SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) IN EXPLORING STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Abstract

Critical thinking is one of the profiles of Pancasila students and an important skill in the 21st century that can be developed through project-based learning, with STEM. This study aims to explore the critical thinking skills of elementary school students through STEM learning that focuses on mathematical concepts (presenting data) and science concepts (energy sources) involving the "bottle boat" experiment. Mixed methods were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data involving 18 fourth-grade elementary school students. The research instruments used were observation guidelines, interview guidelines, and critical thinking tests. During STEM learning in the classroom, researchers used observations and interviews. A critical thinking test is given after learning is complete. The results show that (1) students' critical thinking skills can be supported through a project-based STEM approach (2) Invention and argument building are aspects of critical thinking skills with the lowest average compared to other aspects as much as 75%; (c) most students have good critical thinking skills. Therefore, the project-based STEM approach can be one of the ways used to achieve the profile of Pancasila students in elementary schools, especially critical thinking.