THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING MODEL ON STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH LEARNING

Abstract

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) plays a crucial role in developing students’ communication skills, critical thinking, and global competence. However, English learning in schools is often still teacher-centered, with students passively receiving information. This situation limits the development of students’ critical thinking skills in analyzing texts, understanding grammar and vocabulary, and producing meaningful English outputs. This study aims to investigate the effect of implementing the Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) model on students’ critical thinking skills in English learning at SMP Negeri 4 Payung. The study employed a quasi-experimental design using an Independent Sample T-Test. The population consisted of all seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 4 Payung during the 2022/2023 academic year. Using simple random sampling, class VII C was chosen as the experimental group and class VII D as the control group, each consisting of 30 students. Data were collected through a posttest of 10 essay questions designed to measure students’ critical thinking in English. Data analysis using SPSS 21 showed that the experimental class achieved a higher average posttest score (83.4) compared to the control class (74.1), with Sig. (2-tailed) = 0.001 < 0.05, indicating a significant effect of IBL on students’ critical thinking in English. These results confirm that the Inquiry-Based Learning model is effective in enhancing critical thinking skills in English learning