Jurnal Ilmiah Sekolah Dasar
Vol 10 No 2 (2026): May

The The Relationship between Meaningful Learning and Critical Thinking Skills among Fifth-Grade Elementary School Students

Nugraha Widya Wisista (Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia)
Sri Marmoah (Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia)
Ayyas Yahya (Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia)
Sukarno (Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
25 May 2026

Abstract

Critical thinking is an essential 21st-century competency that should be developed from primary education. Although Meaningful Learning supports meaningful learning and higher-order thinking, students’ critical thinking skills remain underdeveloped. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationship between the Meaningful Learning approach and elementary school students' critical thinking skills. This study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational research design involving elementary school students as the research participants. Data were collected using a Meaningful Learning questionnaire and a critical thinking skills test developed based on Ennis's FRISCO framework. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis after fulfilling the required assumption tests. The findings revealed that students' Meaningful Learning level was categorized as moderate, while their critical thinking skills were categorized as fairly critical. Furthermore, the correlation analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between Meaningful Learning and students' critical thinking skills. These findings suggest that the development of critical thinking skills is influenced by multiple interacting factors rather than relying solely on a single instructional approach. The study implies that enhancing students' critical thinking skills requires the integration of Mindful Learning, Meaningful Learning, and Joyful Learning, supported by instructional strategies that promote problem solving, reflection, and higher-order thinking activities to create more meaningful and effective learning experiences in primary education.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JISD

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Jurnal Ilmiah Sekolah Dasar (JISD) adalah jurnal ilmiah yang diterbitkan oleh jurusan Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Pendidikan ganesha. Jurnal ini bertujuan untuk mewadahi artikel-artikel hasil penelitian dan hasil pengabdian masyarakat dibidang pendidikan dan ...