Profile of Critical Thinking Skills of Elementary School Students in Surakarta City Based on Elements Curriculum Merdeka

Abstract

One of the focuses of education in Indonesia today is improving students’ critical thinking skills. This focus is evident by incorporating the dimension of critical thinking as one of the characteristics that must be developed in the Merdeka curriculum. This research aims to determine the profile of critical thinking skills among elementary school students in Surakarta city as a consideration for the implementation of the Merdeka curriculum. This study used a survey method. The sample consisted of 225 Phase B Grade IV students from 9 elementary schools located in 5 districts in Surakarta city. The sample selection was carried out using purposive sampling, with each district being represented by 2 elementary schools. The research instrument used is a case study-based written test. Questions on the research instrument are formulated based on elements and sub-elements of critical thinking skills derived from government regulations on the Pancasila Student Profile in the Merdeka curriculum. The data was analyzed quantitatively using a descriptive approach. The research results indicate that students’ critical thinking skills fall into the low category at 57%, the moderate category at 26%, and the high category at 17%. Based on this data, it can be concluded that the average critical thinking skills of elementary school students in Surakarta city can be categorized as low or inadequate.