Inanna, Rahmatullah
This research aims to determine the influence of problem-based learning and learning styles on students’ critical thinking skills. The study finds that the application of problem-based learning and preferences related to learning styles are some of the variables that have an impact on students’ critical thought skills. Learning that still focuses on memorization and the teacher’s role is still dominant tends to cause low critical thinking abilities. This research uses a quantitative approach with explanatory research and uses PLS-SEM techniques for data analysis. The number of respondents is 100 high school students with purposive sampling technique, with the respondents in the Superior Category school, Medium and Low Category school. The results showed that a problem-based learning model in learning had an impact on improved critical thinking skills of high school students. Thus, adjusting the learning style to student preferences has a positive impact on the critical thinking skills of high school students. The synergy between problem-based learning with the right learning styles significantly improves the ability to think critically, thereby achieving optimal learning outcomes. These results provide an empirical basis for designing more effective educational strategies, equipping students for future intellectual and practical challenges. Practically, with the implications of the results of this study, teachers can integrate various learning strategies that are appropriate to the various learning styles of students, and design activities that encourage students to think critically. To increase understanding of critical thinking skills, further research needs to add cultural variables, learning motivation, and differences in students’ cognitive abilities. © 2026 Kasetsart University.
Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, 90222, Indonesia
