Enhancing students’ critical thinking skills through inquiry-based learning model

Abstract

Critical thinking is a process that is focused and clear used in mental activities such as problems solving, making decisions, persuade, analyze assumptions and conduct scientific research. The ability to think critically affected by the knowledge acquired competence of learners. Inquiry is one of the learning model that has potency to develop students’ critical thinking skills. This study aims to determine the effect of the inquiry learning model of the critical thinking skills of learners. This research is a quasi-experimental research design using Randomized Control Group Posttest-Only Design. The population in this study was the students of class VIII SMPN 11 Padang. The samples in this research that VIII.B class as an experimental class and the control class as a class VIII.C taken using purposive sampling technique. The instrument used was a final test in the form of essay as much as 14 items to see the effect of inquiry model of the critical thinking skills of learners. The hypothesis in this study were tested using t-test, for normally distributed data and has a homogeneous variation. Based on the results of the research data showed that critical thinking skills t> t table (4.23> 1.67). Therefore, it is stated hypothesis is accepted. It can be concluded that the implementation of inquiry learning model has a positive influence on learners’ ability to think critically.