Analysis of Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Geometry Learning Using Augmented Reality Through the Technology Acceptance Model

Technological innovation is still changing the face of mathematics teaching, providing fresh opportunities to create higher-order thinking and interest in students. Augmented Reality (AR) is a promising technology for geometry instruction, as it provides interactive visualizations that help students concretize abstract concepts effectively and meaningfully in classroom practice. However, its successful implementation depends not only on system availability but also on students’ cognitive readiness, particularly their critical thinking skills in accepting and using the technology. The article focuses on how the critical thinking abilities of junior high school students can be helpful in their acceptance of Augmented Reality (AR) in geometry learning based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The quantitative survey was conducted on 234 students of 13 schools in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study employed a quantitative approach using a survey design involving 234 students from 13 schools in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with SmartPLS 3 to evaluate construct validity, reliability, and the structural relationships among variables within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. As a complementary analysis, Fuzzy C-Means Clustering was applied to classify respondents into distinct groups in order to identify flexible patterns of technology usage characteristics. The results suggest that critical thinking skills also have a strong influence on the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use, which in turn influences the actual usage of the system by the students of AR-based learning applications. These results indicate that cognitive skills are significant predictors of technology acceptance and considerable learning. This study is theoretically relevant in that it builds on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by integrating the mental construct of critical thinking to mediate between the technology adoption theory and the views of cognitive learning in describing the issue of the adoption of emerging educational technologies among students.