Critical thinking ability and learning independence: predictors of Physical Education academic achievement

Introduction: Academic ability plays a crucial role in student success, particularly in mastering critical thinking skills. Students with strong academic performance are typically better at formulating ideas and solving problems logically. In the context of Physical Education (PE), cognitive and affective skills such as critical thinking and learning independence are essential for academic achievement. Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship between critical thinking skills and learning independence with academic achievement in Physical Education. Methodology: This is a correlational study involving 128 eleventh-grade students (72 males, 56 females; aged 14–15 years) from Senior High School 1 Pleret. Data on critical thinking and learning independence were collected using Likert-scale questionnaires. Academic achievement was measured using PE report card scores. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 with a significance level of p < 0.05. Discussion: The findings indicate that both critical thinking skills (p = 0.000) and learning independence (p = 0.001) significantly affect academic achievement in PE. Together, these variables contributed 45.60% to the variance in PE academic performance. These results affirm the importance of fostering cognitive and independent learning skills within PE instruction. Conclusions: Critical thinking and learning independence significantly influence PE academic achievement. Therefore, integrating these skills into PE curricula is recommended. Future development of instructional models should focus on enhancing students' critical thinking and independence to support active engagement and academic accountability across learning activities.