Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills of Islamic Education Teachers in Relation to 21st-Century Learning Skills in Islamic Secondary Schools in Southern Thailand

บทคัดย่อ

This study investigates strategies to enhance critical thinking skills among Islamic education teachers in secondary schools of Southern Thailand, aligning with 21st‑century learning frameworks. It aims to assess current critical‑thinking levels, identify integration challenges, implement targeted professional development, and evaluate its impact on teaching practices. This mixed‑methods study thirty‑two teachers from four schools in Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala provinces completed a pre‑ and post‑intervention Critical Thinking Skills Questionnaire (CTSQ). A stratified sub‑sample of eight teachers participated in semi‑structured interviews, and post‑workshop classroom observations were conducted using a structured checklist. The intervention a 10‑hour professional development workshop series on inquiry‑based learning, Socratic questioning, and digital collaboration tools—yielded statistically significant gains in overall CTSQ scores (pre M = 61.2%, SD = 9.1; post M = 79.5%, SD = 6.8; t(31)=12.45, p<.001). Thematic analysis revealed initial related to lecture‑centered, time constraints, and digital‑tool, alongside post‑intervention shifts toward facilitator roles and enhanced student engagement in critical discourse. These findings demonstrate that targeted, 21st‑century–aligned professional development can meaningfully elevate teachers’ critical‑thinking competencies, fostering more dynamic, inquiry‑rich Islamic education classrooms. Sustained institutional support, expanded access to digital resources, and peer‑coaching networks are recommended to consolidate gains and scale the approach across diverse educational contexts.