<![CDATA[The improvement of critical thinking skills is a key demand of the Merdeka Curriculum, which emphasizes student-centered learning and the development of higher-order thinking skills. However, the critical thinking abilities of junior high school students have not yet developed optimally, particularly in environmental pollution topics that require scientific analysis, reasoning, and decision-making. This study aimed to describe the improvement of students’ critical thinking skills through the implementation of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) approach combined with a classroom discussion model in class VII-H of SMP Negeri 14 Surabaya. This research employed a quantitative approach using a one-group pretest–posttest design. The research procedures included administering a pretest, implementing SSI-based learning on environmental pollution topics, and administering a posttest. The research instrument consisted of an essay test measuring critical thinking skills across five indicators: providing simple explanations, building basic skills, drawing conclusions, providing further explanations, and developing strategies and tactics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, N-Gain analysis, the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, and a paired sample t-test. The results showed that all critical thinking indicators improved, with N-Gain values in the moderate to high categories. The paired sample t-test results indicated a Sig. (2-tailed) value of < 0.001, demonstrating a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores. Therefore, the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) approach is effective in improving students’ critical thinking skills on environmental pollution topics. ABSTRAK Peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis merupakan tuntutan Kurikulum Merdeka yang menekankan pembelajaran berpusat pada murid dan pengembangan keterampilan berpikir tingkat tinggi. Namun, kemampuan berpikir kritis murid SMP masih belum berkembang secara optimal, khususnya pada materi pencemaran lingkungan yang menuntut analisis, penalaran, dan pengambilan keputusan berbasis sains. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis murid melalui penerapan pendekatan Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) yang dipadukan dengan model classroom discussion pada murid kelas VII-H SMP Negeri 14 Surabaya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain one-group pretest and posttest. Prosedur penelitian meliputi pemberian pretest, penerapan pembelajaran berbasis SSI pada materi pencemaran lingkungan, dan pemberian posttest. Instrumen penelitian berupa tes uraian kemampuan berpikir kritis yang mencakup lima indikator, yaitu memberikan penjelasan sederhana, membangun keterampilan dasar, menyimpulkan, memberikan penjelasan lebih lanjut, serta mengatur strategi dan taktik. Data dianalisis menggunakan statistik deskriptif, uji N-Gain, uji normalitas Shapiro–Wilk, dan uji paired sample t-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa seluruh indikator kemampuan berpikir kritis mengalami peningkatan dengan kategori N-Gain sedang hingga tinggi. Hasil uji paired sample t-test menunjukkan nilai Sig. (2-tailed) < 0,001, yang menandakan adanya perbedaan signifikan antara nilai pretest dan posttest. Dengan demikian, pendekatan Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) efektif dalam meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis murid pada materi pencemaran lingkungan. ]]>
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