The Impact of Pedagogical Deep Learning on Critical Thinking in Middle School Science

Abstract

This study examined the effect of pedagogical deep learning on seventh-grade students’ critical thinking skills in ecosystem science learning. Critical thinking is an essential competency for addressing complex scientific and environmental issues because students need to evaluate evidence, construct explanations, and make informed decisions. However, classroom practices often provide limited opportunities for students to engage in analysis, evaluation, reflection, and evidence-based reasoning. This study employed a quantitative quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group design involving 56 seventh-grade students from SMP 8 Muhammadiyah Bandung. Data were collected using an essay-based critical thinking test and analyzed through descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, normalized gain analysis, and ANCOVA. The results showed that both groups improved their critical thinking performance after instruction. However, the deep learning group demonstrated a higher mean improvement (19.14 points) than the comparison group (16.52 points). The difference in gain scores was statistically significant with a moderate effect size. ANCOVA analysis confirmed that the deep learning group maintained a significant posttest advantage after controlling for pretest performance. These findings indicate that pedagogical deep learning effectively supports higher-order cognitive development through meaningful, inquiry-oriented, and reflective learning processes. The study contributes empirical evidence for implementing Indonesia’s pedagogical deep learning framework in science education and provides practical implications for designing reasoning-oriented classroom instruction. Future studies should investigate its effectiveness across broader contexts using larger and more diverse samples.