THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING (CLIL) IN ENHANCING STUDENTS' CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has emerged as an innovative pedagogical approach that integrates subject content with language instruction to promote both academic and linguistic development. This study investigates the effectiveness of CLIL in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills compared to traditional instructional methods. Using a mixed-methods research design, data were collected from secondary and undergraduate students through pre- and post-tests, surveys, and classroom observations. The findings indicate that students in CLIL environments demonstrate significantly higher levels of critical thinking, including analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving abilities. Furthermore, CLIL fosters greater engagement, collaboration, and deeper conceptual understanding. The study contributes to the growing body of literature supporting integrated learning approaches and highlights the importance of CLIL in preparing students for the cognitive and communicative demands of the 21st century.