Incorporating Remap-STAD Into Learning Cycle 5E to Improve Preservice Biology Teachers' Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

To deal with the 21st-century learning challenges, preservice biology teacher need to be equipped with critical thinking skills. The development of these skills can be facilitated by a meaningful and comprehensive learning model. Two learning models namely Remap-STAD and Learning-Cycle-5E were combined to improve preservice biology teachers' critical thinking skills. The procedure for developing the learning model followed ADDIE design with slight modification into Analyze, Design, Develop, Implementation, and Evaluation. The participants' critical thinking skills were evaluated based on five indicators: focus, supporting reasons and reasoning, organization, conventions, and integration. The instruments used in this study were course outline, lesson plans, student worksheet, validation sheet, student response sheet of learning model implementation, and an essay test to evaluate preservice biology teachers' critical thinking skills. Based on the assessment of material and instructional media experts, the integrated Remap-STAD-LC-5E model was valid (3.42). The preservice biology teachers' pretest and post-test scores (40.62 and 74.42, respectively) were analyzed using N-gain to determine the effectiveness of the model. The results showed that Remap-STAD-LC-5E model was effective in improving preservice biology teachers' critical thinking skills (0.57). The overall response of the preservice biology teachers to the learning model fell into the excellent category. In conclusion, Remap-STAD-LC-5E can be used as an innovative solution to improve the critical thinking skills of preservice biology teachers.