Critical Thinking and Creativity in Multimodal Text Writing: A Qualitative Study of Vocational High School Students within the Merdeka Curriculum Framework
Abstract
This qualitative research investigates how vocational high school students demonstrate critical thinking and creativity in composing multimodal texts within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms under Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum. Conducted in two schools in Bekasi with 20 eleventh-grade students, the study employed interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Findings reveal that students actively engaged in higher-order thinking processes—such as analyzing, evaluating, and integrating information—while creating multimodal texts. Creativity was evident in students’ use of original themes, personal experiences, and digital media integration. Teacher scaffolding and feedback played a crucial role in enhancing both critical thinking and creative expression. The study highlights the Merdeka Curriculum’s potential to foster autonomy, multimodal literacy, and student-centered learning. Theoretically, it contributes to the discourse on 21st-century skills in EFL contexts. Practically, it suggests pedagogical strategies for integrating multimodal tasks that cultivate students’ analytical and creative capacities.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30998/senndika.v2i2.8922
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