Inquiry-based learning implementation to improve critical thinking of prospective teachers

Abstract

Teachers must possess critical thinking skills to become good facilitators in the education process to produce students with high-order thinking skills. This research aims to evaluate the implementation of the inquiry-based learning (IBL) method in improving the critical thinking (CT) skills of prospective teachers with their own learning styles. An experimental study is the research method used in this research with the matching-only pretest–posttest with a control group design. The selected participants consisted of two groups of prospective teachers, a total of 76 people with low critical thinking skills and 50 people with very low skills. The experimental group was given the IBL method, while the control group was given the problem-based learning method, which refers to the latest curriculum. Treatment is given for 8 weeks. The statistical analysis used includes Wilcoxon, Mann–Whitney, and Kruskal–Wallis followed by post hoc. The results of this study show an increase in critical thinking in both the experimental group and the control group. However, the increase in the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group. The increase in experimental group with low and very low CT group did not differ significantly. On the other hand, in the control group, the increase in CT in the low group was significantly higher than the very low group. Furthermore, the Kruskal–Wallis difference test in the experimental group based on learning styles showed that prospective teachers with converging learning styles were more able to follow the IBL method compared to other learning styles.