Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills among form four physics students in Miri
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/ELSIM.vol1.1.3.2025Keywords:
Critical Thinking Skills, Physics Education, Gender, Socioeconomic Status, Form Four Students, HOTS, MalaysiaAbstract
Purpose – This study aims to assess the level of Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) among Form Four Physics students in Miri, Sarawak and to examine the influence of gender and socioeconomic status.
Methodology – A quantitative descriptive research design was employed with 131 students from three secondary schools in Senadin Zone, Miri. Data were collected using the Malaysian Critical Thinking Skills Instrument (MyCT) and analysed using IBM SPSS 25.0. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were conducted.
Findings – Students’ overall CTS was at a moderate level (M = 51.77, SD = 11.55). Reasoning (M = 54.53, SD = 14.84) and assumption (M = 56.87, SD = 22.16) were moderate, while analytical and logical skills were weak (M = 36.73, SD = 15.81). No significant difference was found across gender. However, socioeconomic status significantly influenced CTS, particularly in reasoning, with M40 and T20 students outperforming those from the B40 group.
Significance – Findings highlight the importance of strengthening Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Physics classrooms, ensuring equity for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and preparing students to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Downloads
References
Ennis, R. H. (1985). A logical basis for measuring critical thinking skills. Educational Leadership, 43(2), 44–48.
Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction. American Philosophical Association.
Facione, P. A. (2010). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts. Insight Assessment.
Malaysian Ministry of Education. (2013). Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025. Ministry of Education Malaysia.
OECD. (2018). Equity in education: Breaking down barriers to social mobility. OECD Publishing.
Partono, P., et al. (2021). Curriculum implementation and students’ critical thinking. Journal of Education Research, 45(2), 112–125.
Saleh, M., Muhammad, Z., & Syed Abdullah, R. (2020). Physics education and students’ misconceptions. Asian Journal of Science Education, 12(3), 45–56.
Wang, J. (2022). Project-based learning and critical thinking in science education. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(14), 55–67.
