Towards improving the critical thinking skills of pre-service teachers in Indonesia

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
The current curriculum in Indonesia requires lecturers and prospective elementary school lecturers to instill the cultural values of the society in their learning.It is oriented to create productive, creative, innovative, and effective generations through the integration of attitudes, abilities, and knowledge with life skills [1][2][3][4].Therefore from the educational institutions in the country set competencies as goals of curriculum [5,6].In addition, lecturer education practitioners agree that lecturer education aims to educate high-quality lecturers who will be successfully integrated into the education system [7][8][9] Future global competence of elementary school lecturers is expected to cover the knowledge base, skills, and attitudes they need to effectively carry out their professional duties in school and function profitably in changing interdependent societies [10].In accordance with the competence of current lecturers, lecturers must have the skills of perception, interpretation, and decision making in their entirety [11].In realizing good learning.This can be supported by good lecturer competencies.Good learning can be supported by good lecturer competencies.Competence as the ability to perform tasks in certain situations, such as class situations, in a flexible and adaptive way [12].Lecturer competencies that must be mastered are pedagogical, professional, personality and social competence.According to Law No. 14 of 2005 lecturer competencies that are mandatory for lecturers include pedagogical competencies, personality competencies, social competencies and professional competencies obtained through professional education [13].Lecturers who have good competence will produce students who are successful in learning.
Inquiry-Based learning can influence a person's attitude in learning.with the teacher knowing how students' attitudes occur during the learning process, the teacher can improve the design of learning in the classroom, so that it matches the abilities of students [14][15][16].One of the attitudes of students, which needs to be considered by a teacher is a scientific attitude.Scientific attitude can influence the learning process [17].The high scientific attitude of students will help in the learning process.This is because scientific attitudes can shape students' thinking creatively and critically.One learning strategy that provides opportunities for students to discover their own knowledge and play an active role in learning so that they are able to understand concepts well and develop critical thinking skills is inquiry learning strategies.Inquiry learning strategy is a series of activities that involve learning activities to the fullest of all students' abilities to search and investigate systematically, critically, logically, analytically, so that they can formulate their own findings confidently [18,19].Critical thinking ability is an ability that involves cognitive, analytical, rational, logical processes, and invites students to think reflective of problems.Therefore students need to have that critical thinking.
In an effort to improve students' critical thinking, it needs to be creative and innovative learning.This learning must be done by lecturers as an effort to have students who are active and creative in solving problems both in lectures and in everyday life.Because the task of the lecturer is only to encourage students to do something.Lecturers come to class with problems to solve by students, then they are guided to find the best way to solve the problem.The level of success of teaching staff in teaching is seen from the success of their students so that it is said that great educators are educators who can provide inspiration for students [20,21].According to [22,23] Educational innovations are ideas, goods, methods, which are perceived or observed as new things for individual or community outcomes, in the form of inversions (new discoveries) that are used to achieve educational goals or to solve them.Currently, students are asked to access knowledge and configure it independently [24,25] argues that lecturers apply innovative and interactive learning in bringing change in the teaching process.
Inquiry model is a model that is very suitable for use in learning activities.Students are directed to carry out their own learning activities such as formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, analyzing experiments, collecting data so that students can develop process skills.[21,26] argue that inquiry-based learning is effective in helping students develop critical thinking skills.[27,28] also said that "Inquiry-based learning activities are the center of learning where students are involved in formulating problems, making hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions from problems".Critical thinking is a high-level thinking skill, which focuses on deciding what to believe or do [29][30][31][32].Inquiry-based learning is a teaching method that uses problem-solving in learning by participating or engaging in learning.This inquiry learning model aims to provide a way for students to build intellectual skills related to thought processes [33,34].Problem-solving skills refer to the ability of students to investigate a solution in a given problem [28,35].Therefore creative thinking is needed in generating an idea to solve a problem and create a new approach.Meanwhile, group work is often a major component in solving problems [23,36].Therefore the inquiry learning model has a good impact on learning.Based on the understanding of inquiry itself, specifically inquiry-based learning also has a relationship with student learning and behavior.
The purpose of this study was to see whether the inquiry learning model assisted by ethnoconstructivism modules with traditional print teaching materials used in lectures could improve students' critical learning in learning.With the research question Is there a significant difference in the critical skills score between the control and experimental group students?

RESEARCH METHOD
The research design used by researchers is a quantitative research type quasi-experimental design using pretest and posttest non-equivalent control group design.It was done to investigate causal hypotheses about causes that could be manipulated by comparing one or more experimental groups treated with one nontreated comparison group [37].The design of this study was applied because it was in accordance with the objectives of the study, where the aim was to find out whether there was a difference between the critical thinking of students using the inquiry learning model assisted by the ethnoconstructivism module and traditional printed teaching materials used in lectures.This study uses descriptive statistics and uses inferential statistics.The inferential statistics used are independent sample t-test.This research was located in elementary school teacher education with a total of 64 6 th semester students in Universita Jambi elementary school education teachers, Jambi Province.In the experimental ISSN: 2089-9823  Towards improving the critical thinking skills of pre-service teachers in Indonesia (Syahrial) 577 class, there were 32 students and in the control class, there were also 32 students.In the experimental class using the inquiry learning model assisted by the ethnoconstructivism module and in the control class using traditional print teaching materials used in lectures.The sample collection technique uses purposive sampling method.Purposive sampling is a sampling technique based on the criteria of the researcher [38].
The procedure for collecting data to refer to [37], Is explained in the Figure 1.Based on the picture above, it can be seen that the first activity that must be carried out in the process of data collection, namely the dissemination of questions to students of 6 th grade elementary school education students.given traditional teaching materials.After that, linking the results of students' critical thinking after being given an inquiry model with those not using the inquiry model.The instrument used is OHRCT.This research uses question instruments and semi-open interviews.Student critical thinking questions were adopted from Oliver-Hoyo Rubric for Critical Thinking (OHRCT).OHRCT was developed by [39] obtaining Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.84, which has 6 indicators, namely abstract, organization, source of information, content, relevance, and presentation.
All data obtained from OHRCT questions in both the control class and experimental class were collected and then calculated and assisted with the SPSS 21 application.Descriptive statistics were given to calculate the mean of a sample [37] in the control and experimental groups.In this study, quantitative data were analyzed using parametric statistics of the independent sample t-test.Independent sample t-test was conducted to examine the effect of critical thinking of students on cultural values.This study uses SPSS 21 at the significance level of 0.025.And followed by interviews that are used to strengthen the results of quantitative data.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Research findings.The average results of the students' either pretest or posttest were explained, to show the inquiry model thinking assisted by ethnconstructivism modules in elementary schools which are presented as follows in Table 2. and Table 3.Based on the average ratings and categories shown in Table 2, the pretest scores of the experimental group students were slightly higher in the organizational indicators (M = 35.4)and the lowest was abstract (M = 28.3).Control group students were slightly higher in terms of information sources namely (M = 30.9)and the lowest was content (M = 26.1).This shows that before being given treatment, all students have the same critical thinking in cultural values.According to the average rank and category presented in Table 3, it shows that the experimental group students were more dominant in all indicators compared to the control group students.This confirms that the inquiry model implementation assisted by the ethnoconstructivism module has a significant impact on students' critical thinking.In addition, the experimental group students obtained the highest average rating in the source of information (M = 40.8)and the lowest in the Presentation (M = 29.8).Meanwhile, control group students obtained the highest average rating in Information Source (M = 34.3)and lowest in presentation (M = 27.5).From Table 4, it can be seen that the value is obtained (t count) with the value of t table.The t-table value can be found in table t with a significance value of 0.025 (2-sided test) with degrees of freedom (df) 64.In this study, the results for t table are 1.97658.Whereas the value of t count can be seen in Table 4 (column t) which is 18.642.The hypothesis testing criteria is the value of rejecting H0 [40,41].So, it can be concluded that there are significant differences in students' critical thinking skills between the control classes taught with traditional teaching materials and experimental classes that use the inquiry-based ethnoconstructivism module.It can be seen from Table 4 that the average value of student interest is 3.0912, which means that it can improve students' critical thinking skills in learning cultural values.
The need for education in the curriculum of educational institutions is oriented to create productive, creative, innovative, and effective generations through the integration of attitudes, abilities, and knowledge with life skills.One of them we can apply to the learning strategy that is using inquiry.Inquiry-based learning strategies are learning models that involve students more actively in learning activities to explore the potential within themselves with the direction of the lecturer.According to the results in Table 4, all students showed unsatisfactory performance.Based on the analysis, we found that there were significant differences in the control class scores and the experimental class using inquiry-based learning.This shows that before treatment, all students had similar prior knowledge.Regarding students' low skills, we found that they had difficulty in solving their problems.According to the observations we made before conducting the research, it was caused by lecturers who only used traditional methods during learning.Finally, we assume that students taught using conventional methods tend to obtain less than optimal performance [42,43].Therefore, the inquiry model is assisted by the ethnoconstructivism module to enhance students' critical thinking.Increasing the critical thinking ability of the experimental class students is due to the application of the inquiry learning model that gives students the opportunity to think.Students apply knowledge in practice and problems, present results in class, reflect, assess, and improve what they get that later makes students think critically, starting from making abstract, observing, finding sources of information and organizing in solving problems.
Based on the data obtained from the implementation of the inquiry learning model assisted by the ethnoconstructivism module, it can be seen that the use of modules is effective in increasing students' critical thinking from the students themselves.This is supported by the results of interviews with students and teachers.The results of interviews with several student representatives obtained responses to the application

BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS
Syahrial is an associate professor in the study of indigenous knowledge language and linguistic field.Language as a cultural product of local wisdom is one of the markers of civilization.Ethnic language (local) has an important function and role as important as the national language and international language as a bridge in global communication.Decreasing the vitality of ancestral languages will affect the safeguarding of local wisdom values.Noble advice contained in culture will stop being inherited as language skills fade.So from that, the value of local wisdom must be maintained, explored and developed for students.This is intended so that later the development of culture and science becomes the basis for human resource development.Syahrial is a member of the research group ethnoconstructivism and works at the Elementary Teaching and Education Program, Universitas Jambi.
Asrial is professor in the study of indigenous knowledge chemical field.This knowledge can be applied to 21st Century learning at the elementary, junior and senior high school levels.And preparing teacher candidates to understand the value of local wisdom to improve competence pedagogical.By applying education based on local wisdom it is hoped that it will be able to create education that gives meaning in the learning process for students.So that education is able to create young generations who are able to preserve and love their own culture.In addition, education must be able to shape human character with high integrity and great character and dignity in accordance with the spirit of education which is humanizing humans.Asrial is the chair of the research group ethnoconstructivism and that group is aimed at analyzing all the values of local wisdom to serve as a medium and source of learning.
Dwi Agus Kurniawan is a lecturer and member of the ASPS Group Research (Attitude Towards Science and Science Processing Skills).His research interest includes E-Assessment and Evaluation specially in Attitude Towards Physics and Science Processing Skills.The age level of a child will experience very much difference, both in the form of his mindset, his skills, his relationships, and his attitude as a student.For teachers, it is very useful to know the differences in the mindset of their students, and about their daily interactions, and the behavior of their students.Benefits that can be obtained are: can create the right classroom for students, can provide innovative and varied learning methods, can provide lessons on deep moral aqidah, and explain the consequences for those who violate certain rules.He works at Science Education Program, Jambi University Indonesia.

Table 1 .
Pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design

Table 2 .
The gap in students' critical thinking scores on pretest between experimental classes and control classes

Table 3 .
Gaps in student critical thinking scores on posttest between experimental classes and control classes

Table 4 .
Independent sample t-test for critical thinking