Enhancing critical thinking and cognitive achievement through nearpod-assisted inquiry learning in senior high school biology

Bea Hana Siswati (Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Jember, Jember, East Java)
Meirica Eradea (Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Jember, Jember, East Java)
Bevo Wahono (Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Jember, Jember, East Java)
Hikmah Buroidah (Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Jember, Jember, East Java)
Ika Sukmawati (Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Tidar, Magelang, Central Java)
Mohamed Izzat Mohamed Khalil (MARA University of Technology Shah Alam, Shah Alam)

Bio-Inoved : Jurnal Biologi-Inovasi Pendidikan
Vol 8, No 2 (2026): June 2026

Promoting critical thinking and cognitive achievement among students continues to be a major challenge in biology education, especially in classrooms that are heavily based on traditional teacher-centered pedagogy. Inquiry-based learning is already accepted as a successful teaching method to enhance higher order thinking; however in its application in class, has some obstacles in terms of students’ involvement and the learning medium. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Nearpod-assisted inquiry learning on senior high school students’ critical thinking skills and cognitive learning outcomes in biology. In this study, a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design study was adopted and two intact classes in eleventh grade were involved. The experimental group was taught by inquiry learning with Nearpod integration and the control group was taught by traditional teaching. Pre- and post-test data were gathered through standardised essay tests on critical thinking and cognitive achievement and were analyzed by means of analysis of covariance. The findings revealed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher critical thinking skills (F = 4.106, p = .048) and cognitive learning outcomes (F = 21.675, p < .001) than those in the control group after controlling for pretest scores. These results indicate that the use of interactive digital tools in the context of inquiry-based teaching can enhance student engagement, facilitate scientific reasoning, and contribute to positive learning outcomes. The study demonstrates the potential of technology-enhanced inquiry learning to support meaningful biology learning within varied school environments.Abstrak. Pengembangan keterampilan berpikir kritis dan hasil belajar kognitif siswa masih menjadi tantangan utama dalam pendidikan biologi, terutama pada kelas-kelas yang masih didominasi oleh pendekatan pembelajaran berpusat pada guru. Pembelajaran berbasis inkuiri telah diakui sebagai pendekatan yang efektif untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir tingkat tinggi, namun implementasinya di kelas sering menghadapi kendala yang berkaitan dengan keterlibatan siswa dan penggunaan media pembelajaran. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh pembelajaran inkuiri berbantuan Nearpod terhadap keterampilan berpikir kritis dan hasil belajar kognitif siswa SMA pada mata pelajaran biologi. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain kuasi-eksperimen dengan kelompok kontrol nonekuivalen yang melibatkan dua kelas XI. Kelas eksperimen memperoleh pembelajaran inkuiri yang terintegrasi dengan Nearpod, sedangkan kelas kontrol mengikuti pembelajaran reguler yang diterapkan di sekolah. Data pretest dan posttest dikumpulkan melalui tes esai terstandar yang mengukur keterampilan berpikir kritis dan hasil belajar kognitif, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan analisis kovarian (ANCOVA). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa siswa pada kelompok eksperimen memperoleh keterampilan berpikir kritis yang secara signifikan lebih tinggi (F = 4,106; p = 0,048) serta hasil belajar kognitif yang lebih baik (F = 21,675; p < 0,001) dibandingkan kelompok kontrol setelah mengontrol skor pretest. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan platform digital interaktif dalam pembelajaran berbasis inkuiri dapat meningkatkan keterlibatan siswa, memfasilitasi penalaran ilmiah, dan mendukung pencapaian hasil belajar yang lebih baik. Penelitian ini menegaskan potensi pembelajaran inkuiri berbantuan teknologi dalam mendukung pembelajaran biologi yang bermakna di berbagai konteks sekolah.