Improving Critical Thinking and Collaboration through Problem-Based Learning

Abstract

Improving critical thinking and collaboration is essential for developing quality individuals, particularly at the elementary school level, where these skills should first be cultivated. Initial classroom observations at SD Negeri 1 Dawuhan Kulon revealed that fourth-grade students showed limited critical thinking, evidenced by inadequate responses to higher-order thinking (HOTS) questions, and limited collaboration due to conventional, teacher-centered learning. This study aimed to improve fourth-grade students' critical thinking and collaboration skills through the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model on the Natural and Social Sciences (IPAS) topic of Force. This research employed a Collaborative Classroom Action Research design conducted in two cycles, each consisting of one meeting, involving 15 fourth-grade students (8 boys and 7 girls) in the 2023/2024 academic year. Data were collected through evaluation tests and observation sheets, then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that students' critical thinking scores, measured through evaluation tests, increased from an average of 69.26 in Cycle I to 81.24 in Cycle II, while collaboration scores, measured on a 1-4 scale, increased from 2.95 ("good") to 3.33 ("very good"). These findings indicate that the PBL model effectively enhances fourth-grade students' critical thinking and collaboration skills.