Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills and Writing Skills through the Variation in Non-Traditional Writing Task

Abstract

The research aims to identify the impacts of embedding non-traditional writing tasks within the course of modern physics conducted to the students of Physics Education and Physics Study Programs. It employed a quasi-experimental method with the pretest-posttest control group design. The used instruments were tests on conceptual mastery, tests on critical thinking skills, and a rubric of writing assessment. The data were analyzed by determining the percentages of average normalized gains, Cohen's d, and correlational analysis. Based on the results of data analysis, it is found that the different treatments in the non-traditional writing tasks given to the students of the Physics Education and Physics Programs have the following impacts: 1. There was a significant difference in the increased conceptual mastery and critical thinking skills; 2. There was a difference in the writing quality of the students of the Physics Education and Physics Program; 3. There was a correlation between writing quality and conceptual mastery with a high degree relationship and there was a correlation between writing quality and critical thinking skills with a low degree relationship; 4. Increased conceptual understanding was influenced by the writing domain.Key Words: critical thinking skill, quasi-experimental method, non-traditional writing tasks, conceptual mastery, writing to learn INTRODUCTIONWriting is a part of teachers' and scientists' job to help them in memorizing, making reports, planning and regulating, encouraging critical thinking skills, self-reflection over conceptual mastery, and communicating. Writing is also a part of science, although many prospective scientists and pre-service teachers do not receive formal training in writing (Barrass, 2000). In the curricula of Indonesian teacher training and education institutes, writing knowledge and skills are only embedded within the course subjects of English and Indonesian, each with two credit hours. In the descriptions of the two courses, writing is only a subtopic among many other topics taught. Based on the 70Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills and Writing Skills … International Journal of Instruction, April 2017 • Vol.10, No.2 interview with lecturers who teach the courses, obtained information that writing knowledge and skills are taught to students, but not optimally. The less than optimal teaching of writing has resulted in the low writing skills of pre-service teachers and future scientists. This was reinforced by one of the following fact: students are required to write articles research results and published by local journaling which is managed by the department of physical education. Each year there are 60 articles on average reviewed by editors, out of which only 27% of eligible. In addition, there is a lack of support for them to develop their writing skills. Thus, instructional strategies that can increase conceptual understanding as well as increasing the writing skills of pre-service teachers and prospective scientists are needed. Based on the facts, t...

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