Enablers of critical thinking in STEM education identified through ISM–MICMAC and fuzzy AHP from teachers’ perspectives

This study aims to systematically model the enablers shaping STEM teachers’ critical-thinking abilities (CTAs) by employing a hybrid FAHP–ISM–MICMAC framework. Following a rigorous stages screening process based on a comprehensive literature review and expert validation, 20 key enablers were identified. ISM was applied to establish hierarchical relationships, while MICMAC analysis classified them according to their driving and dependence power, and weighted them using FAHP to address ambiguity. The conclusions reveal a complex impact: enablers demonstrate high perceived importance; the ISM hierarchy indicates that only the enabler “Effective Professional Approach” is considered extremely fundamental, further verified by a MICMAC analysis that classifies them into high-driving, low-dependence, which hold the entire system steady. FAHP analysis indicates that “Curriculum & Digitalization” has the most significant weight (0.3216). This study provides a systematic structure that helps the STEM education sector (STEMES) develop teacher professionals to strengthen CTAs, specifically in the Pakistani context.