The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking Skills in Elementary School Students

Abstrak

Critical thinking is an essential skill that students must possess to face the challenges of the 21st century. One of the factors influencing critical thinking skills is emotional intelligence. This study aims to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and students’ critical thinking skills in flat geometry material. The research employed a quantitative method with a correlational approach. The sample consisted of 60 fifth-grade elementary school students selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using an emotional intelligence questionnaire and an essay test on critical thinking skills. The results of the analysis indicated that the correlation coefficient was greater than the critical value (0,568 > 0,254) with a significance value of < 0,001, which is lower than the 0.05 threshold. Therefore, there is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills. The degree of correlation is 0,568 which falls into the medium category. The average emotional intelligence score was 80, while the average critical thinking score was 58, both categorized as medium. These findings confirm that emotional intelligence plays an important role in supporting the development of students’ critical thinking skills.

Kata kunci

• Critical Thinking Skills
• Emotional Intelligence
• elementary school
• flate shap