“Educational materials and critical thinking skills of grade 12 humss students”

In the past few years, there has been a growing focus on studying the things that affect how
well students can think critically while they learn. It is universally recognized that the quality of
education is a crucial determinant in shaping the future success of individuals and societies as a
whole.
Educational materials are resources designed to help people learn, such as textbooks,
workbooks, and educational software. Critical thinking is defined as the ability to think
rationally and logically. Critical thinking is an active process that involves, analyzes, learns and
observes problems to get final conclusions (Fattahi & Haghverdi, 2015). In education,
developing critical thinking skills is essential for students to become independent learners and
make well-informed decisions.
Educational materials can interfere with students’ ability to acquire knowledge and develop
critical thinking skills. The need for deep thinking is the basis for students to train their critical
thinking skills, demanding that teachers build a teaching and learning process that involves
students in full. The teacher must arrange learning scenarios with certain methods for students
to find something from the process of observation and direct action. This is expected so that
they are trained to think more critically which can be seen in their attitudes and actions in doing
each task given (Fahmi et al., 2019).
The educational resources and the development of critical thinking abilities among students are
closely intertwined. Educational materials play a crucial role in shaping students’ understanding
of various subjects and concepts. These materials can include textbooks, online resources,
multimedia presentations, and interactive learning tools. For students in higher education,
critical thinking and the ability to communicate it in a variety of ways are vital in learning and
using discipline-specific knowledge (Halpern 2014). By providing students with well-designed
and comprehensive educational materials, educators can enhance their learning experiences
and foster the development of critical thinking skills.
Keshav (2017) states that, instructional materials greatly influence education quality and
standards and they affect the teaching and learning process. When instructional materials are
properly used, they help to consolidate learning in the learner’s mind. Indeed, learners with
critical thinking learn many abilities and competencies which improve their effectiveness. As a
result, this factor results in the learners’ success (Yarmohamadzade et al., 2013). The use of
instructional materials therefore, becomes very crucial in improving the overall quality of the
learning experiences of students.
Student’s critical thinking ability can be improved through a good learning process. For that, the
learning process should be packaged in such a way that students are actively involved in the
classroom. The effort to obtain these results is to improve the quality of learning through the
use of good teaching materials. A lot of phenomena in everyday life are needed to be criticized,
especially by students as the younger generation of the nation. For that, it needs to be trained
by lecturers in the learning process through the development of teaching materials that
support the achievement of improving students’ critical thinking skills in lectures and applied in
the community (Nanik et al,. 2018).
In the study by (Setyowati et al., 2018) Enhancing students critical thinking skills involves
incorporating an active learning environment in the classroom. In today’s context, critical
thinking paramount in daily life, and educators plays a pivotal role in developing this skill among
students. Therefore, teaching materials that promote critical thinking should be integral to the
learning process, both within academic settings and in practical applications within the
community.
The study by Nwike (2013) reported that students who were taught with specially designed
Instructional materials had better critical thinking skills than those who were not. The study by
Nussifera et al. (2017) added that students who used textbooks designed with multiple
representations in learning had better critical thinking skills than those who used conventional
textbooks. The use of e-books in learning has also been reported to improve students’ critical
thinking skills (Rosida, Fadiawati, & Jalmo, 2017; Qibtiya & Kustijono 0.2018).
The issue of educational materials and critical thinking skills of students worldwide has a broad
impact, influencing various stakeholders across the education landscape. Teachers and
educators are directly affected as they often rely on these materials to design lesson plans,
facilitate discussions, and assess student learning. Research analysing the critical thinking skills
of junior and senior high school students in several regions in Indonesia was carried out from
2016 to 2021, and all studies concluded that students’ critical thinking skills are low. (Hidayati,
Fadly, & Ekapti, 2021; Khoirunnisa & Sabekti, 2020; Sudrajat, Disman, & Waspada, 2021;
Rosmalinda, Syahbana, & Nopriyanti, 2021; Wayudi et al.2020; Rahmawati, Hidayar, & Rahayu,
2016; Nuryanti et al.2018; Susilawati et al.2020).
As the result of the study of Susilawati et al., (2020), 64% of high school students have very
low critical thinking skills and 21% of students are included in the medium group, and
15% of students have very low critical thinking skills. Additionally, URM. S, 2019, 2018
National Achievement Test (NAT) 6, 10, AND 12 Results and Analysis, Registered that Critical
Thinking Skills received the lowest mean which indicate the very low performance of students
in Grade 6, 10 and 12. Overall, the region was not able to surpass the 75% level of proficiency
and accuracy in all subject areas for Grade 6,10 and 12 as exhibited in the results of the 21 st
century Skills and learning areas tested.
To achieve this goal, the Department of Education has implemented various policies,
programs, and initiatives that aim to enhance critical thinking skills among learners. These
include the integration of critical thinking in the K-12 curriculum, the promotion of inquiry-
based learning, and the provision of professional development opportunities for the
teachers (DepEd Order 021, 2019). Some teachers would even go out of their way in seeking
out other strategies which will help improve such skills among their learners.
The availability of various educational materials has enabled students to access diverse
perspectives and enhance their ability to analyze and evaluate information critically, thereby
contributing to the cultivation of essential critical thinking skills. These skills are important for
success in school and in life, as they enable individuals to think critically and come up with
innovative solutions to complex problems.
Based on that mind, teachers’ needs to develop a teaching material that contain critical and
creative thinking Skills in the industrial revolution 4.0. Therefore, it is important for teachers to
design systematically teaching materials that are consistent with the vision to improve
students’ ability to explore knowledge independently and to develop their thinking skills with
every way. The compiled teaching material should be mindful of the Presence of appropriate
strategies and models to realize learning processes necessary to develop the students’
Potential.
The researchers conducted this study to explore how the educational materials may affect the
critical thinking skills of grade 12 HUMSS students. By investigating this relationship, the
researchers aims to provide valuable insights that can help improve the quality of education for
these students.
This quantitative research will contribute important evidence to guide decision-making
processes aimed at enhancing critical thinking skills and ultimately improving the educational
outcomes of grade 12 HUMSS students.
Conceptual framework
With the concept in mind, the researchers are able to come up with the paradigm of the study.
The variables used in the study are illustrated in Figure 1:

Independent variable
Educational materials

Dependent variable
Critical thinking skills
Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the independent and dependent
variables.

Statement of the problem and hypothesis

This study aimed to determine educational materials and critical thinking skills of grade 12
HUMSS students for the school year 2023-2024

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1.) What is the educational materials of grade 12 HUMSS students?
2.) What is the level of critical thinking skills of grade 12 HUMSS students of Capiz
National High School in terms of:
a. Analysis
b. Interpretation
c. Explanation
3.) Is there a significant relationship between educational materials and critical thinking
skills of grade 12 HUMSS students of Capiz National High School?
4.) Is there a significant difference between the level of critical thinking skills of grade
12 HUMSS students?

There is no significant relationship between educational materials and and critical thinking skills
of grade 12 HUMSS students of Capiz National High School.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study was focused and limited to Educational materials and critical thinking skills of grade
12 HUMSS students of Capiz National High School for the school year 2023-2024. The
respondents were selected through the random sampling technique.
Random sampling technique was employed in this study The respondents of this study were the
Grade 12 HUMSS students of Capiz National High School of Roxas City, Capiz. They were
determined as complete enumeration in selecting respondents.
The independent variables covered in this study were Educational materials. The dependent
variable was the Critical thinking skills of Grade 12 HUMSS students.
The data needed for this investigation were gathered through the use of researcher-made
survey questionnaire on the Educational materials, researcher-made survey questionnaire on
the Critical thinking skills to determine the academic performance of Grade 12 HUMSS
students.
This research focuses on Educational materials and critical thinking skills of Grade 12 HUMSS
students of Capiz National High School. The study will collect data through surveys and use
statistical analysis to understand the strength of this relationship. However, findings may only
apply to Grade 12 HUMSS students at Capiz National High School, during the 2023-2024
academic year.

Definition of Terms
For the purpose of clarity and understanding, the following terms were defined conceptually
and operationally:
Educational materials refers to materials include textbooks, online resources, multimedia
presentations, and interactive learning tools.
Critical thinking skills refers to the ability to think rationally and logically. Critical thinking is an
active process that involves, analyzes, learns and observes problems to get final conclusions.
Students is a person in a particular institute of learning who want to acquire knowledge, skills,
value or competence.
Significance of the study
The findings of this study will provide useful information and it could be highly significant and
beneficial specifically to the following:
Educators and Curriculum Planners. This research study can offer statistically supported
evidence of the impact of specific educational materials on the development of critical thinking
skills among grade 12 HUMSS students. It can guide educators and curriculum planners in
making data-driven decisions about instructional approaches and resource allocation.
Policy Makers and Educational Institutions. This research study can provide empirical evidence
to support policy decisions related to curriculum design and the selection of educational
materials. It can demonstrate the effectiveness of certain materials in fostering critical thinking
skills, influencing the direction of educational policies and resource distribution.
Teachers. This research study will help teachers to optimize their instructional strategies and
the selection of educational materials, leading to more effective cultivation of critical thinking
skills among students.
Students. This research study will be beneficial to the students by identifying which educational
materials are most beneficial for their critical thinking development, allowing them to take a
more active role in their learning process.
Parents. This study will help parents with evidence-based information on the effects of
educational materials on their children’s critical thinking skills, enabling them to better support
their children’s education.
Future Researcher. This research study will be highly beneficial to the future researchers for this
study will serve as their basis to gather information and ideas which will be related their current
study. They will be free to use this study as their review of related literature.