Teacher moderating in synchronous online instruction and its correlation with students’ critical thinking

Understanding how online teacher moderating relates to students’ critical thinking is vital for designing effective instructional strategies in virtual learning. This study examined the characteristics of teacher moderating and its correlation with students’ critical thinking in a 16-week synchronous English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course conducted via Tencent QQ. Employing a mixed-methods design, transcripts of teacher – student interactions were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative coding identified types of teacher moderation and instances of critical thinking demonstrated by students, while statistical analysis explored their correlations. The findings revealed that teachers employed diverse moderating strategies that varied across communication modes (written vs. oral) and grouping contexts (individual, group and whole class). Moreover, students’ critical thinking performance showed a positive correlation with teacher moderating, indicating that effective moderation fosters deeper cognitive engagement in synchronous online EFL environments.