Review Journal of Higher-Order Thinking and Metacognition

I The Impact of Computational Thinking Skills on Mathematics Learning – Systematic Literature Review

The integration of CT serves as a vital bridge to transform mathematics pedagogy into a more explorative and meaningful experience, highlighting the urgent need for continuous teacher professional development and standardized CT assessment tools.

The Impact of Computational Thinking Skills on Mathematics Learning – Systematic Literature Review

Dual Nature of GenAI: Catalyst or Barrier for Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills? A Systematic Review

Aim/Purpose: This systematic literature review aims to comprehensively and critically synthesize the impacts of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools on students’ critical thinking (CT) and problem-solving (PS) skills. In addition, it seeks to identify key research gaps and contribute to the theoretical discussion of GenAI’s dual nature in education. Background: GenAI is increasingly integrated into educational contexts, prompting ongoing debate about its influence on CT and PS – essential 21st-century skills. Despite the rapid growth in interest in GenAI-supported learning, a clear synthesis of empirical evidence on its impact on these skills remains limited. Methodology: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of empirical studies published between 2022 and 2025 that examined the use of GenAI in relation to students’ CT and PS. In total, 173 records were included in the review. Contribution: This review advances a nuanced understanding of GenAI’s dual role in education by synthesizing current empirical evidence and providing a foundation for informed pedagogical, policy, and research decisions. Findings: Our systematic review has demonstrated that GenAI holds considerable potential to act as both a catalyst and a constraint in the development of students’ CT and PS. On one hand, GenAI can scaffold reflective inquiry, foster diverse perspectives, and support structured engagement with complex tasks. On the other hand, its widespread and often uncritical use raises concerns around dependency, superficial reasoning, and the erosion of independent PS and CT capacities. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings highlight the importance of designing learning environments that cultivate AI literacy, understood not merely as technical proficiency, but as the capacity to interrogate, contextualize, and critically engage with AI-generated content. Embedding AI literacy across educational contexts may help protect CT and PS while enabling responsible use of GenAI. Recommendation for Researchers: The review identified three major research gaps: a strong regional imbalance favoring high-income contexts; a predominance of self-reported and cross-sectional designs over experimental approaches; and a disproportionate focus on university students compared to earlier educational stages. Impact on Society: The findings suggest that the key issue is not whether GenAI will shape education, but how educational systems will shape its use. Evidence-based and deliberate integration of GenAI is essential if it is to support, rather than undermine, the development of students’ CT and PS. Future Research: Future studies should employ robust longitudinal and experimental designs to examine the long-term cognitive and developmental impacts of sustained use of GenAI, particularly in underexplored educational contexts.

Developing critical thinking in english teacher training programs - a systematic review

This study systematically reviews 36 recent research articles (2020–2024) on the development of critical thinking in teacher education for English as a foreign language. Although critical thinking is widely recognized as a core competency, recent studies remain fragmented regarding how it is conceptualized, taught, and assessed in English teacher education. This fragmentation makes an updated synthesis urgent amid recent pedagogical, intercultural, and digital transformations in teacher education. The PRISMA protocol was followed, and databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Redalyc were consulted, enabling an analysis of the geographical, methodological, theoretical, didactic, and contextual characteristics of the studies. Qualitative approaches predominate (61%), with a significant concentration in Asia (18 cases), followed by the Americas (8) and Europe (6). Among the theoretical frameworks identified, the cognitive approach (25%) and the sociocultural/sociocognitive approach (22%) stand out, highlighting the importance of connecting thinking with context and social interaction. Regarding didactic strategies, experiential learning (39.6%) is prominent, followed by critical or argumentative reflection (33.9%). However, major challenges remain: limited specialized training, curricular rigidity, and a persistent gap between theory and practice. The review maps recent trends, identifies persistent gaps, and offers pedagogical implications for strengthening critical thinking in English teacher education.

Development of a critical thinking assessment instrument based on Dieng's local context

Critical thinking is a crucial core competency in biology education; however, authentic assessments that integrate local wisdom remain limited. This study addresses the need for a valid and reliable critical thinking assessment instrument based on the local context of Dieng. An exploratory sequential mixed-method design was employed, encompassing stages of qualitative exploration, instrument development, expert validation, readability testing, and field trials. The limited trials were conducted on two groups consisting of 31 and 32 students, respectively, followed by a large-scale trial involving 201 senior high school students. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Rasch model with Winsteps version 3.73 to examine item validity, reliability, and unidimensionality. The qualitative findings identified four forms of local wisdom and fifteen local potentials of Dieng that were relevant to biology learning in Phases E and F of the Merdeka Curriculum. The Rasch analysis showed that the developed instrument demonstrated excellent item reliability (0.96) and acceptable unidimensionality (21.7%). In conclusion, this study successfully developed a psychometrically valid critical thinking assessment instrument that integrated Dieng local wisdom as an authentic context in biology learning. The instrument met validity and reliability criteria and was suitable for measuring students’ critical thinking skills in a contextual and meaningful manner.

Unlocking the Potential of Flipped Classroom Models in Elementary Education: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic review synthesized evidence on the barriers, enabling conditions, and outcomes of flipped classroom implementation in elementary education. A Scopus search on 13 February 2026 identified 265 records from 2016–2025, with PRISMA 2020 screening retaining 27 eligible studies. The included studies underwent structured thematic synthesis following methodological quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Teacher-related barriers (n = 11) and technological constraints (n = 10) predominated, while student readiness, family support, and contextual adaptation shaped implementation. Structured design (n = 16) and age-appropriate materials (n = 15) predominated, supported by teacher development, active pedagogy, motivation, and ecosystem readiness. Academic achievement (n = 16) and motivation and engagement (n = 14) predominated, alongside retention, higher-order thinking, socio-emotional development, and physical outcomes. However, competitive features increased anxiety, while complex motor tasks produced weaker outcomes when demands exceeded learner readiness. Conceptually, this review advances a developmentally grounded, systemic explanation of elementary flipped classroom implementation. It positions instructional alignment as the mechanism connecting technology, teacher capacity, learner readiness, family support, and institutional conditions. Successful implementation therefore depends on coherent relationships among these components and their adaptation to younger learners. These findings provide schools with evidence-based criteria for equitable, developmentally appropriate, and responsible implementation.