Reading mediation and the development of critical thinking in students.

Abstract

Persistent difficulties in reading comprehension and the limited coordination between support practices and the development of critical thinking highlighted the need to examine reading mediation among students. The study aimed to analyze the relationship between reading mediation and the development of critical thinking in the Ecuadorian educational context. A qualitative approach was employed, featuring a non-experimental, cross-sectional, documentary design with a descriptive scope, through the analysis of recent scientific literature retrieved from academic databases and organized using deductive, inductive, and analytical procedures. The results identified three main patterns: teacher guidance, family support, and dialogic interaction; furthermore, six dimensions of critical thinking were identified: interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, argumentation, and self-regulation. The evidence examined showed a strong association between reading comprehension and critical thinking, along with favorable results from explicit strategies and structured dialogue. These findings suggest that mediation becomes more effective when it goes beyond general motivation and incorporates pedagogical intent, contextualization, and active participation. It was concluded that guided, reflective, and socially situated reading constitutes a relevant approach to strengthening the development of well-founded judgments, without establishing causal relationships.