<![CDATA[This study aims to examine the effect of the Thinking Aloud Pair Problem-Solving integrated with an Open-Ended Approach (TAPPS-OE) on students’ critical thinking (CT), mathematical communication (MC), and self-confidence (SC) compared to direct instruction. The study employed a quasi-experimental method using a pretest–posttest non-equivalent control group design. The participants consisted of 56 junior high school students in Indonesia, with 28 students in the experimental group and 28 students in the control group. The instruments included tests of critical thinking and mathematical communication, as well as a self-confidence questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students’ performance, while inferential analysis was conducted using the Mann–Whitney U test. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups at the pretest stage, indicating comparable initial abilities. At the posttest stage, there were significant differences in critical thinking and mathematical communication between the two groups, favoring the experimental group, while no significant difference was found in self-confidence. These findings indicate that the TAPPS-OE model has an impact on students’ critical thinking and mathematical communication, but has no impact on self-confidence. In conclusion, the integration of structured verbal interaction and open-ended problem-solving provides a meaningful learning experience that supports the development of students’ higher-order thinking and communication skills. This study suggests that TAPPS-OE can be considered as an alternative approach to support more active and student-centered mathematics learning.]]>
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