<![CDATA[Critical thinking is essential for prospective elementary school teachers because it shapes how they evaluate evidence, construct explanations, and design meaningful science learning. This study explored how elementary teacher education students experienced Discovery Learning in a foundational biology course and interpreted its role in their conceptual understanding and critical stance. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological orientation at Universitas Pamulang. Participants were third-semester students who completed Discovery Learning activities and met purposive participation criteria. Data came from written reflections, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and learning documents. An interactive qualitative analysis organized the data through condensation, thematic display, interpretation, and cross-source verification. The findings produced three interrelated themes: discovery as a shift from memorization toward meaning-making, justification as the core of an emerging critical stance, and learning agency shaped by facilitation and classroom conditions. Students described stronger conceptual links when biological ideas were connected to observable phenomena, collaborative comparison, and evidence-based conclusions. Active participation, contextual problems, and lecturer scaffolding supported the experience, whereas unequal readiness, limited time, and uneven group participation restricted it. Discovery Learning therefore functioned as a learning environment that students perceived as enabling critical engagement rather than as an automatic instructional effect. The findings imply that teacher educators should design structured inquiry, distribute group roles, and provide gradual scaffolding so that every student participates in evidence-based biological reasoning. Keywords: biology learning; critical thinking; Discovery Learning; phenomenology; prospective elementary teachers ABSTRAK Sikap kritis penting bagi calon guru sekolah dasar karena menentukan cara mereka menilai bukti, menyusun penjelasan, dan merancang pembelajaran sains yang bermakna. Penelitian ini mengeksplorasi pengalaman mahasiswa PGSD selama mengikuti Discovery Learning pada mata kuliah Konsep Dasar IPA Biologi serta pemaknaan mereka terhadap pemahaman konsep dan sikap kritis. Penelitian menerapkan pendekatan kualitatif berorientasi fenomenologis di Universitas Pamulang. Partisipan mencakup mahasiswa semester III yang mengikuti rangkaian Discovery Learning dan memenuhi kriteria purposif. Data bersumber dari refleksi tertulis, wawancara semi-terstruktur, observasi kelas, dan dokumen pembelajaran. Analisis interaktif mengorganisasi data melalui kondensasi, penyajian tematik, interpretasi, dan verifikasi lintas sumber. Hasil penelitian menghasilkan tiga tema yang saling berkaitan, yaitu penemuan sebagai peralihan dari hafalan menuju pemaknaan, pemberian alasan sebagai inti sikap kritis yang berkembang, dan kemandirian belajar yang dibentuk oleh fasilitasi serta kondisi kelas. Mahasiswa memaknai konsep biologi secara lebih terhubung ketika pembelajaran menghadirkan fenomena teramati, perbandingan gagasan, dan penarikan kesimpulan berbasis bukti. Partisipasi aktif, masalah kontekstual, dan scaffolding dosen mendukung pengalaman tersebut, sedangkan kesiapan yang berbeda, keterbatasan waktu, dan partisipasi kelompok yang tidak merata menghambatnya. Discovery Learning berfungsi sebagai lingkungan belajar yang dipersepsikan mendukung keterlibatan kritis, bukan sebagai penyebab otomatis perubahan kemampuan.]]>
