<![CDATA[Islamic Education provides substantial opportunities to develop higher-order thinking through reflection, evidence-based reasoning, and engagement with religious concepts, yet conventional instruction often emphasizes memorization. This study examined the effectiveness of the McCarthy 4MAT model in developing critical thinking skills and Shari'a concepts among ninth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design involved 56 students from Shakhbout Bin Sultan High School in Al Ain, with 27 students receiving instruction based on the McCarthy 4MAT model and 29 receiving conventional instruction. Data were collected using a critical-thinking skills test covering six skills and a Shari'a concepts test and were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The experimental group achieved a higher posttest mean for overall critical thinking than the control group, with a statistically significant overall effect and a large effect size. Significant improvements favored the experimental group in deduction, distinguishing between fact and opinion, evaluating arguments, and accuracy in investigating events. No statistically significant differences were found for categorization or inference, possibly because these skills require more sustained development than the five-week intervention provided. The McCarthy 4MAT model also significantly improved students’ acquisition of Shari'a concepts, while critical thinking and Shari'a concept acquisition were positively related, with a stronger relationship in the experimental group. These findings indicate that integrating active learning through the McCarthy 4MAT model can strengthen critical thinking and conceptual understanding in Islamic Education. Its application may help teachers move beyond memorization toward reflective, analytical, and student-centered learning.]]>
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