ANALYSIS OF STUDENT^S CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY Dina Syaflita (a*), Muslim (b), Andi Suhandi (c), Ridwan (d)
a, b, c, d) Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education, Indonesia University of Education, Bandung 40154, Indonesia
*dinasyaflita[at]upi.edu
Abstract
This study investigates students^ levels of critical thinking and their response tendencies at each level when engaging with environmental issues. The participants were 22 physics education undergraduates who had completed an environmental physics course at a university in Riau Province, Indonesia. Assessment comprised ten open-ended essay items mapped to the critical-thinking indicators in Ennis^s (2011) framework. A brief follow-up interview was conducted to corroborate the test findings. Data were analyzed descriptively, with results summarized in graphs and tables. Students were classified into moderate, weak, and not manifested categories- overall, the mean critical-thinking score was 46.55/100, placing the cohort in the not manifested range. The pattern suggests weaknesses in conceptual understanding of the environmental topics assessed, which constrained subsequent reasoning and justification. The findings indicate a need to strengthen conceptual foundations and to embed instruction that scaffolds evaluation of claims, drawing of conclusions, and interpretation of data/evidence in environmental contexts.
