Student’s rationality in decision making on infusion of analytical thinking skill’s framework in biology learning

Abstract

Rationality in decision making means choosing alternative actions to achieve goals through the best method. Rationalization of decision making is urgently needed in the 21st-century learning to create qualified human resources which can compete on the world stage in the era of rapid development of science and technology. This paper aims to scrutinize the profile of students’ rational thinking skills in decision making process on infusion analytical thinking skill’s framework in biology learning. Students’ rational thinking skills were gauged by 13 indicators namely probabilistic and statistical reasoning, practical numeracy, risk knowledge, knowledge of scientific reasoning, financial literacy and economic thinking, resistance to miserly information processing, absence of irrelevant context effects in decision making, sensitivity to expected value, proper knowledge calibration: avoiding overconfidence, avoidance of myside bias, openminded/objective reasoning styles, prudent attitude toward the future, and sensitivity to emotions. This research employed mixed-method research approach by conducting test and interview. There were 31 students intensively participated in this action study research. The findings revealed that students are having good results in all the rational thinking skills’s indicators except on resistance to miserly information processing and proper knowledge calibration: avoiding overconfidence indicators because of students’ low desire on expanding their knowledge individually without the teacher’s guidance. The final result of the research showed that there is an influence of analytical thinking infusion in biology learning towards the rationalization of student’s decision making. Therefore, the future learning should balance between the teaching of material and the thinking skill desired in the learning process.