Building Critical Thinking Skills of Elementary School Students through Contextual Social Studies Learning
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Abstract
The aims of this study is to investigate students critical thinking skills thorugh contextual social studies learning. Critical thinking is an essential skill that students need to develop from an early age, especially at the elementary school level. One subject with significant potential to foster critical thinking skills is Social Studies. Contextual Social Studies learning, which connects the lesson material to real-life situations around students, can increase student engagement and encourage them to think more critically and analytically. The research method used is a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), encompassing article relevant and recent references from national and international journals published since 2020 until 2025, focusing on the development of critical thinking skills in elementary school students through contextual social studies learning. Based on the review results of recent literature, this article identifies various strategies that can be applied in the classroom, such as problem-based learning, project-based learning, and the use of discussions and debates. Furthermore, this article also discusses the challenges that may arise in implementing this approach, including limited resources and teacher readiness. The research concluded are expected to find connections between theory and recent practices in social studies education, demonstrating how contextual learning can contribute to improving students' critical thinking skills.
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