Amid the demands of 21st-century education, critical thinking can no longer be separated from language proficiency. The process of understanding problems, interpreting information, and formulating solutions requires not only logical accuracy but also clarity in language use. In the context of mathematics learning, this becomes increasingly relevant, particularly when students are faced with contextual problems that require not only computational precision but also the ability to comprehend meaning and situational context.
In response to this need, the study entitled “Correlation Between Linguistic Intelligence and Critical Thinking Skills in Solving Mathematical Problems on Matrix Algebra,” conducted by Leonardus Dimas Fernandatama, S.Pd.; Patricia Laras Hernawati, S.Pd.; and Anung Wicaksono, M.Pd., examines the relationship between linguistic intelligence in the Indonesian language and students’ critical mathematical thinking skills.
The findings of this study are expected to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how language contributes to cognitive processes, as well as to serve as a basis for reflection on more integrative and contextual teaching practices.
The following section presents the abstract, outlining the research objectives, methods, and key findings.
Abstrak
This study aims to investigate the correlation between linguistic intelligence in Indonesian and critical mathematical thinking in solving contextual problems. This study used a mixed methods approach, involving data from 204 eleventh-grade students at SMA Catholic St. Louis 1 Surabaya. A convergent parallel design was applied, with separate analyses conducted for quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlation tests to determine the relationship between linguistic intelligence and mathematical problem-solving ability. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically following the Miles and Huberman framework. Findings from both analyses were integrated through triangulation techniques to produce accurate and comprehensive interpretations. Results show that 30% of students demonstrated conceptual thinking, 14.5% semi-contextual thinking, and 55.5% computational thinking. Students’ linguistic abilities can be associated with six core components of critical thinking: interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, and self- regulation. Out of a total of 204 students, the average achievement for each component was 27.21% (interpretation), 20.59% (analysis), 21.32% (inference), 22.06% (evaluation), 20.59% (explanation), and 27.94% (self-regulation). This finding indicates that linguistic contributions can influence how students solve contextual problems. Furthermore, linguistic intelligence and mathematical intelligence exhibit a linear relationship, where individuals with high linguistic intelligence tend to have high logical thinking skills. Overall, these findings can help provide several practical implications for adapting problem-solving skills and effective teaching/learning.
Keywords
critical thinking; linguistic intelligence; mathematics; problem-solving
Full Text https://e-conf.usd.ac.id/index.php/icre/ICRE2025/paper/view/5318
