Does Project-Based Learning Have a Positive Effect on Student' Mathematical Critical Thinking Skills? A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Some researchers have conducted meta-analysis studies related to the effect of project-based learning (PJBL) on students' motivations, attitudes, and learning outcomes and critical thinking skills in science education such as biology, chemistry, and physic. Meanwhile, this study focuses on the PJBL effect on students' mathematical critical thinking skills (MCTS). We employed a meta-analysis by selecting the random effect model to estimate and examine the PJBL effect on students' MCTS, and investigate some potential factors such as PJBL class capacity, students' education level, and PJBL treatment duration that can create the heterogeneity of students' MCTS. By using Google scholar, we found eight primary studies consisting of seven journal articles and one scnpt published during 2015 - 2020 and indexed by Sinta and Google scholar. The results revealed that the overall effect size of PJBL on students' MCTS was g = 0.610 (moderate effect). Moreover, PJBL had a positive effect significantly on students' MCTS. Furthermore, students' education level was one of the significant factors creating the heterogeneous students' MCTS through PJBL. This study recommends mathematics teachers that they should select PJBL as one of the alternative learnings to be implemented in mathematics classroom in enhancing the students' MCTS.