Comparing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Arithmetic Sequences: Self-Directed Learning versus Contextual Teaching and Learning

This study examined differences in students’ mathematical critical thinking skills between self-directed learning and contextual teaching and learning in arithmetic sequences and series. A quantitative approach employing a quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were 60 tenth-grade students at SMA Budi Satrya Medan, Indonesia, divided into two classes. Class XA comprised 30 students who received instruction through self-directed learning, whereas Class XB comprised 30 students who received instruction through contextual teaching and learning. Students’ mathematical critical thinking skills were assessed using posttest scores across four indicators: problem identification, analysis, problem solving, and conclusion drawing. The data were analyzed using a t-test. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with the calculated t-value of 6.33 exceeding the critical value of 2.01. Students taught through contextual teaching and learning achieved higher posttest scores than those taught through self-directed learning. The contextual teaching and learning group also obtained higher aggregate scores across all four critical thinking indicators. These findings indicate that contextual teaching and learning was associated with better mathematical critical thinking performance than self-directed learning in arithmetic sequences and series among the students studied.