Resumen

BAUTISTA CARRASCO, Irma Aurora  y  DE LA CRUZ CHUCHON, Luz Estefany. Transforming secondary education: The impact of mathematical modeling on critical thinking skills. Revista InveCom [online]. 2026, vol.6, n.1, e601073.  Epub 21-Jul-2025. ISSN 2739-0063.  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15507376.

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of mathematical modeling on the development of critical thinking among secondary school students at an educational institution in Ayacucho during the year 2023. The sample, selected by convenience, consisted of 24 students in the experimental group and 26 in the control group. Both groups took a pre-test; however, only the experimental group received mathematical modeling sessions. Subsequently, a post-test was applied to measure changes. The data were analyzed using nonparametric tests: Wilcoxon for within-group comparisons and Mann-Whitney for between-group comparisons. The results showed that the experimental group presented significant improvements in general critical thinking (Z = -4.290, p < .001) and in its logical (Z = -4.210), substantive (Z = -4.298), and dialogical (Z = -4.296) dimensions, all with p < .001. The differences between groups on the posttest confirmed the positive effect of mathematical modeling, with U values ​​ranging from 208 to 301 and a significance of p < .05 in the logical and substantive dimensions; the dialogic dimension showed a trend close to significance (p = .061). In conclusion, mathematical modeling effectively enhances critical thinking in resource-limited school settings, and its systematic incorporation into the curriculum and teacher training is therefore recommended.

Palabras clave : educational development; mathematical modeling; critical thinking.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )