Equipping students’ research skills and logical thinking through practical work on algae topic

Abstract

This research was initiated by biology students’ that have difficulties in writing scientific papers so as to reduce the quality of students’ research and facilitate them to make proposals for students’ creativity program conducted by kemenristek dikti as Tridharma forms of higher education. A research using pre-experimental method was conducted to equip research skills and improve students’ logical thinking. The initial development of the practicum program was based on a preliminary study at one state university in Bandung, West Java. The study was conducted from February to April 2019 and involved 38 second semester biology students’. Data were collected through: tasks and rubrics (for reviewing articles, proposal outlines, pre-proposals, and final proposals), and TOLT. Research skills used at the scaffolded research. Data were quantitatively analyzed and qualitatively as well. The results show that the rryptogamae botany practicum program could improve students’ moderate research skills and logical thinking. In addition, it was also found that students who are in formal operation category tend to increase their research skills higher compared to those of the transitional and concrete operation categories.