The Influence of Experiential Learning in Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills on Motion and Force Material

Abstract

Science learning is not enough to just be a product, but also a
process and application in everyday life. Providing experience to
students so that they are able to develop critical thinking skills through
the application of the Experiential Learning model is a suitable solution
to the facts in the field. This study aims to describe the level of critical
thinking skills of students who apply the Experiential Learning model,
and to determine the differences in the level of critical thinking skills of
students between classes that apply the Experiential Learning model and
classes that apply conventional learning models on the material of
motion and force. This research was conducted in 2024/2025 in the odd
semester. The population used was 200 students of class VII of SMPN
46 Pekanbaru. The sample was class VII B and class VII E, totaling 80
people. The research instrument was in the form of 6 descriptive
questions arranged based on critical thinking indicators. The posttest of
critical thinking skills was carried out after the learning of temperature
and heat material was completed in both classes. The data from the
posttest of critical thinking skills were then analyzed descriptively and
inferentially. The results of data processing show that there is a
difference in the average score of the experimental class, which is 80.82
(high category) and the control class, which is 72.49 (quite high
category). Inferential analysis shows that there is a significant difference
between the group that applies learning using the Experiential model
and the group that uses the conventional learning model.