Enhancing Students' Biology-Critical Thinking Skill through CIRC-Based Scientific Approach (Cirsa)

Abstract

Critical thinking skills are referred to as one of the 21st-century skills. These skills should be empowered through Biology learning. This study aims to analyze the improvement of biology-critical thinking skills in students who are taught through the CIRC learning model based on the scientific approach (Cirsa). Critical thinking skills are measured by tests developed by researchers and validated by theoretical biologists. The instrument includes indicators of critical thinking skills such as formulating problems, giving arguments, making deductions, conducting inductions, conducting evaluations, and deciding and implementing. This study used a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. This study involved 160 students (M = 95, F = 65) of 8th grade of a Madrasah Tsanawiyah School in Bogor. The findings of this study show that students who are taught by Cirsa have higher Biology-critical thinking skills than those by conventional learning. In conclusion, Cirsa learning was recommended to develop or enhance students' critical thinking skills related to biological concepts.

Biology Teachers: Knowledge in Authentic Assessment Through Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition Based Scientific Approach (Cirsa)

“…CIRC learning model is in accordance with the 2013 Curriculum that expects teachers to conduct learning using a scientific approach. The Cirsa model is designed with CIRC learning model principles that underscore reading process (Ristanto, Djamahar, Heryanti, & Ichsan, 2020;Djamahar, Ristanto, Sartono & Darmawan, 2020). The reading activity is an often neglected process in learning, especially in conventional learning (Djamahar et al, 2018).…”

Excretory system learning: What is the relationship between critical thinking skills and biology learning motivation?

“…Students' motivation will facilitate the understanding of a subject in school, especially biology (Afriana, Permanasari, & Fitriani, 2016;Becker, McElvany, & Kortenbruck, 2010). One content that requires an understanding is excretory system (Djamahar, Ristanto, Sartono, & Darmawan, 2020;Ristanto, Djamahar, Heryanti, & Ichsan, 2020). An observation carries out on biology teachers at the research site school with scope of organs involved in the excretory system, process of metabolic waste product formation, and diseases in the human excretory system.…”

“…Students deem the human excretory system is difficult to understand (Djamahar et al, 2020;Qumillaila, Susanti, & Zulfiani, 2017). The excretory system is one of biology contents that has complex scope (Ristanto, Djamahar, et al, 2020). Similarly, biology consists of complex content related to organ systems and their process (Penazio, 2009).…”

“…Biology learning should focus and give emphasize on students (Ristanto, Djamahar, et al, 2020). Biology learning achievement is the main modality for students to think critically (Fitriani, Asy'ari, Zubaidah, & Mahanal, 2019;Styers, Van Zandt, & Hayden, 2018).…”

“…If critical thinking skill empowerment is not optimal then learning motivation will low. Various studies have been conducted on critical thinking skills and learning motivation on students who learn biology (Bustami et al, 2019;Darmawan, Alamsyah, et al, 2019;Harahap et al, 2020;Kostova & Radoynovska, 2010;Noviyanti et al, 2019;Ristanto, Djamahar, et al, 2020;Suwono et al, 2017;Widiansyah, Indriwati, Munzil, & Fauzi, 2018). There are, however, fewer studies that uncover the relationship between critical thinking skills and learning motivation in the excretory system on students of madrasah tsanawiyah; therefore, the current research aims to analyze the relationship between critical thinking skills and students' learning motivation in the excretory system.…”