Among many existing teaching methods considered to improve speaking competence for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, one emerging and novel instructional approach is integrating critical thinking (CT) instruction into a speaking course. However, this teaching strategy is still unclear since synthesis studies in this research realm remain scarce. To address the gap, this study explored the effectiveness of teaching CT on EFL speaking competence. The current study adopted a three-level random-effects meta-analytic model, aiming to explore whether and how teaching CT influences EFL speaking competence based on 19 effect sizes from 11 primary studies involving 962 students. The findings showed a significant positive effect of teaching CT on EFL speaking competence with a large effect size (d =.630, p <.0001). Length of Instructional Time and Teaching Instruction were found as important moderators in the moderator analysis, which altered the effect of teaching CT on EFL speaking competence. However, no significant moderating effect was identified for Gender Differences and Education Level. Although incorporating CT instruction into a speaking class remains an innovative teaching pedagogy, teachers as practitioners are encouraged to implement it since students’ EFL speaking competence improves as long as teachers explicitly teach CT.

目前在眾多被認為可以提高以英語為外語(EFL)的學習者口語能力的現有教學方法中，一種新興而新穎的教學方法是將批判性思維(CT)教學融入口語課程。因為該領域的綜合研究仍然缺乏，因此這種教學策略的有效性尚未清楚，為了解決此研究空白，本研究探討CT教學對EFL學習者的口語能力提高的有效性。本研究採用了三層隨機效應元分析模型，旨在通過對11篇研究中的19個效應量涉及962名學生進行分析，從而可以了解到CT教學是否以及如何影響EFL學習者的口語能力。研究結果顯示，CT教學對EFL學習者的口語能力提高有顯著的正面影響且效應量較大（d = .630，p < .0001）。在調節變量分析中，教學時長和教學方法是影響CT教學對EFL學習者的口語能力的重要調節變量。然而，性別差異和教育水平暫未被發現其對研究問題的調節作用。儘管將CT教學融入口語課堂仍然是一種創新的教學方法，但是鼓勵教育工作者嘗試實施這一舉措因為只要教師很明確的使用了CT進行教學，EFL學習者的口語能力是可以得到提高的。