Perbandingan Efektivitas PBL Berdiferensiasi dan RME terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Matematis Peserta Didik SMP

Abstract

The development of students’ critical mathematical thinking skills is a crucial demand in 21st-century mathematics education, yet traditional instructional approaches in secondary schools often fail to foster these abilities, resulting in persistent low achievement and difficulties in solving contextual problems. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model combined with differentiated instruction and the PBL model with the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach in enhancing students’ critical mathematical thinking skills. A quantitative experimental design was employed involving two randomly selected groups of eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 3 Tasikmalaya. One group received PBL with differentiated instruction, while the other experienced PBL with the RME approach. Data were collected through validated essay-based posttests that measured five key indicators of critical mathematical thinking. The findings reveal a significant difference between the groups: students taught using PBL with RME demonstrated substantially higher mean scores in all indicators compared to those taught using PBL with differentiated instruction. The superiority of the RME approach is attributed to its contextual problem orientation and active knowledge construction, which better connect mathematical concepts to real-life situations and foster higher-order thinking. These results highlight the importance of integrating context-based and interactive learning models in mathematics classrooms to promote critical thinking. The study provides empirical evidence and practical recommendations for educators and policymakers to adopt and systematically implement contextually rich, student-centered instructional strategies for meaningful improvement in mathematical learning outcomes.