Holistic Learning Gains: Combined Effects of Attitudes, Critical Thinking, and Problem-solving on Student Achievement With the Ctca 2.0 Approach

This study examines the synergistic relationships among academic achievement, learning attitude, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in secondary STEM education, drawing on findings from a recent quasi-experimental study of a Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach (CTCA) 2.0. In that mixed-methods research, 167 Sierra Leonean senior secondary students learnt the most difficult subtopics of Mendelian genetics and entrepreneurship via one of four methods: monolingual CTCA 2.0, two levels of multilingual CTCA 2.0, or a traditional lecture control. Validated instruments measured achievement, attitudes, problem-solving ability, and critical thinking before thinking before and after instruction, and selected students were interviewed. The CTCA 2.0 intervention produced significantly greater gains on all outcomes than the lecture method. Overall, students in the CTCA 2.0 groups exhibited higher test scores, more positive attitudes, better problem-solving, and stronger critical-thinking performance. Notably, multilingual B CTCA led to the highest achievement and attitude gains, while monolingual CTCA maximised critical-thinking improvements. For Mendelian genetics, CTCA yields medium to large effects on achievement (η²≈.12), attitude, problem-solving (η²≈.06) and especially critical thinking (η²≈.305). In contrast, entrepreneurship (business model development) learning saw significant achievement and cognitive gains under CTCA, but student attitudes were uniformly high regardless of method. Qualitative interviews highlighted that CTCA’s use of cultural examples and multimedia (e.g.,(e.g., real-life family analogies, videos, and videos, and group work) made difficult concepts accessible and engaging, fostering motivation and deeper understanding. These results support theories that positive attitudes and metacognitive engagement (through culturally responsive pedagogy and cognitive task analysis) enhance learning outcomes. The Researcher discuss implications for science and entrepreneurship education: specifically, adapting CTCA 2.0 in multicultural STEM classrooms can bridge language gaps and empower diverse learners, thus promoting equity and deep learning. Implications for multilingual pedagogy and educational psychology (e.g.,(e.g., expectancy-value theory) are considered, along with recommendations for teacher training and curriculum design.