Unveiling the Gap: A Qualitative Analysis of Junior High School Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Set Theory Mathematics Class VII

Abstrak

Critical thinking is a fundamental competency in 21st-century mathematics education, yet empirical evidence suggests that many Indonesian students remain in the low-to-moderate proficiency range. This study aims to analyze the critical thinking skills of junior high school students on set material using a descriptive qualitative approach. The research subjects consisted of six students from class VIII.1 MTs Negeri 1 Pekanbaru, selected purposively to represent high (n=2), medium (n=2), and low (n=2) ability levels. Data were collected through written tests comprising two essay items aligned with five critical thinking indicators—providing simple explanations, building basic skills, concluding, making further explanations, and applying strategies and tactics—supplemented by in-depth interviews. Data analysis employed a percentage formula and followed three stages: data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. Results revealed that the overall critical thinking performance reached only 49.16%, categorized as moderate. Performance on question one stood at 34.16% (low category) and on question two at 15% (very low category). Students across all ability groups struggled most with the concluding and further explanation indicators. These findings underscore an urgent need for pedagogical interventions that systematically cultivate critical thinking in set theory instruction at the junior high school level.

Kata kunci

• Analysis
• Critical thinking
• sets
• students ability