Critical thinking skills are one of the important skills in dealing with the demands and challenges of the 21st century. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of Stimulating Higher-Order-Thinking Skills (Stim-HOTs) model in improving students' critical-thinking skills on cell metabolism topic. This research is quasiexperimental research with pretest-posttest control group design in one high school in Surakarta, Indonesia in 2017/2018 academic year with one class as the experimental class by using Stim-HOTs model while the other class as the existing class that uses discovery learning model. The data were obtained by using criticalthinking skill test instrument in the form of essay that has been through expert validations, namely the validation from the education and evaluation expert, biology expert, and the certified high school Biology teacher, as well as the empirical validation through try-out. The result showed that the average score of critical-thinking skill gain score calculation in the experimental class was higher by 0.66 compared to the existing class of 0.51.

This study set out to examine the effectiveness of project-based science learning towards pre-service teachers literacy skills and learning creativity in wave and optical materials. This quasi-experimental study involved 115 students of Primary Teacher Education Program, Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta.  Direct and in-depth data dissemination techniques were used in this study. The aspects of creative thinking abilities include fluency, authenticity, elaboration, and flexibility. Mann Withney U test was used to test the hypothesis, while the N-Gain test was performed to determine the pre-service teachers improvement in scientific literacy skills and creative thinking. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses were performed in this study. The results showed that: 1) material and optical tools–based learning activities are appropriate for the pre-service teachers scientific literacy skills and creative thinking. The correct answer term includes the highest average probability statistics from other subindicators; 2) aspects of science that are used in the aspects of literacy is in good category but the originality aspect in its ability needs to be developed and processed continuously. Keywords: science literacy skill, creative thinking skill, project based learning, waves and optics PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN SAINS BERBASIS PROYEK TERHADAP KETERAMPILAN LITERASI ILMU DAN PEMIKIRAN KREATIF CALON GURU  Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengukur keefektifan pembelajaran sains berbasis proyek terhadap keterampilan literasi dan kreativitas belajar dalam materi gelombang dan optik. Penelitian ini dilakukan secara eksperimen semu. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 115 siswa semester Program Pendidikan Guru Pratama, Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta. Teknik penyebaran data langsung dan mendalam. Aspek kemampuan berpikir kreatif meliputi kelancaran, keaslian, elaborasi, dan fleksibilitas. Untuk menentukan besarnya peningkatan keterampilan literasi sains dan siswa berpikir kreatif digunakan N-Gain Test hipotesis menggunakan tes Mann Withney U. Analisis data dilakukan secara kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: 1) kegiatan pembelajaran berbasis material dan alat optik sesuai untuk keterampilan literasi sains dan pemikiran kreatif siswa. Istilah jawaban yang benar mencakup statistik probabilitas rata-rata tertinggi dari subindikator lainnya; 2) aspek ilmu yang digunakan dalam aspek literasi dalam aspek yang baik tetapi aspek orisinalitas dalam kemampuannya perlu dikembangkan dan diolah terus- menerus. Kata kunci: keterampilan literasi sains, keterampilan berpikir kreatif, pembelajaran berbasis proyek, gelombang dan optik

<p class="5abstrak">Lemahnya argumentasi ilmiah mahasiswa dalam pembelajaran telah banyak menjadi perhatian,  terutama   dalam hal mengevaluasi dan mengkonstrak permasalahan dan solusinya.   Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana profil keterampilan argumentasi ilmiah mahasiswa pada mata kuliah Anatomi Tumbuhan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif untuk mendapatkan gambaran keterampilan argumentasi mahasiswa semester 3 di Prodi Pendidikan Biologi FKIP UNS melalui tugas tertulis yang diberikan.  Penilaian argumentasi mahasiswa mengacu pada Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern (TAP) yang memuat komponen <em>claim, evidence, reasoning dan rebuttal</em>.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan argumentasi ilmiah mahasiswa Pendidikan Biologi FKIP UNS masih tergolong rendah, dibuktikan dengan skor rerata <em>claim</em> sebesar 52%, <em>evidence</em> sebesar 42%, <em>reasoning</em> sebesar 15% dan <em>rebuttal</em> sebesar 10%.  Temuan ini akan dijadikan dasar bagi penelitian lanjutan mengenai model dan strategi pembelajaran inovatif yang dapat meningkatkan kemampuan argumentasi dan penalaran ilmiah terutama bagi calon guru biologi.</p>

This study aims to develop a question instrument that able to measure students' high order thinking skills. The sample used in this study involved 3 expert validators, 2 user practitioners, 60 students in the limited test and 125 students in the field test. Data results were analyzed using the Quest program. The results of the study show that the characteristics of the assessment of high order thinking ability of students have validity with a "sufficient" minimum interpretation and have sufficient reliability. Validity with minimum interpretation is adequate, reliability is good, level of difficulty of questions with proportion of 1.6% is easy, 58.4% is moderate and 40% is difficult for multiple choice questions and 0% is easy, 50% is moderate and 50% is difficult for essay questions. The profile of the product score assessment to measure students' high order thinking skills is as follows: State High School B with a high order thinking skills scores reached 71.61, then continued with State High School D with a score of 66.03, State High School C with a score of 65.46, State High School E with a score of 63.69, and the last one is State High School A with a score of 60.26. Overall with the number of students 125 people have an average score of 65.41. So the high school that have a highest score is State High School B in profile assessment.

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektivitas Perangkat Pembelajaran Biologi untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa. Tempat dan sampel penelitian dipilih secara purposive random sampling. Perangkat pembelajaran yang dikembangkan dan diteliti meliputi Rencana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran (RPP), modul dan instrumen penilaian. Perangkat Pembelajaran tersebut dikembangkan berdasarkan indikator berpikir kritis menurut Facione yang terdiri dari enam aspek, yaitu: interpretasi, analisis, evaluasi, kesimpulan, penjelasan dan pengaturan diri. Instrumen yang dikembangkan, yaitu RPP, modul dan instrumen penilaian berupa tes telah diuji validitasnya dengan menggunakan formula Aiken V dengan indeks validitas secara berturut-turut sebesar 0,93, 0,92, dan 0,90. Adapun estimasi reliabilitas instrumen tersebut adalah 0,66, 0,69 dan 0,74. Hasil Uji efektivitas perangkat pembelajaran menggunakanT-test dan diperoleh p-value 0,00 (p<0,05) dengan score gap antara pre test dan post test sebesar 31,93%, sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa perangkat pembelajaran guru kelas XI pada materi sistem ekskresi manusia efektif untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa. Kata kunci: efektivitas, perangkat pembelajaran, kemampuan berpikir kritis THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INQUIRY BASED LEARNING TOOLS FOR IMPROVING STUDENTS CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AbstractThe research aims to determine the effectiveness of Biology learning device to improve students' critical thinking skills. The research sites and samples were chosen by purposive random sampling. The learning device developed and researched included the lesson plan (RPP), module and assessment instrument. The learning device was developed based on Facione's critical thinking indicator consisting of six aspects, including: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, conclusion, explanation, and self-regulation. The developed instruments, namely the lesson plan, module, and assessment instrument in the form of test had been tested for validity by using Aiken V formula with the validity index of 0.93, 0.92, and 0.90 respectively. The instrument reliability estimation is 0.66, 0.69. and 0.74. The effectiveness of the learning device was tested using T-test andit obtains the p-value of 0.00 (p <0.05) with score gap between pre test and post test at 31.93%, so it can be concluded that the class XI teacher's learning tools on human excretion system material is effective to improve the students' critical thinking skill.