META-ANALYSIS AND BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW: COMPARISON OF DIGITAL AND NON-DIGITAL INNOVATION MEDIA IN CONTEXTUAL LEARNING FOR ENHANCING CRITICAL THINKING IN SCOPUS-INDEXED SCIENCE PUBLICATIONS (2020-2024)
Abstract The development of a curriculum through a contextual approach is widely recognized as an effective way to enhance students' critical thinking skills. To improve critical thinking, the contextual approach employs two main types of innovations: digital media (including augmented reality, virtual classes, and digital games) and non-digital innovations (SSCS, PBL, and Thinking Empowerment). However, debate exists on whether digital media's immersive engagement or non-digital methods' personalized, hands-on experience is more effective for delivering contextual learning and enhancing critical thinking. This study performs a meta-analysis and bibliometric analysis to assess the effectiveness of contextual learning using both digital and non-digital media in boosting critical thinking skills. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, a literature search identified 16 studies published between 2020 and 2024 that met the inclusion criteria. These studies were analyzed using VOS-viewer to visualize research trends and SPSS for statistical tests, including ANCOVA with effect size. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test result was 0.081 > α 0.05, Levene's test result was 0.259 > α 0.05, ANCOVA significance was 0.927 > α 0.05, and the effect size was 0.001. The findings indicate that both digital and non-digital media effectively enhance critical thinking skills, with no significant difference in their effectiveness. This implies that the choice between digital and non-digital methods should depend on factors such as accessibility, cost, and personal preference, as both approaches are equally effective for fostering critical thinking in a contextual learning environment.