EFEKTIVITAS MODEL PROBLEM BASSED LEARNING TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS PADA MATERI FPB SISWA KELAS V SD DI ERA KURIKULUM MERDEKA

Abstract

Abstract: The low critical thinking ability of students in solving contextual mathematics problems, particularly in the material of Greatest Common Divisor (GCD), remains a major challenge in the implementation of learning during the Merdeka Curriculum era. This study aims to examine and analyze the effectiveness of implementing the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model on improving the critical thinking skills of fifth-grade elementary school students in this material. The research method applied is quantitative with a quasi-experimental type utilizing a Nonequivalent Control Group Design. Data collection was conducted through critical thinking ability test instruments in the form of a pre-test and post-test administered to both the experimental and control groups. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in the critical thinking skills of the student group that received the PBL model intervention compared to the control group using conventional learning. The analysis of the mean difference test proved the existence of a meaningful positive effect, supported by the N-Gain score in the experimental class which indicates the effectiveness of the problem-based learning process. It can be concluded that the Problem Based Learning model is proven to be effective and is recommended as an essential pedagogical solution to optimize the critical reasoning capacity of elementary school students.

Keyword: Critical Thinking, Merdeka Curriculum, Mathematics Learning, Problem Based Learning, Elementary School.

Abstrak: Rendahnya kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa dalam memecahkan masalah matematika yang bersifat kontekstual, khususnya pada materi Faktor Persekutuan Terbesar (FPB), masih menjadi tantangan utama dalam implementasi pembelajaran di era Kurikulum Merdeka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji dan menganalisis efektivitas penerapan model Problem Based Learning (PBL) terhadap peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa kelas V SD pada materi tersebut. Metode penelitian yang diterapkan adalah kuantitatif dengan jenis eksperimen semu (quasi-experiment) menggunakan desain Nonequivalent Control Group Design. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui instrumen tes kemampuan berpikir kritis berupa pre-test dan post-test yang diberikan kepada kelompok eksperimen dan kelompok kontrol. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat peningkatan kemampuan berpikir kritis yang signifikan pada kelompok siswa yang menerima intervensi model PBL dibandingkan dengan kelompok kontrol yang menggunakan pembelajaran konvensional. Analisis uji beda rata-rata membuktikan adanya pengaruh positif yang bermakna, didukung oleh perolehan nilai N-Gain pada kelas eksperimen yang mengindikasikan efektivitas proses pembelajaran berbasis masalah. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa model Problem Based Learning terbukti efektif dan direkomendasikan sebagai solusi pedagogis yang esensial untuk mengoptimalkan kapasitas bernalar kritis siswa sekolah dasar.

Kata Kunci: Berpikir Kritis, Kurikulum Merdeka, Pembelajaran Matematika, Problem Based Learning, Sekolah Dasar.