<![CDATA[Purpose – This study examines whether the REACT strategy (Relating, Experiencing, Applying, Cooperating, and Transferring) improves high school students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills in physics, particularly on thermodynamic laws. The study is grounded in the need for physics instruction that aligns with the Merdeka Curriculum.Methodology – The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group format. The sample consisted of 32 high school students at SMAN 8 Gowa, selected from the target population of learners studying thermodynamic laws. Students were assigned to an experimental group receiving instruction through the REACT strategy and a control group receiving conventional instruction. Data were collected using problem-solving and critical thinking tests administered before and after the intervention. The data were then analyzed comparatively to identify differences between groups and to determine the extent of improvement in both skills.Findings – The study found that students taught through the REACT strategy showed greater improvement than those taught through conventional instruction. In problem-solving, the experimental group’s mean score increased from 48.13 to 81.25 (a gain of 33.12 points), compared with an increase from 47.81 to 70.63 (22.82 points) in the control group. In critical thinking, the experimental group improved from 49.06 to 83.44 (34.38 points), whereas the control group rose from 48.75 to 72.19 (23.44 points).Contribution – This study contributes theoretically by extending the discussion of contextual learning, especially the REACT strategy, in physics education; empirically by providing evidence on its effect on students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills in thermodynamics; and practically by offering teachers a relevant instructional alternative for designing more active, contextual, and meaningful learning experiences under the Merdeka Curriculum.]]>
