The Intervention Programme Based on Chatbots "Brain in Action" and the Development of Critical Thinking among Secondary School Students in Lima, 2025

This study examines the impact of the chatbot-based intervention programme Brain in Action (PIBIAC) on the development of critical thinking among secondary school students in Lima, Peru, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Adopting a quantitative approach and a quasi-experimental design with control and experimental groups (n=62), the study evaluated the effectiveness of chatbots as mechanisms of cognitive mediation. Data were collected using an instrument that measures critical thinking across five dimensions and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically the Mann–Whitney U test. The findings indicate that the implementation of PIBIAC produced a statistically significant effect. A significant improvement (P<0.001) was observed compared to the control group, with better logical-deductive performance, inferential capacity, and evaluation of arguments. The study concludes that the chatbot-based intervention programme “Brain in Action” had a significant influence on the critical thinking of secondary school students at an educational institution in Lima during 2025. Received: 15 February 2026 / Accepted: 24 August 2026 / Published: September 2026