The influence of the TaRL approach on the critical thinking ability of Elementary School Students in mathematics subject

The results of the PISA study revealed the low critical thinking skills of students in Indonesia, especially in mathematics. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) strategy on the critical thinking skills of fourth grade elementary school students in solving arithmetic problems in Yogyakarta. This study used a quantitative approach with a nonequivalent control group experimental design. The instruments used included essay tests, observation sheets, and documentation. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and t-tests to test the hypothesis. The results of the analysis showed that the TaRL strategy significantly improved students' critical thinking skills in four main aspects. The t-test produced a significance value of 0.000 (<0.05), indicating a significant difference between the experimental and control groups. The average posttest score of the experimental group reached 81.5, higher than the control group which obtained an average of 76. Illustrations of this increase are seen in students' abilities to identify problems, analyze information, evaluate solutions, and convey arguments logically. These findings indicate that the TaRL strategy is not only effective in improving learning outcomes but also contributes to strengthening students' critical thinking skills from an early age. Thus, the implementation of TaRL can be an alternative adaptive and transformative learning strategy to improve the quality of basic education in Indonesia.