The Effectiveness of Using a Realistic Mathematics Approach in Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills School Base

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach in improving critical thinking skills of elementary school students. Through a systematic literature study of national and international scientific articles, this study found that the RME approach has a significant positive impact on improving students' critical thinking skills. This approach relies on real-world contexts that are relevant to students' lives, so that mathematical materials become more meaningful and easy to understand. The results of the study show that RME is able to improve various indicators of critical thinking, such as analytical, evaluation, interpretation, and inference skills, compared to conventional approaches. In addition, RME also encourages students' active involvement in the learning process, strengthens conceptual understanding, and builds problem-solving skills. By involving group discussions, mathematical modeling, and reflection, RME not only improves learning achievement but also fosters independent thinking and critical attitudes in dealing with contextual mathematical problems. Therefore, RME is recommended as an effective and relevant learning approach to be applied at the elementary education level.