Science and technology development in the 21 st -Century has been demanding educators to provide learning activities which stimulate students' critical thinking skills. This study aimed to find out the correlated factors of the students' critical thinking skills as well as of which was the strongest determinant in leveling the skills. The subject of this correlational research was 112 undergraduate students in the Department of Biology Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang who took Botany course. There were four variables measured in this study, namely academic ability, mastering concepts, analytical skill, and critical thinking skills. The data of academic ability was obtained from students' cumulative index in the previous semester while the three other variables were measured using final exam test. All the variables then analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that the three predictor variables (mastering concepts, academic ability, and analytical skill) gave effective contributions toward students' critical thinking skills, with the percentages of 3.84%, 32.25%, and 54.26% respectively. Therefore, the results of this study could be a basic reference in designing learning process which empower the students' critical thinking skills.

Understanding the concept of genetics needs to be balanced with high-level thinking skills and excellent metacognitive skills. However, efforts to measure the correlation between these two factors are still carried out partially. This study aims to determine the correlation between critical thinking, metacognitive skills, and cognitive learning outcomes in genetic studies. This study is correlational that measures the relationship between variables students’ critical thinking skills (X1), metacognitive skills (X2), and students’ cognitive learning outcomes (Y). As much as 118 students who took the genetic course were involved as the population as well as research subjects. Data collection instruments in this study consisted of tests of critical thinking skills and metacognitive skills tests as well as students' cognitive assessment sheets. The results showed that the achievement of student cognitive learning outcomes was influenced by 94% of the dependent variables examined in this study, while other variables influenced the remaining 6%. The conclusion of this study recommends that the regression models and coefficients used in this regression can be used to predict cognitive learning outcomes.

Lesson Study for Learning Community (LSLC) contains two terminologies underpinning one another. There are many difficult challenges when the plan to create LSLC surfaces. Therefore, strong motivation and precise implementation strategies are of urgency. One of the ways is by developing networking of LSLC between universities and partner schools. The LSLC program will become powerful when it is done collaboratively in a form of strong partnership connected by networks. Writing this article aims to describe strategies for establishing networking with partner schools for implementing lesson study in Indonesia. This review article uses literature comparison study methods and use content analysis. In order for LSLC to manifest and become successful, resourcing and utilizing the partnership with schools are required. In a partnership with schools in order to implement LSLC, both parties must share the same need, which is facing the challenge with the willingness to cooperate for solving the problem. Cooperation with partner schools needs to be nurtured to become networking so that the benefits and the spirit of cooperation in solving problem double fold. Networking with partner schools can be implemented and can function well when the management of this networking conforms to shared needs, nurtures cooperation and mutual respect, gives and takes equally, and also promotes fair acceptance, support, independence, and discipline.

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High-order thinking skills (HOTS) are competencies that must be possessed by male and female students in 21st Century era. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was to determine the effect of gender on the level of HOTS empowerment of high school students. The subjects of this study were  students of SMA Negeri 1 Malang and the sample of the study was students of class XI MIPA 10. All students receive biology learning by applying Problem-based Learning (PBL) combined with Two Stay-Two Stray (TSTS) assisted by “Sangkar Hati” media. The collected data were analyzed by using one way ANCOVA. Based on the results of data analysis, it can be concluded that HOTS achievement of female students is not significantly different from male students. Through the findings of this study, it is expected that the implementation of Biology learning in other schools will also implement innovative education with creative media that can empower HOTS of female and male students.