A Quasi-Experimental Study: Integrating To’dopuli Mandar into Debate Camp for the Development of Senior High School Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

Critical thinking is a core twenty-first-century competency essential for addressing complex global challenges. However, PISA 2022 results indicate that Indonesian students’ critical thinking skills remain relatively low, partly due to teacher-centered and less contextualized learning practices. This study examines the effectiveness of a To’dopuli Mandar-based Debate Camp model in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills. A quantitative approach was employed using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest nonequivalent control group design involving two eleventh-grade classes at SMAN 2 Majene. Data were collected through a validated critical thinking test and analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, Mann–Whitney U test, and N-Gain analysis. The results show a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.001), with an N-Gain score of 0.49, indicating a moderate level of improvement. These findings suggest that while the model effectively enhances critical thinking development., the development of higher-order thinking skills remains gradual and requires sustained instructional support. This study highlights that the effectiveness of debate-based learning should be understood not only in terms of measurable improvement but also in relation to the depth and progression of cognitive