Development of a Problem Based Learning Science E-Module Integrating Ledre Local Wisdom to Foster Junior High School Students' Critical Thinking Skills
This study aimed to develop and evaluate a Problem-Based Learning (PBL)-based science e-module integrating the local wisdom of Ledre to foster junior high school students' critical thinking skills on the topic of food additives. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the 4D model consisting of the Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate stages. The developed product was evaluated in terms of its validity, practicality, and effectiveness. Product validity was assessed by subject-matter experts, instructional media experts, and science education practitioners using Aiken's V. Practicality was evaluated through learning implementation observations, teacher and student response questionnaires, and readability analysis. Effectiveness was determined using a one-group pretest-posttest design involving 64 eighth-grade students from two classes receiving the same instructional treatment. Students' critical thinking skills were analyzed using the Normalized Gain (N-Gain) and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The developed science e-module achieved an average Aiken's V coefficient of 0.93, indicating high validity, while the assessment instrument demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.815). Practicality evaluation showed highly positive implementation and user responses, indicating that the e-module was feasible for classroom application. Students' critical thinking skills improved from a mean pretest score of 43.55 to a mean posttest score of 83.73, with an average N-Gain score of 0.6965 (moderate category). The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test confirmed a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001), accompanied by a very large effect size (r = 0.87). These findings demonstrate that integrating Ledre local wisdom into the Problem-Based Learning framework provides an effective digital learning resource for fostering contextual science learning and enhancing junior high school students' critical thinking skills.
Abstract
This study aims to develop a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model integrated with self-efficacy in Social Studies education to enhance the critical thinking skills of prospective elementary school teachers. The study is motivated by the demands of 21st-century education, which emphasize the mastery of critical thinking skills, while the learning process in higher education continues to be dominated by conventional approaches that have not optimally fostered students' analytical abilities and self-confidence. This research employed a Research and Development (R&D) method based on the Tjeerd Plomp development model using a mixed-methods approach. The participants consisted of 60 students enrolled in the Elementary School Teacher Education Program at Universitas Iskandar Muda. The research stages included preliminary investigation, design, construction, testing, evaluation, revision, and implementation. The findings indicate that the developed model met the criteria of validity, practicality, and effectiveness, as evidenced by expert validation and field implementation. The implementation of the model resulted in significant improvements in students' critical thinking skills, particularly in the aspects of analysis, evaluation, argumentation, and logical conclusion drawing. In addition, students' self-efficacy improved, especially in terms of confidence in completing academic tasks, perseverance in overcoming challenges, and active participation in the learning process. This study concludes that integrating self-efficacy into the Problem-Based Learning model provides an effective instructional innovation for preparing prospective elementary school teachers who are critical, reflective, and adaptable to the demands of 21st-century education.
This study aimed to evaluate the validity of a Problem-Based Learning (PBL)-based science e-module integrated with the ethnophysical context of the Perang Ketupat tradition for teaching temperature and heat to support students' science process skills and critical thinking abilities. The study was motivated by the limited integration of Problem-Based Learning, ethnophysics, science process skills, and critical thinking within a single science e-module, as identified through a review of previous studies. This research employed the Research and Development (R&D) method using the Four-D (4D) model, consisting of the Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate stages, but was limited to the Develop stage focusing on expert validation. The developed instructional package included the Learning Objectives Flow, teaching module, science e-module, Student Worksheets, science process skills assessment instrument, and critical thinking assessment instrument. Product validation was conducted by five purposively selected experts representing science and physics content, instructional design and Problem-Based Learning, ethnoscience, educational assessment, and language. The validation covered content, presentation, and language aspects and was analyzed using Aiken's V coefficient. The results showed that all developed products achieved valid criteria, with Aiken's V values of 0.93 for the ATP, 0.92 for the teaching module, 0.91 for the science e-module, 0.89 for the LKPD, 0.88 for the science process skills assessment instrument, and 0.89 for the critical thinking assessment instrument. These findings indicate that the developed instructional materials satisfy the required quality standards (valid) and are appropriate for subsequent practicality and effectiveness testing before wider classroom implementation.
Isniwana Damayanti, J. Rokhmat, M. Muntari· KONSTAN - JURNAL FISIKA DAN...· 0 citations
This study was motivated by the low level of science conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills among sixth-grade students at SDN 2 Damparan. Preliminary observations revealed that the classical mastery of science concepts reached only 33%, while students' critical thinking skills were merely 25%, primarily due to teacher-centered instructional practices. This study aimed to improve both aspects through the implementation of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model. The study employed Classroom Action Research (CAR) based on the Kemmis and McTaggart model, consisting of planning, action, observation, and reflection conducted over two cycles. The participants were 12 sixth-grade students enrolled in the 2025/2026 academic year. Data were collected through tests, observations, and documentation, and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative descriptive techniques. The findings demonstrated that the implementation of PBL improved students' classical mastery of science concepts from 33% in the pre-cycle to 75% in Cycle I and 100% in Cycle II. Similarly, students' critical thinking skills increased from 25% in the pre-cycle to 58.33% in Cycle I and 91.67% in Cycle II. These findings indicate that the PBL model is effective in enhancing students' science conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking development remains a persistent challenge in teacher education programs, particularly in developing contexts where traditional lecture-based approaches dominate instructional practices. This study employed a design-based research (DBR) methodology to develop and evaluate the Problem-Based Learning and Case Method (PBLCAMET) instructional model, which systematically integrates pedagogies within Indonesian language education for pre-service primary teachers. Thirty-two third-year undergraduate students participated in a six-week intervention at the Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatra (UMSB), Faculty of Islamic Studies, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data collection employed mixed methods including pre- and post-critical thinking assessments, expert validation surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), learning journals, and classroom observations. Quantitative analysis revealed significant improvements across all critical thinking dimensions (Cohen’s d = 2.05, p < 0.001), with particularly strong gains in analysis (d = 1.96) and evaluation skills (d = 1.86). Expert validation yielded high content validity scores (M = 3.78/4.0), while student assessments indicated strong model practicality (M = 3.64/4.0) and effectiveness (M = 3.69/4.0). Qualitative findings demonstrated progressive development from superficial to sophisticated analytical reasoning through collaborative problem-solving and structured case analysis. The study contributes to the instructional design literature by providing empirical evidence for hybrid pedagogical model effectiveness while demonstrating successful cultural adaptation of Western educational approaches to Southeast Asian contexts. The PBLCAMET model offers a viable framework for teacher education reform seeking to enhance critical thinking while maintaining cultural relevance and implementation feasibility.
Vini Wela Septiana, Agustina Agustina, M. Mudjiran· The International Journal of...· 0 citations
Science learning in elementary schools plays an essential role in developing students’ conceptual understanding, scientific literacy, and higher-order thinking skills. However, classroom instruction in heterogeneous settings often faces challenges in accommodating students’ diverse readiness, interests, and learning profiles, which may limit optimal learning outcomes. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning integrated with Differentiated Instruction (PBL-DI) in improving elementary school students’ science learning outcomes and creative thinking skills on ecosystem topics. This study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group design. The population of this study consisted of fifth-grade students in an elementary school in Bekasi Regency, Indonesia. The sample involved 42 students selected through a purposive sampling technique, consisting of an experimental group (20 students) that received the PBL-DI model and a control group (22 students) that received the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model. Data were collected using science learning achievement tests and creative thinking skills tests administered before and after the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using paired-samples t-test, independent-samples t-test, and normalized gain (N-gain) analysis. The results showed that both groups experienced significant improvements in science learning outcomes and creative thinking skills. However, the PBL-DI group demonstrated consistently higher performance compared to the PBL group. The independent-samples t-test results showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in science learning outcomes (t(40) = 2.777, p = 0.008) and creative thinking skills (t(40) = 2.396, p = 0.021). Furthermore, the N-gain analysis indicated that the PBL-DI group achieved moderate improvement in science learning outcomes (g = 0.61) and creative thinking skills (g = 0.66), which were higher than those of the PBL group. In conclusion, the integration of Problem-Based Learning and Differentiated Instruction (PBL-DI) is an effective and adaptive instructional approach for elementary science education. This model supports student-centered learning by facilitating meaningful problem-solving activities while accommodating students’ diverse learning needs, thereby enhancing conceptual understanding and creative thinking skills.
Novi Aulia Hikmawati, Firmanul Catur Wibowo, I. Lestari· Journal of Education and Tea...· 0 citations
This research was motivated by the limited availability of teaching materials in schools and their insufficient alignment with students' learning needs, which has contributed to the low level of students' creative thinking skills. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)-based E-LKPD for Indonesian language learning to enhance elementary school students' conceptual understanding and creative thinking skills. The developed product was evaluated in terms of its validity, effectiveness, and attractiveness. Product validity was determined through expert validation, while its effectiveness was assessed based on students' conceptual understanding and creative thinking test results. This study employed a research and development (R&D) approach using the 4D model, which consists of the define, design, develop, and disseminate stages. The results of the study show that the percentage of validity of E-LKPD based on learning design validation is 91.7%, teaching material validation is 93.3%, and material validation is 91.7%, all of which are included in the very valid category. The effectiveness is reviewed from the creativity of students classically reaching 100% of students in the minimum creative category, and the completeness of learning outcomes classically reaches 100% with complete criteria. The attractiveness was reviewed from the teacher's response obtained a percentage of 96.7%, while the student response reached 95%, both in the very interesting category. Based on these findings, it was concluded that E-LKPD teaching materials based on Culturally Responsive Teaching in Indonesian language learning to train the understanding of concepts and creative thinking skills of elementary school students were declared valid, effective, and interesting.
M. Faizi, A. A. Siswoyo· Jurnal Pendidikan, Sains, Ge...· 0 citations