Increasing Critical Thinking Abilities and Skills through Problem Based Learning for Elementary School Students

Vendra Oktareno Ardiansya (Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta)
Minsih (Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta)
Santosa Pradana Putra Setya Negara (Fakultas Ilmu Formal dan Ilmu Terapan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Madiun)
Nanang Sri Mujiono (Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan, Institut Teknologi Sains dan Kesehatan PKU Muhammadiyah Surakarta)

Buletin KKN Pendidikan
Vol. 6, No. 1, Juni 2024

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of problem-based learning in enhancing critical thinking skills in Natural and Social Sciences. It utilized a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest randomized control groups. Data analysis involved t-tests to determine group differences and N-gain to measure improvement. Results showed significant enhancement in critical thinking abilities with problem-based learning. The t-test indicated a significant difference between groups, with t count (5.949) exceeding the t table value (2.018) and p-value (0.000) below 0.05. N-Gain scores showed a higher improvement in the experimental group (48.65%) compared to the control (29.46%). These findings highlight the effectiveness of problem-based learning in fostering critical thinking.