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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 21, Issue 1, Article 3 (Dec., 2021) |
The results of the measurement of the average value of the pre-test and post-test results of students' critical thinking skills in the experimental class and non-experimental class can be seen in Table 2.
Table 2. Average pre-test and post-test results for the experimental class and the non-experimental class.
No
Aspect description
Experimental
Non-experimental
Pre-test
Post-test
Pre-test
Post-test
1
Number of students
29
29
30
30
2
Total value
1904.174
2000.08
1712.510
1837.511
3
Averages
65.661
68.965
57.084
61.250
Table 2 shows that the average post-test result of the experimental class's critical thinking skills after applying the STEM approach is greater than the average result of the non-experimental class pre-test. The determination of experimental and non-experimental classes is not based on high and low scores on pre test. But it determine those classes have the characteristics of students with the same age in learning needs and same level. In addition, this research focuses on how much the increase in the value given by the STEM approach to those who are not given the STEM approach in classroom learning. Furthermore, when it implements in the experimental class the average value becomes larger. It is clear that there is an increase in the value in both classes (experimental and non-experimental). Eventhough the range of non-experimental is higher than experimental value (post test - pre test), it doesn’t mean that the non-experimental students have a good critical thinking skills than the student experimental class. In consequence of the beginning of starting values in pre test. In addition, it depends on actual situation that happened during the research field. If depicted in the graph, the average results of critical thinking skills are shown in Figure 1. The bar chart of the average pre test and post test results for the experimental and non-experimental classes can be seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Bar chart of the average pre-test and post-test scores for the experimental and non-experimental classes.
Students who apply the STEM approach can form an awareness of STEM disciplines that create intellectual intelligence and human culture, so that what students learn at school is easier to absorb (Capraro et al., 2013). Meanwhile, students who did not receive the STEM approach were less able to construct their thoughts, especially in mathematics. This can be seen in the examples of students' answers in the experimental and non-experimental classes shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 2. Examples of students' answers in the experimental class.
Figure 3. Examples of students' answers in the non-experimental class.
Based on the examples of students' answers between the experimental and non-experimental classes, there are differences, including (1) experimental class students are better at answering the questions given; (2) experimental class students gave detailed answers than the non-experimental class; and (3) experimental class students better understand the questions given than the non-experimental class. These differences indicate that the experimental class students meet the criteria for critical thinking skills. This is relevant to similar research on critical thinking skills by other researchers, namely (Afriana et al., 2016) and (Lestari, 2020).
Normality test is useful to find out whether a data is normally distributed or not. The data tested for normality consisted of initial and final data from the results of the experimental and non-experimental critical thinking skills. Normality test using Kolmogorov Smirnov with probability α = 0.05. The results of the analysis of the normality test on the pre-test data obtained a table value of 0.246. So that the largest│FT - FS│< table value (0.160 < 0.246) means that the pre-test data on critical thinking skills of the experimental class is normally distributed (see Table 3).
Table 3. The results of the normality test (pre-test) of critical thinking skills
No
Xi
F
F kum
Fs(x)
Mean
Deviasi Standar
Z
Ft(x)
Fs(x)-Ft(x)
│Fs(x)-Ft(x)│
1
45.5
3
3
0.103
65.661
15.050
-1.339
0.090
0.013
0.013
2
55.5
8
11
0.379
65.661
15.050
-0.675
0.249
0.130
0.130
3
65.5
8
19
0.655
65.661
15.050
-0.012
0.495
0.160
0.160
4
75.5
5
24
0.827
65.661
15.050
0.653
0.743
0.084
0.084
5
85.5
3
27
0.931
65.661
15.050
1.318
0.906
0.025
0.025
6
95.5
2
29
1.000
65.661
15.050
1.982
0.976
0.024
0.024
The results of the analysis of the normality test to the post-test data obtained a table value of 0.246. So that the largest │FT - FS│< table value (0.111 < 0.246) means that the final observation data (post-test) of the experimental class's critical thinking skills is normally distributed (see Table 4).
Table 4. The results of the normality test (post-test) of critical thinking skills.
No
Xi
F
F kum
Fs(x)
Mean
Deviasi
StandarZ
Ft(x)
Fs(x)-Ft(x)
│Fs(x)-Ft(x)│
1
45.5
4
4
0.103
68.966
14.502
-1.618
0.052
0.085
0.085
2
55.5
3
7
0.379
68.966
14.502
-0.928
0.176
0.064
0.064
3
65.5
8
15
0.655
68.966
14.502
-0.239
0.405
0.111
0.111
4
75.5
7
22
0.827
68.966
14.502
0.450
0.673
0.084
0.084
5
85.5
5
27
0.931
68.966
14.502
1.140
0.872
0.058
0.058
6
95.5
2
29
1.000
68.966
14.502
1.829
0.966
0.033
0.033
Hypothesis testing is done by using rtable. If rcounts > rtable with α = 0.05 then Ha is accepted, and if rcounts > rtable then Ha is rejected. It was found that rcounts 0.685 with N = 29 for = 0.05 obtained rtable 0.367; so that are rcounts > rtable (0.685 > 0.367) and the hypothesis is accepted.
The average post-test score of students after applying learning with the STEM approach was higher than the pre-test score. The implementation of learning with a STEM approach can improve students' critical thinking skills in elementary schools and provide meaningful experiences for their lives in the future (Davidi et al., 2021). In addition, learning with the STEM approach taught in elementary schools can have a positive impact on children's development, one of which is the result of creativity by making various crafts as a result of learning the STEM approach in the form of a pencil box by applying the concept of building cubes and blocks as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. The results of students' work through STEM approach learning.
Through the STEM approach, students will automatically form a collaborative spirit and creativity in the learning process that integrates four disciplines of STEM to think critically and solve problems (Falentina et al., 2018). The benefits obtained by applying learning with the STEM approach in elementary schools are that it can support the skills of students in the 21st-century through the learning process, students are able to solve problems well, and can improve students' critical thinking skills through project-based digital literacy (Maula & Fatmawati, 2020).
The hallmark of learning with the STEM approach is that students are required to be actively involved in the learning process and require students to be able to integrate various STEM knowledge which then constructs their thinking so that they can think critically (Han et al., 2015; Sasmita & Hartoyo, 2020). The STEM approach needs to be taught through concrete and contextual things. Because the level of thinking elementary school age students has not been able to think abstractly. The four aspects of STEM in learning are able to improve critical thinking skills. The achievement of increasing critical thinking skills is due to a predetermined indicator. The indicator consists of six i.e., focus, reason, inference, situation, clarity, and overview (FRISCO) which is manifested in the form of pre-test and post-test questions. Where F (focus) is to introduce students to what should be discussed and identify problems. Furthermore, students need to provide rationally supporting reasons for the existing problems, this is part of the R (reason). I (inference) is the process of making conclusions based on appropriate arguments that investigated and evidence that has been obtained. S (situation) defined as belief in thinking process and making decision that supported by physical and social environment. Where C (clarity) is to convey the message to the decisions made. And the last indicator is O (overview) is to review and verify the problems that have been found previously. Those indicators are used to measure the extent of students' critical thinking skills and their resulting product with STEM approach as shown in Figure 4.
Students in the experimental class show higher pre test and post test scores, while the non-experimental class without STEM is actually growing but still lower in scores. Then the findings show that the STEM approach has been good associated to critical thinking skills. In addition, it has been proved that it can increase students' critical thinking skills as a part of 21st-century skills.
The STEM approach globally is a necessity and required by the world of education today, especially to increase students critical thinking skills of elementary schools. This approach direct students to involve, to motivated and to have a positive impact on their lives in acquiring knowledge since they are learning at a young age to support their future achievements (Lee et al., 2019; Taylor, 2018; Thibaut et al., 2018; Trúchly et al., 2019). Based on finding of this research and the results of a systematic review of the existing literature. This research is contributed to solve the learning problem in the 21st-century by implementing and providing a clear definition of the framework of the STEM approach in learning with the critical thinking skills of fifth grade elementary school students. The framework of this research has beneficial for learning implementation with student-oriented in elementary schools, which are the students become more active and innovative. However, further research is recommended to know the implementation of the STEM approach to other 21st-century skills i.e., creativity, collaboration, and problem solving.
The increase in students' critical thinking skills indicates the success of the application of the integrated project-based learning (PjBL) STEM approach. This needs to be maintained through a learning process in which educators must be able to foster students to work independently, creatively, innovatively against the various challenges of life. The STEM approach taught in schools provides a learning innovation for the world of education that aims to develop students' critical thinking patterns (Ulfa et al., 2019). Although there are some short comings in the implementation of learning, for example, educators are not familiar with the STEM approach. The advantages are that students are more enthusiastic about learning, active, and creative.
