Prospective Biology Teachers Perceptions of CT, ICT and TPACK Skills of during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study aims to promote prospective biology teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) about Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) or TPACK-ESD through a School Biology Course. The course is an integrated course as it discusses essential biology contents for the school and the strategies to present the content to the students. It is urgent to promote prospective teachers' TPACK-ESD since the existing biology teachers are not prepared to integrate ESD into biology lessons. The study applied a descriptive method based on a seven-step model of Reorient University Curricula to Address Sustainability (RUCAS). Participants in this study were third-year prospective teachers who were taking the course. The effectiveness of this program for prospective biology teachers is drawn from Content Representation (CoRes) and lesson plans prepared by prospective teachers. The results showed that prospective teachers' TPACK-ESD improved from early development to developed level. It means that prospective teachers' TPACK-ESD is still at a low level. Although the program can improve prospective biology teachers' competencies in developing lesson plans, the level is still low. One semester intensive program seems insufficient to promote prospective teachers' TPACK-ESD. Therefore, it is recommended that the program for promoting ESD integration into TPACK-ESD is conducted for an extended time. The novelty of this study lies in the findings and the coverage of the research area. This study is the first to explore a strategy to promote prospective teachers' TPACK-ESD. More studies are needed, especially on teachers' education curriculum and professional development programs, to accelerate the development of teachers' TPACK-ESD.

Although much research has been done on TPACK, there is still nothing that examines TPACK for potential distance learning teachers. This study aims to determine the TPACK ability possessed by prospective biology teachers in distance learning through three main aspects, namely Technological Knowledge (TK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Content Knowledge (CK). The research method used is the quantitative descriptive method. Research subjects were determined using the purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through TK, CK, and PK observation sheets; distance learning videos for prospective biology teachers; lesson plans; assessment sheets; and documentation. The result of data analysis shows that the TK ability of prospective biology teachers is within good criteria with a percentage of 80%, the PK ability of prospective biology teachers is within good standards with a rate of 77.27%, and the CK abilities of prospective teachers are within good criteria with a percentage of 80.94%. So, it can be concluded that the three aspects of TPACK for prospective biology teachers are reasonable criteria. The highest interpretation is on the ability of TK, and the lowest performance is on the knowledge of PK. The findings of this study are recommended for universities, especially in developing the TPACK abilities of prospective teachers.

Related research on critical and reflective thinking skills has been interesting and conducted by many researchers, but they are still carried out separately. This study aims to determine the perception of prospective teachers towards critical and reflective thinking skills in modern physics lectures. This research includes quantitative research using the cross-sectional survey method. Ninety-seven prospective teachers participated in the study, with details of 15 men and 82 women with an age range of 19-21 years. Questionnaire critical and reflective thinking skills are used as instruments for collecting data. Each of them is a 20-item critical thinking skills questionnaire and 24 items of reflective thinking skills questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using winsteps software version 4.6.1. which includes descriptive, individual conformity, gender, and bubble chart. The results of detailed data analysis show that for critical thinking skills, 17% of prospective teachers perceive low, 68% of prospective teachers perceive moderate, and 15% of prospective teachers perceive high. As for reflective thinking ability, 11% of prospective teachers perceive low, 78% of prospective teachers perceive moderate, and 11% of prospective teachers perceive high. However, there are many misfit persons, 66% for critical thinking skills and 67% for reflective thinking skills. This means prospective teachers do not have strong perception beliefs in both thinking skills. Therefore, it needs to be strengthened through treatment, training, or workshops to further train both skills.

The aims of this study are to find out (1) ICT (Information and Communications Technology) platform used by male and female students from Islamic universities in Indonesia, (2) their perception of using ICT, and (3) their barriers to using ICT in English language learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected from an online questionnaire (Google Form) from students majoring in English from seven Islamic universities in Indonesia. There were 30 male students and 30 female students from every university who participated in this research, making a total of 210 student respondents. The data were analyzed quantitatively by using the SPSS computer program. First of all, female students used more various types of ICT platforms compared to male students. Second, the female students viewed ICT use more positively than male students in language learning. And lastly, even though the females deemed ICT more optimistically compared to male students, nevertheless the females encountered more barriers in using the ICT platforms compared to the male students in this study. Again, even though male students were more skillful in ICT literacy than female students, female students constructively regarded ICT use in language learning as more beneficial to them in terms of skill, knowledge, and motivational improvement.

The rapid development of technology has influenced various aspects of life, including education. Optimal utilization of technology can be a crucial step in creating better education that is relevant to the demands of the digital era. One of the learning approaches considered relevant in this era is the flipped classroom model based on TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge). This model is believed to enhance critical and creative thinking skills, which are essential in facing the challenges of the digital age. This study aims to examine the effects of the flipped classroom model integrated with TPACK (FC-TPACK) on the critical thinking and creativity of prospective elementary school teachers. This study employed a pretest-posttest experimental design involving 250 students from public universities in Indonesia. The experimental group consisted of 125 students who used the FC-TPACK model, while the control group comprised 125 students who received conventional learning without FC-TPACK. Data analysis was conducted using MANOVA to assess the overall effect of the learning model, and ANOVA was used to examine differences in each aspect of critical thinking and creativity. The ANOVA results showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in terms of critical thinking and creativity skills, with a significance value of 0.000 ≤ 0.05 for all aspects measured. The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in analysis, evaluation, innovation, flexibility in thinking, and originality compared to the control group. Therefore, the FC-TPACK model is recommended for use in learning to support the development of essential skills in the digital era.

Argumentation in science education have been realized to have connections with many benefits including critical thinking skills. This study explored the implementation of argument-based inquiry activities ini microbiology laboratory course and how the implementation may improve students critical thinking skills. The subject of this research was the fifth semester students of a biology teacher educational institution in Cirebon. The data collected were the students’ critical thinking skills using a set of critical thinking skills test in microbiology lab course. The result showed that the students’ participation in the microbiology argument-based inquiry laboratory activities significantly improved the critical thinking skills of the students. The aspects of the critical thinking skills that influenced the most by the program was developing and maintaining a position in an issue by analyzing, evaluating and producing explanations.

Having critical-thinking skills and characters is one of the competencies that must be possessed by prospective biology teachers. Every student in the biology class must have critical-thinking skills to be able to analyze, evaluate, and overcome problems in daily life. For this reason, the preparation is needed to empower essential skills of thinking of biology education students as prospective biology teachers, one of which is to explore the fundamental skills of critical thinking. This study aims to describe the initial critical-thinking skills of prospective biology teachers — the survey conducted on 109 students of the Biology Education study program at Universitas Negeri Padang. The instrument used was a critical thinking test consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions that refer to Watson Laser Critical-Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the average critical- thinking skills of prospective biology teachers was 60.47 with a moderate category. The ability of deductive reasoning has the highest average score (M = 74.58, SD= 13.71) and the ability to make inference has the lowest average score (M = 32.56, SD= 14.36). Therefore, efforts were made to overcome the lack of critical thinking skills. An effort that could be done was to train students in solving problems through integrated cultural problem-based learning.

Teacher education institutions conduct information and communications technology (ICT) courses to prepare preservice teachers (or initial teacher education candidates) to support their teaching practice with appropriate ICT tools. ICT course evaluations based on preservice teachers’ perception of course experiences are limited in indicating the kinds of ICT integration knowledge or technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) preservice teachers have gained throughout the course. Preservice teachers’ ICT course experiences was found to influence their intentions to integrate ICT but its influence on their TPACK perceptions, if better understood, can inform teacher education institutions about the design of ICT courses. This study describes the design and validation of an ICT course evaluation instrument that examines preservice teachers’ perceptions of ICT course experiences and TPACK. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed on survey results collected from a graduating cohort of 869 Singapore preservice teachers who had undergone a compulsory ICT course during their teacher training program. These preservice teachers were being prepared to teach the different subject areas at primary, secondary, and junior colleges (or postsecondary institutions for 17–19 year olds) in Singapore. The regression model showed that preservice teachers’ perceived TPACK was first influenced by their perceptions of course experiences that supported the development of intermediary TPACK knowledge components such as technological knowledge and technological pedagogical knowledge. The methodological implications for the design of ICT course evaluation surveys and the practical applications of survey results to the refinement of ICT course curriculum are discussed.

One of the fundamental objectives of higher education is to prepare students to think analytically in order to develop and create knowledge, thus going beyond receiving information and building simple knowledge. That is why higher education must adapt its teaching and learning process to cultivate critical thinking of students. In order for academia to ensure the effectiveness of the development of critical thinking skills, student perceptions cannot be neglected, given that they are the ultimate receptors. In addition, investigating students’ perceptions of critical thinking skills could guide future training methods that promote their development. The purpose of this research is to explore students' attitudes and beliefs regarding critical thinking skills, as well as aspects of their development in academia and their transfer to other contexts. The study is conducted at the Dunarea de Jos University of Galaţi and uses the questionnaire survey method to assess students' perceptions of critical thinking, from several perspectives: the level of knowledge on critical thinking skills, strategies for learning critical thinking skills, the qualities of a critical thinker, the way students relate to the COVID 19 pandemic and fake news. To obtain the necessary data, the questionnaire was distributed through Microsoft Forms and subsequently analyzed to describe students' views on critical thinking. A sample of 101 students from specializations in the field of socio-humanities completed this survey. The results of the study showed that students invoke the need to overcome difficulties in developing critical thinking skills by: training teachers to use critical thinking in the classroom; including and practicing critical thinking skills in applied activities at courses and seminars; applying debates and discussions in the classroom as teaching and learning strategies; translating the theories learned in courses into different case studies; use of training skills, questionnaires, homework; participation in group projects in a collaborative environment.

The purpose of this research is to discover: (1) the difference of students’ critical thinking skills using PBL-Flash and PBL-PowerPoint on the equilibrium of ions in a salt solution; (2) the influence of interaction between Problem Based Learning with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and learning motivation on students’ critical thinking skills; (3) differences in critical thinking skills of students using PBL-Flash with PBL-PowerPoint for groups of highly motivated students; (4) differences in critical thinking skills of students using PBL-Flash and PBL-PowerPoint learning for low-motivated student groups. This research uses the experimental method with 2 × 2 factorial design two-lane design. The population of this study are students of a senior high school in Indonesia. The sampling technique uses cluster random sampling. Data collection uses techniques with descriptive questions for critical thinking skills and questionnaires for learning motivation. Normality test requirements use the Lilliefors Test and homogeneity test requirements using the Bartlett Test. the result of the research it can be concluded that: (1) students’ critical thinking skills using PBL-Flash is higher than PBL-PowerPoint; (2) There is interaction effect between learning media with motivation to critical thinking skill; (3) students’ critical thinking skills with PBL-Flash are higher than PBL-PowerPoint for high-motivated student groups; (4) The students’ critical thinking skills with PBL-PowerPoint are higher than PBL-Flash for low-motivated student groups.

Curiosity and critical thinking as one of the characteristics and skills developed in the goals of Indonesian education and 21st-century learning. Curiosity is a driving force for intrinsic motivation to explore behavior and gain new understanding and knowledge through observation. Curiosity and critical thinking skills are the needs of every individual to explore sciences such as biology. This study’s aim is to explore the curiosity and critical thinking skills of prospective biology teacher students. This research is a qualitative descriptive study with a survey method. The sample of this study amounted to 150 students who were taken using purposive random sampling. Curiosity data was collected using science curiosity in learning environments (SCILE) and critical thinking skills were collected using the developed instrument. The data obtained were analyzed using the partial least square program to determine the contribution of gender to scientific curiosity (SC) and critical thinking skills. The results of the analysis show that gender contributes directly to critical thinking skills through SC on the stretching indicator. In general, SC needs to do research to find out the contribution of each critical thinking.

The development of educational informatization imposes new requirements on the cultivation of teachers’ digital competence, which appeals to teachers who aim to optimize their teaching by integrating appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The requirement of digital competence corresponds to the meaning of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Therefore, the development of teachers’ TPACK abilities can also positively influence the cultivation of their digital competence. The study was to examine the level of teachers’ TPACK abilities, and whether any difference in such abilities would be found according to the different teaching stages and teachers’ educational levels. An online questionnaire was distributed to the target teachers. Data of 1342 participants were analyzed. SPSS was used to conduct the descriptive statistics, and the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test with the post-hoc pairwise comparisons was used to determine teachers’ TPACK ability levels and explore the differences in teachers’ TPACK according to their different teaching stages and educational levels. The results indicated that teachers’ TPACK abilities were at a generally high level. Moreover, significant differences in teachers’ TPACK abilities were found in the teaching stages and educational levels. Teachers with different teaching stages have significant differences in Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). However, no difference was found between Technological Knowledge (TK) and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). In addition, the results suggested that the seven sub-dimensions of TPACK differed significantly according to teachers’ educational levels, where the higher the educational level, the better the teachers’ TPACK abilities. Therefore, teachers should effectively integrate technology and apply appropriate pedagogies according to the teaching content in different teaching stages. A planned and targeted series of ICT application training courses for teachers with lower educational levels would be helpful to improve their self-confidence in using technology to promote their teaching effectiveness.

This study was to investigate prospective biology teachers' views towards the theory of evolution at Islamic university. This study was concerned to investigate the quality of the instruments, the profile of literacy, attitudes, and religiosity of PBTs-IU, and the relationship between literacy and attitude towards the theory of evolution with religiosity. An explanatory mixed method was conducted by using a quantitative survey and in-depth interviews. A total of 153 (16 males and 137 females) from 185 prospective biology teachers at Islamic University (PBTs-IU) participated in filling out the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha tests have been conducted to examine the quality of the instrument. PBTs-IU profiles were analyzed by descriptive statistical test, and a correlation test was used to determine the relationship between variables. Furthermore, triangulation was chosen to analyze the results of the interviews. The results of this study showed that the instruments used are valid and reliable, the profile of literacy, attitudes, and religiosity of PBTs-IU was high level, and there was a positive and significant relationship at the 0.01 and 0.05 levels between literacy and religiosity and attitudes and religiosity. These findings concluded that PBTs-IU have good knowledge of the theory of evolution, and PBTs-IU also have strong religious beliefs.

The explanatory mixed-method was conducted to assess prospective biology teachers’ (PBTs) perceptions on thinking as 21st century skills. Data were collected using a quantitative survey method, and an interview with PBTs from Islamic University. 168 (14 men and 154 women) of 195 PBTs participated in filling out the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 24 statements of aspects of critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, metacognition of the 21st century skill. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and alpha Cronbach tests were used to determine the quality of the instrument. Statistic descriptive, ANOVA, and correlation tests were conducted to analyze the quantitative data. Triangulation was conducted on the results of the interview. The results of the study indicate that (a) most male and female PBTs at Islamic universities have high skills in critical thinking and metacognition; (b) most male and female PBTs at Islamic universities have insufficient skills in problemsolving and creativity skills; (c) the results of this study also showed that there is no relationship between gender and PBTs skills. This study suggested that teachers and education managers in Islamic universities need to apply integrative learning by paying attention to the skills needed by PBTs. Learning applied in classrooms should be based on 21st century skills.

The aim of this study was to investigate the learning styles of prospective biology teachers in Islamic universities (PBTs-IU) in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. 195 PBTs-IU were surveyed by using the Felder-Silverman Learning Style instruments. The results show that in online learning PBTs-IU practice and like dimensions of learning styles, such as in active – social oriented learning, in sensing – existing ways, concrete material, careful with details, in visual – pictures, and in sequential – sequential progress.