Implementation of science technology engineering and mathematics approach in learning to critical thinking skills of fifth-grade elementary school students in Lampung Province

The skills to think critically has an important role to improve the way students thinking which aims to develop the perspective of collecting various information obtained during learning process. It is an essential need of every student in the 21st-century in order to achieve superior education. The problem that occurs today is the low critical thinking skills of students in elementary schools. The solution that can be made to improve students' critical thinking skills in elementary schools are implementing the STEM approach in learning. Because through the STEM in the classroom the learning become more active, creative, joyful, and meaningful.

In brief, this research concluded that the STEM approach in learning influence the critical thinking skills of fifth-grade students in Lampung Province. The results show that there is a significant effect between learning by the STEM approach on critical thinking skills, it prove that the average final result of critical thinking skills of students in the experimental class is greater than the non-experimental class. The experimental class (68.695) and the non-experimental class (61.250). The data analyze using Kolmogorov Smirnov with the largest│FT-FS│t test < table value of 0.111 < 0.246. The students who have been given the STEM approach in learning more careful and detail in understanding and answering the questions than students who do not receive the STEM approach. The implication is the students critical thinking skills are increased by the STEM approach involved in learning.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the University of Lampung and Tri Sukses Natar elementary school, which has permitted to research the effect of STEM approach learning on the critical thinking skills of fifth grade elementary school students.