Junior high school teachers' perceptions and practices of inductive learning for supporting students' critical thinking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30762/f_m.v9i2.9636Keywords:
Critical Thinking, Inductive Learning, Conjugate GradientAbstract
Learning mathematics requires students to assess information, compare alternative solutions, and explain their reasoning. Yet, opportunities for students to engage actively in these processes depend on how mathematical learning is designed and enacted in the classroom. Guided inductive learning offers a relevant approach because it engages students in examining cases, identifying patterns, and constructing mathematical generalizations rather than receiving concepts solely through direct explanation. In this context, teachers’ perceptions and classroom practices are important because they may shape the opportunities provided for students to engage in critical-thinking processes. Therefore, this study explored junior high school mathematics teachers’ perceptions and practices of guided inductive learning in relation to students’ critical-thinking processes. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed with 12 junior high school mathematics teachers in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations and analysed using Moustakas’ phenomenological procedures. The findings revealed three interconnected themes: teachers’ conceptions and enactment of guided inductive learning, scaffolding of students’ critical-thinking processes, and pedagogical challenges and professional needs. Teachers described and enacted inductive learning as a structured process involving examples, pattern identification, generalization, guiding questions, collaborative discussion, justification, and adaptive scaffolding. However, limited instructional time, curriculum demands, and differences in students’ readiness affected its classroom enactment. Teachers also expressed a need for structured learning procedures, practical resources, and professional development. Overall, the findings describe how teachers understood and enacted guided inductive learning and how critical-thinking processes were reflected in the observed classroom activities.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Linda Herawati, Agus Maman Abadi, Kana Hidayati, Heri Retnawati, Wahyu Setyaningrum
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