<![CDATA[Low critical thinking and learning independence among elementary students remain central challenges in Indonesian twenty-first-century education, where classroom practice is still dominated by memorization and teacher-led instruction. This study examined the effect of a deep learning approach on both competencies. A one-group pretest–posttest pre-experimental design was applied to 38 fifth-grade students at a public elementary school in Sumur Anyir. Data were collected via a critical thinking test and a learning independence questionnaire, then analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, effect sizes, and normalized gain (N-Gain). Mean critical thinking scores increased from 53.47 to 78.68 (t(37) = 33.63, p < .001, dz = 5.45) and learning independence scores from 57.47 to 79.66 (t(37) = 27.55, p < .001, dz = 4.47), both indicating very large effects. N-Gain scores fell in the moderate category (55.4% and 53.4%, respectively). The deep learning approach was associated with meaningful improvement in both variables; however, the absence of a control group precludes definitive causal conclusions.]]>
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