Critical Thinking: The Improvement Skills of Different Academic Level Students in Science Learning Through Argumentation
Annisa Nurramadhani
Pakuan University
Abstract
21st century skills is needed for now days especially in science learning. One of them is to develop critical thinking skills of students. This is needed not only in their classes but also in their everyday life. For instance to receive and seeking the valid information, make some innovation, and daily life communication. The purposes of this research is to investigate critical thinking skills improvement of junior high school students in different level academic of students, there are excellent class and regular class in environmental pollution theme using Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) learning model. This research use method Quasi Experiment with design The Matching-Only Pretest-Posttest Comparison Group Design. Research subject are 65 students of eight grader in Junior high school. Data analysis are using N-Gain test to draw student-s critical thinking skills improvement, student-s real grade criteria analysis to draw the criteria of pretest and posttest average grade of student-s critical thinking skills. The result of whole student-s critical thinking skills in both of classes has the same result of improvement criteria, there is middle criteria, but for posttest real grade average criteria in both of classes has different result, in excellent class has high criteria and regular class has middle criteria. The lowest number of critical thinking skills aspect improvement for excellent class is information aspect with middle criteria, while regular class is assumption aspect with low criteria. The greatest number of critical thinking skills aspect improvement for both of classes is implementation and consequences aspect with high criteria. It can be conclude that critical thinking skills in excellent class and regular class has the improvement to the positive way after implementation of Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) learning model, but excellent class has outperformed than regular class.
Keywords: Critical Thinking Skills, Academic Level, Science Learning, Argumentation
Topic: SCIENCE EDUCATION