Pengaruh Model Problem Based Learning (PBL) Terhadap Keterampilan Berpikir Kritis Siswa SMP dalam Pembelajaran IPA

Abstract

Science education is a process focused on the scientific study of natural phenomena and the environment, in which students gain hands-on experience through observation and discovery activities. In the context of 21st-century education, students’ critical thinking skills are a key competency that must be developed. The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model is considered an effective approach for training students’ problem-solving skills. This study aims to determine whether the problem based learning model has a significant effect on students’ critical thinking skills in science learning and to assess the improvement in students’ critical thinking skills following the implementation of the problem based learning model. This study employs a quasi-experimental method with a nonequivalent (pretest-posttest) control group design. The study population consisted of seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 4 Jember in the 2026 academic year, with Class VII B serving as the experimental class and Class VII C as the control class. The results indicated that, descriptively, the experimental class’s posttest mean score of 74.66 was higher than the control class’s mean of 68.91. The Independent Samples t-test yielded a significance value of 0.126 (Sig. > 0.05), indicating that there was no statistically significant difference between the two classes. However, the N-Gain test results showed that the improvement in critical thinking skills in the experimental class was in the moderate category, with a mean score of 0.5207. The self-regulation indicator showed the highest increase, while the explanation indicator showed the lowest increase. It is concluded that the problem based learning model contributes positively to the improvement of students’ critical thinking skills, although it has not yet shown a statistically significant difference compared to the conventional model.