The Role of Technology Integration in Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills

Technological advances in the field of education encourage the need for the systematic integration of digital tools in the learning process to respond to the need for the development of high-level thinking skills, including critical thinking. This study aims to analyze the influence of educational technology integration on improving students' critical thinking skills, focusing on the relationship between the use of interactive digital media and analytical, evaluative, and reflective thinking skills. A quantitative method with a quasi-experimental design was used in this study, involving 60 junior high school students who were divided into experimental and control groups. Data were collected through critical thinking test instruments before and after treatment, and analyzed using paired t-tests and gain tests to measure effectiveness. The results showed a significant increase in the critical thinking scores of students in the experimental group compared to the control group, with a high effectiveness category. These findings suggest that the integration of technology in learning has an important role in driving students' deep cognitive development. This research contributes to strengthening the empirical basis for the effective implementation of technology-based learning, as well as encouraging the strategic use of digital media to optimize the development of critical thinking skills.