Promoting critical thinking and Problem Solving Skills of Preservice Elementary Teachers through Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (POGIL)

Abstract

In the context of 21st century learning, lecturers encounter complex challenges in optimizing learning processes and outcomes. The previous research reports that teaching method is considered as the right solution to overcome that problem. This quasi-experimental research aims to: 1) explore the difference between Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) and Problem Solving Skills (PSS) among preservice elementary teachers taught by using POGIL and traditional lecture, and 2) analyze the correlational strength between CTS and PSS. Both groups were chosen by using cluster random sampling. This research was conducted at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Ponorogo, Indonesia, involving 48 participants in the academic year 2017/2018. The CTS Essay Test was adapted from Ennis (2011) and the PSS Essay Test was adapted from Polya (1957), face validity was conducted by the experts, and obtained reliability coefficient of .88 and .89 respectively. The data were analyzed by using Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's rho correlation at the significance level of .05. The results show that: 1) there is a significant difference in CTS and PSS among experimental and control groups in favour of experimental group students, and 2) there is a high positive and significant correlation between both dependent variables. We recommend that lecturers need to improve students' higher-order thinking skills by using POGIL.