viewpoints. The proposed framework demonstrates how structured instructional practices can foster greater coherence, organization, and persuasiveness in learners’ spoken discourse. Conclusions: Integrating critical thinking into speaking instruction offers strong potential for improving not only learners’ fluency but also the logical depth and effectiveness of their oral communication. The study highlights the pedagogical value of combining critical thinking with speaking activities in the Iranian EFL context and provides practical implications for teachers as well as directions for future research.</div> Critical thinking, Oral argumentation, Speaking skills, Pedagogical framework, Iranian EFL, Intermediate learners 0 0 http://ijer.hormozgan.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-602-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mehri Farzaneh mehrifarzaneh@pnu.ac.ir 0009-0006-3576-6358 Yes Department of English Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran