Determinant factors that influence critical thinking skills of high school students

บทคัดย่อ

This research aims to determine the influence of problem-based learning and
learning styles on students’ critical thinking skills. The study finds that the
application of problem-based learning and preferences related to learning styles
are some of the variables that have an impact on students’ critical thought
skills. Learning that still focuses on memorization and the teacher’s role is
still dominant tends to cause low critical thinking abilities. This research uses
a quantitative approach with explanatory research and uses PLS-SEM
techniques for data analysis. The number of respondents is 100 high school
students with purposive sampling technique, with the respondents in the
Superior Category school, Medium and Low Category school. The results
showed that a problem-based learning model in learning had an impact on
improved critical thinking skills of high school students. Thus, adjusting
the learning style to student preferences has a positive impact on the critical
thinking skills of high school students. The synergy between problem-based
learning with the right learning styles significantly improves the ability to
think critically, thereby achieving optimal learning outcomes. These results
provide an empirical basis for designing more effective educational strategies,
equipping students for future intellectual and practical challenges. Practically,
with the implications of the results of this study, teachers can integrate various
learning strategies that are appropriate to the various learning styles of students,
and design activities that encourage students to think critically. To increase
understanding of critical thinking skills, further research needs to add cultural
variables, learning motivation, and differences in students’ cognitive abilities.