The Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning in Enhancing Eleventh-Grade Students’ Critical Thinking Skills
Penulis
Ana Lina Sari , Titi Laily Hajiriah , Husnul JannahDiterbitkan:
2026-09-12Terbitan:
Vol 2 No 1 (2026): AugustArticles
Unduhan
Cara Mengutip
Abstrak
This study investigated the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in enhancing the critical thinking skills of eleventh-grade students at SMAN 1 Kediri. A quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. The participants consisted of 19 students in class XI MS1 as the experimental group and 23 students in class XI MS2 as the control group, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using six essay questions designed to assess students’ critical thinking skills. The validity of the teaching module, student worksheet (LKPD), and test instruments was evaluated by three experts using Aiken’s V analysis. The results showed that the mean critical-thinking score of the experimental group increased from 26 in the pretest to 75 in the posttest, while the control group increased from 24 to 57. The independent-samples t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001), indicating that students who experienced PBL demonstrated higher critical-thinking skills than those receiving conventional instruction. These findings suggest that PBL provides meaningful learning experiences that support students’ abilities to analyze problems, evaluate information, and formulate evidence-based solutions. Therefore, PBL can be considered an alternative instructional approach for promoting critical-thinking skills in biology learning.
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