Exploring critical mathematical thinking processes among primary school students

Abstract

Abstract This study examines primary school students' critical mathematical thinking (CMT) skills and processes and how they manifest across grade levels. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved 24 students attending a private primary school, with six students from each of Grades 1–4. Data were collected through task‐based, semi‐structured individual interviews and analysed through descriptive thematic analysis supplemented by descriptive quantification. The findings showed that Explaining, Analysing , and Evaluating were more prominent in CMT than Interpreting and Creating . Students commonly justified their reasoning, articulated solution strategies and recognised mathematical relationships, whereas interpreting unfamiliar situations, questioning and generating or evaluating alternative solutions were less frequently observed. Grade‐level patterns indicated that CMT dimensions did not manifest uniformly across primary education, with Evaluating and Creating being more prominent in the upper grades. Overall, the results indicate that primary school students can demonstrate all five dimensions of CMT from the early grades, although their prominence varies across dimensions and grade levels and suggest that these processes may be further supported through instructional practices.