The Development of Basic Chemistry Courses Program Based Problem Solving to Improve Student’s Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

This research is a research and development that aims to produce of Basic Chemistry Courses Program to improve Students’ Critical Thinking Skills. This research was used Thiagarajan Research and Development model which consists of four stages: define, design, develop, and disseminate phases. The Basic Chemistry courses program include of syllabus, lesson plan, work sheet, hand book, and critical thinking skills test. Limited trial conducted in science education programe of UNM on 2015/2016. The instrument used to collect validation data consists of: 1) sheet validation learning device (syllabi, lesson plan, textbook, students work sheet, and critical thinking skills test), 2) research observation device sheets, 3) learning management observation sheets, 4) student activity observation sheets, 5) questionnaire responses of students, and 6) critical thinking skills test. The program was validated by expert judgment. The critical thinking skills indicator was identified in this research consists of: 1) basic clarification, 2) the basis for decision, 3) inference, 4) advanced clarification, 5) supposition and integration, and auxiliary abilities, not constitutive of critical thinking. The results showed that the Basic Chemistry courses model based on problem solving to improve the students critical thinking skills is valid category. The limited trial results showed that the learning device that have been developed are in practical category and effective in terms of the results of students' critical thinking skills test.

Keywords: Problem Solving, Critical Thinking Skills.