IJIET 2026 Vol.16(3): 826-837
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.3.2555
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.3.2555
Factors Influencing Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition in Case-Based Method Learning
Hendra Hidayat1,*, Hafizul Fahri Hanafi2, Muhammad Anwar1, Hadi Kurnia Saputra1,
Anggarda Paramita Muji3, and
Randi Proska Sandra1
1. Department of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
2. Department of Computer Science and Digital Technology, Faculty of Computing and Meta-technology, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia
3. Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
Email: hendra.hidayat@ft.unp.ac.id (H.H.); hafizul@meta.upsi.edu.my (H.F.H.); muh_anwar@ft.unp.ac.id (M.A.); hadiksaputra@ft.unp.ac.id (H.K.S.); anggardaparamitamuji@gmail.com (A.P.M.); randiproska@ft.unp.ac.id (R.P.S.)
*Corresponding author
2. Department of Computer Science and Digital Technology, Faculty of Computing and Meta-technology, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia
3. Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
Email: hendra.hidayat@ft.unp.ac.id (H.H.); hafizul@meta.upsi.edu.my (H.F.H.); muh_anwar@ft.unp.ac.id (M.A.); hadiksaputra@ft.unp.ac.id (H.K.S.); anggardaparamitamuji@gmail.com (A.P.M.); randiproska@ft.unp.ac.id (R.P.S.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received July 12, 2025; revised August 11, 2025; accepted September 25, 2025; published March 19, 2026
Abstract—Previous research has predominantly examined the effectiveness of learning applications through experimental designs, yet few have explored how these technologies shape students’ internal cognitive and psychological skills. This study makes a novel contribution by embedding a smart learning application within an integrated psychological-cognitive framework, i.e., prior knowledge, metacognition, cognitive engagement, and self-regulated learning, to explain the development of critical thinking disposition. The learning process was designed using the case method, involving 369 undergraduates in the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia. Data were collected via an online survey and analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 3 and Fuzzy C-Means Clustering (FCM) with JASP. Results of the direct effect analysis show that prior knowledge and metacognitive do not directly influence critical thinking, while cognitive engagement and self-regulated learning exert significant positive effects. Indirect effect analysis further indicates that prior knowledge and metacognitive significantly affect critical thinking when mediated by cognitive engagement and self-regulated learning. Clustering analysis reveals that most respondents engage with the application at a moderate level. Therefore, targeted interventions such as scaffolding strategies to guide learning processes, adaptive feedback to foster metacognitive monitoring, and gamification elements to sustain motivation are essential for enhancing engagement, reducing passive use, and maximizing the educational impact of smart learning technologies.
Keywords—critical thinking disposition, case-based method, smart learning application, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Fuzzy C-Means Clustering (FCM)
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—critical thinking disposition, case-based method, smart learning application, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Fuzzy C-Means Clustering (FCM)
Cite: Hendra Hidayat, Hafizul Fahri Hanafi, Muhammad Anwar, Hadi Kurnia Saputra, Anggarda Paramita Muji, and Randi Proska Sandra, "Factors Influencing Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition in Case-Based Method Learning," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 826-837, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).