Merdeka Curriculum Implementation with Deep Learning Transforms Students Critical Thinking Skills

<jats:p>General Background 21st-century education necessitates Higher Order Thinking Skills, specifically critical thinking, to evaluate digital information rationally. Specific Background In Indonesia, the Merdeka Curriculum facilitates student-centered pedagogies to develop these competencies contextually. Knowledge Gap However, empirical realities reveal conventional one-way dogmatic teaching methods still dominate Islamic Religious Education, causing superficial memorization rather than deep conceptual internalization. Aims This research analyzes the Merdeka Curriculum implementation utilizing a deep learning approach to cultivate critical thinking skills in Islamic Religious Education at SMA Negeri 1 Perbaungan. Results Qualitative field research demonstrates three main findings: first, pedagogical planning adaptively integrates mindful, meaningful, and joyful learning pillars; second, execution orchestrates problem-based and inquiry models to position learners as active participants; third, multidimensional continuous assessments stimulate metacognitive self-evaluation. This orchestration successfully shifts education from a surface approach to contextual reflective learning, developing analytical, argumentative, problem-solving, and inferential capacities. Novelty This study comprehensively integrates the Merdeka Curriculum and deep learning to develop critical reasoning through a universal Islamic theological perspective, representing a previously underexplored intersection. Implications Educational institutions must organize deep learning module design workshops and provide equitable digital literacy infrastructure to standardize modern graduate competencies. Highlights Contextual planning adaptively integrates mindful and joyful pillars into Islamic religious education. Problem-based inquiry models shift learners from passive memorization to active participation. Continuous multidimensional assessments stimulate metacognitive self-evaluation and develop logical argumentation. Keywords Merdeka Curriculum; Deep Learning; Critical Thinking Skills; Islamic Religious Education; Metacognitive Assessment</jats:p>