EFFECTIVENESS OF PICTURE STORY–BASED MINDFUL LEARNING IN IMPROVING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS OF 5–6-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of mindful learning based on picture stories in improving the critical thinking skills of children aged 5–6 years. The research employed a true experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group design. Participants consisted of 60 kindergarten children in Pekanbaru, divided into an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30) using simple random assignment. Data were collected using an observation sheet of critical thinking skills covering four indicators: questioning, reasoning, cause–effect connection, and concluding. The instrument’s content validity index (CVI) was 0.89. Data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test after meeting normality and homogeneity assumptions. Results revealed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups (t(58) = 4.92, p < .001) with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.85). The findings indicate that mindful learning based on picture stories effectively enhances young children’s critical thinking skills.