Constructivism of Problem-based Learning Failure in Increasing

Students Critical Thinking and Strategy of Cognitive Conﬂict

Zetriuslita and Dedek Andrian

Department of Mathematics Education, Universitas Islam Riau, Pekanbaru, Indonesia

Keywords:

Critical Thinking, Curiosity, Problem Based Learning.

Abstract:

The aim of this research was described and analyzed the apply constructivism based on Problem-based learning

model and cognitive conﬂict strategy for the increasing ability of MCT (mathematical critical thinking) and

MCA (mathematical curiosity ability). This research adopted a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest

control group design. This research used the design of the mixed method with sequential explanatory

strategy. The population consists of students teachers of Mathematics Education Program of Riau Islamic

University. The instrument of collecting quantitative data is essay test and questionnaire and interview sheet,

observation sheet to collect qualitative data. The ﬁndings show that (1) no difference MCT ability and

MCA disposition with taught by Problem based learning model and cognitive conﬂict strategy with explicit

direct instruction (EDI) approach, namely; high, medium, low; (2) but in thinking process development in

teaching and learning, were founded that there were difference MCT ability and MCA dispositions with have

taught by problem-based learning model and cognitive conﬂict strategy(high, medium, low); It known through

observation, interview and result in teaching and learning.

1 INTRODUCTION

Critical thinking is a one skill must be owned

by every person. With critical thinking, students

will always be careful in carrying out something

and make a decision based on a found problem.

In Higher Education, this capability is needed for

each course requires students to can think critically,

because by using critical thinking, students should

solve the problem is given, including a course

on Number Theory. The results of research Lee,

Wootton, Chang, and Phan ()(Kondakci and Aydin,

2013) showed a positive relationship between critical

thinking and academic achievement. Students need

critical thinking when facing a challenge, and he

can make decisions, evaluation, and consideration

well the received information, used for solving the

problem, make plans for actioning. This capability

enables students can ﬁnd alternative what he thinks

is important and consider to make decisions in order

to solve the existing problems.data or information

can be used make conclusions that are true and the

same time see a contradiction or whether there is any

consistency or irregularities in the information. In

critical thinking, people analyze and reﬂect on the

results of thinking. In short, someone who thinks

critically always be sensitive to the information or

situation at hand and tend to react to situations or

information.

About curiosity, Suhadak (2014) states that

curiosity is characterized by the activity of searching

and ﬁnding that appear enthusiastic to learn, ﬁnd out

and investigate. Suhadak opinion is also supported

by McElmeel (2002) hat the information about the

curiosity of student can be known from the student

motivation for learning, investigating, and ﬁnding

out. This variable is important developed in the

teaching and learning process in the mathematics

classroom. because curiosity is part of the motivation

(Shellnut, 1996). Elliott, et al (2000) suggest that

an important role curiosity in learning more is that

curiosity can encourage and build knowledge learners

(Suhadak (2014). Therefore, the increase of curiosity

in the classroom should be the goal of mathematics

learning. Because when students have a high level

of curiosity on something, the closer they with the

learning environment, a classmate even in group

study (Binson, 2009).

To develop students’ critical thinking and

curiosity required a study that investigates all aspect

about critical thinking and curiosity, which believed

that learning directed to learners who are dominant

Zetriuslita, . and Andrian, D.

Constructivism of Problem-Based Learning Failure in Increasing Students Critical Thinking and Strategy of Cognitive Conﬂict.

DOI: 10.5220/0009158703670372

In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Social, Economy, Education and Humanity (ICoSEEH 2019) - Sustainable Development in Developing Country for Facing Industrial

Revolution 4.0, pages 367-372

ISBN: 978-989-758-464-0

367

and nature educators and guiding learners in teaching

and learning. One allegedly adopts learning is

problem-based learning (PBL) and cognitive conﬂict

strategy.

History about Problem-based learning (PBL)

begun from medical education at the faculty of

medicine at McMaster University in Canada in the

mid-1960s. This concept as soon as adopted by three

other medical schools, the University of Limburg at

Maastricht in Netherlands, University of Newcastle in

Australia, and University New Mexico in the United

States (G. Camp, 1996). According to (Chyn, )

stated that the problem-based learning approach has

a powerful pedagogical and teaching and learning

system explicitly and directly teach critical thinking

skills to students various level. G. Camp (1996,

p.3also stated that the constructivist view of learning

facilitates, PBL can be adopted from pre-school to

post-graduate training and broadens its application far

beyond medical training.

From its early history, PBL in the medical world

and has been proved growing, then the other in

education had been developed as well, especially

in mathematics education. among others Orhan

Okino

glu and Rohun (Tandogan and Orhan, 2007)

apply PBL in his research concluded that PBL affects

the outcome of learning, understanding concepts, and

attitudes of learners. While research Sheryl MaCSath,

John Wallace, Xiaong Chi, (2009) applying Based

Learning Active Learning in his research to the

principles namely, a) use small groups to collaborate

resolve the problem, b) students as a learning center,

c) use a real problem and d) the teacher as a facilitator.

His research concluded that the Active Learning

Based Learning can improve learning outcomes,

attitudes, and concepts of learners.

PBL is based on the cognitive constructivist

learning theory Piaget (1896-1980) and the social

constructivist Vygotsky (1896-1934) (Orey, 2010).

Piaget stated that the cognitive structure as schemata.

This theory explains that learning based on the

cognitive development of children. While Vygotsky

said that learners in constructing the concept need

to pay attention to the social environment. In

Vygotsky’s theory, there are two important concepts

that Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and

scaffolding. According to (Herman, 2006), ZPD is

the distance between the actual development level is

deﬁned as the critical thinking ability independently

and the level of cognitive development is deﬁned as

the ability to think critically under adult guidance or

in collaboration with peers whose capacity is higher.

Besides PBL, strategy of cognitive conﬂict can

also reinforce students’ critical thinking skills,

Cognitive Strategies can be deﬁned as a mental

procedures used to achieve the goal of cognitive

ranging from the most instinctive as sensing up on

the ladder of higher cognitive i.e. observation, save

and recall, imagination and thinking (Surya, 2015).

(Bruner, 1971; Gagne, 1985) in the Sun (2015) to

interpret cognitive strategy refers to the process used

in ﬁnding and solving problems. While cognitive

conﬂict can be interpreted as there is a common

perception (opinion) that raises a conﬂict between two

groups. Then if the individual happens indecision in

choosing one or more choice from a selection, the

individual has a conﬂict.

Of cognitive strategies and cognitive conﬂict

combined into cognitive conﬂict strategy. This

strategy is one of the constructivism learning. Piaget

constructivist theory states that when someone builds

a science, it is to establish a balance higher knowledge

required assimilation, namely contact or effective

cognitive conﬂict between the old concept with a

new reality (Woolfolk, 1984). The views Piaget

stated that learners are actively reorganizing the

knowledge that has been stored in the cognitive

structure. The development of cognitive structures

one with adaptation in the form of assimilation and

accommodation.

According to (Santrock, 2002), assimilation is

a thinking process by which information coming

into the people brain and changed in a way to

match the structure of the brain itself. While

the accommodation is the process of changing the

structure of the brain because of the observations

or information. More Santrock explains about

the assimilation and accommodation, that there

are two steps done in the process of learning to

change the concept. The ﬁrst phase of the second

stage of assimilation and accommodation. With

the assimilation of students uses the concepts they

already have to deal with the new phenomenon. With

accommodation learners change the concept that no

longer ﬁt with the new phenomenon they face.

Stimulation of cognitive conﬂict in learning will

greatly assist in the assimilation to be more effective

and meaningful for learners. For that approach to

cognitive conﬂict needs to be done in the mathematics

learning strategy. (Dahlan and Rohayati, 2012) says

that cognitive conﬂict rarely occurs in the context

of collaborative but in the personal context. When

collaborating is a time to solve conﬂicts that arise

in the individual learner (personal). Furthermore,

Ismaimuza (2010) states that the cognitive conﬂict

strategy commonly has a pattern such as exposing

alternative framework, creating conceptual cognitive,

encouraging cognitive accommodation.

ICoSEEH 2019 - The Second International Conference on Social, Economy, Education, and Humanity

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2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The quasi-experimental approach was used in this

research (Creswell, 2010; Cohen, 2007) which

aims to acquire numeric data on MCT and MCA

students have taught using PBL and Cognitive

Conﬂict Strategy (PBLCCS) and have taught using

EDI. Design research is using a combination of

quantitative and qualitative methods, known as a

mixed method with sequential explanatory strategy

(Creswell, 2010). The collection of data carried

out by two way, namely; quantitative during the

experiment in the classroom and qualitative after

quantitative analysis have done.

3 RESULT

3.1 The Quantitative Data and

Statistical Tests of Critical Thinking

Skills

Based on data analysis to increase students’ critical

thinking skills mathematically, can be described in the

following Table 1.

Table 1: Gmean and standar deviation of MCT

Class N GMean SD Error

EC 25 ,4987 ,22500 ,04500

CC 26 ,4772 ,21175 ,04153

From Table 1, it can be seen that the gain-average

(Gmean) and the standard deviation of critical

thinking skills students experimental class (EC) and

the control class (CC) is not much different and tend

to be relatively the same. Furthermore, by using

statistical tests, will be the homogeneity signiﬁcance

of variances and differences in an average of

improvement of critical thinking ability (MCT) by

using the statistics software namely SPSS 20.00.

Table 2: homogenity test of variances and MCT

enhancement

Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances

F Sig.

,131 ,719

From Table 2, test results Lavene, obtained by

means sig sig = 0.719 ≥ α, where α = 0.05. In

accordance with the criteria of testing, accept H0,

meaning that both classes of homogeneous variance.

From Table 2 also shows that Sig = 0.727 ≥

α, thank H0, meaning that there is no difference

critical thinking skills between experimental class and

control class.

3.2 The Quantitative Data and

Statistical Tests of (MCA)

Improvement

As for seeing the results of an answer to a

mathematical curiosity of students, can be seen in

Table 3 below:

Table 3: Recapitulation of student response to the

questionnaire data for all indicators MCA.

Positive statement (+) Negative statement (-)

SL SR JR TP SL SR JR TP

N 256 548 368 17 34 11 418 287

% 22 46 31 1 4 13 49 34

JS 68 83

µ 76

Information :

SL : Always

SR : Often

JR : Rarely

TP : Never

JS : Percentage of SL + SR and JR + RP

µ : Average of Percentage

Table 4: Gmean and standar deviation of MCA

Kelas N GMean

Std.

Deviation

Std. Error

Mean

EC 25 ,094 ,242 ,04847

CC 26 ,028 ,294 ,06603

Information:

EC : Experiment Class

CC : Control Class

Gmean : Gainmean

Based on the table, it can make a conclusion that

EC and CC almost no different because the different

of GMean only in a small range. It’s mean, there is

no difference in the ability of EC and CC. This result

can be proven on Table 6 Based on SPSS software

analysis.

From table 6, from Lavene test results, obtained

by sig = 0.576 ≥ α, where α = 0.05. In accordance

with the criteria of testing, accept H0, meaning

Constructivism of Problem-Based Learning Failure in Increasing Students Critical Thinking and Strategy of Cognitive Conﬂict

369

Table 5: Test Statistics for homogenity and enhancement of

ability curiosity

Levene’s Test

for Equality

of Variances

t-test for

Equality

of Means

F Sig. t df

Sig.

(2-tailed)

,576 ,451 1,865 49 ,068

that both classes of homogeneous variance.From

Table 6 also shows that sig (2-tailed) = 0.068 ≥ α,

accept H0, in other that no difference in upgrading

mathematical curiosity experimental class students

with grade control.

3.3 Description of the Critical Thinking

based on the Students’ Academic

Ability Level

For further analysis of the data based on the students’

academic ability level is a student group of high,

medium and low, can be described the results of the

pretest, posttest and N-Gain of critical thinking skills

of students:

Table 6: The description of the pretest results, posttest and

N-Gain of (MCT).

Group

Rerata

Pretest

Rerata

Postest

Rerata

NGain

EC CC EC CC EC CC

High 9,0 4,5 24,5 22,5 0,75 0,70

Middle 3,05 2,09 13,05 17,8 0,36 0,55

Low 2,00 1,40 7,50 9,00 0,19 0,26

Information :

Rerata : Average

From table 6, it can be seen that NGain critical

thinking skills among groups of EC and CC is not

much different, for medium and low group CC group,

Ngain is higher than the EC.

3.4 Qualitative Analysis of the Critical

Thinking Process Mathematical and

Mathematical Curiosity

Based on the result of observations and interviews, it

can be described how the process of critical thinking

and mathematical curiosity. This result can be seen

pada Table.

Table 7: Result of observations from critical thinking and

mathematical curiosity process based on group

Group

Observation result

Critical Thinking

Process

Curiosity Process

High

students were excellent

in asking a question

about the given task.

Students give opinions

when the discussion was

carried out. Student as

soon as asked to lecturer

if there are the confused

problem have found

during teaching and

learning process

most students asked

when there is a thing

wasn’t understood. If

observing from the

spirit in ﬁnishing the

given task, students

very enthusiastic in

learning

Middle

the student asked his

friend in the group,

show students have a

curiosity on the

settlement of the given

problem

The students ask a

friend in the learning

group, if students can’t

get a satisfactory answer,

the students can get an

answer from the lecturer

Low

The students follow a

group discussion and l

isten well

no task is given in a

group discussion

3.5 Interview Result and Assessment in

Learning Process

All students interviewed about the process of

critical thinking about the outcome in answering the

questions provided. The results of these interviews

were divided into three groups: a group of students of

high, medium and low group students.

Table 8: Results of interviews about the critical thinking

process mathematical and mathematical curiosity group of

students of high, medium and low

Group

Interview result and Assessment

in learning process

CTPR

CTA-

Mean CAt

EC CC

High

Problem is given

to make us think

critically, create

confusion, but

challenged to ﬁnd

solutions.

Enthusiastic

investigated in a

group. Worksheets

provided are helping

the understanding of

the material provided

2,59 2,09

The question make

curious, the question

makes sense to know

what the answer is.

Curious about the

answer. Worksheets

are given to

stimulate us to better

understand it, has

never been given a

worksheet

like this

Middle

The question makes

us have read more

carefully, confusing

too, but want to know

what the solution crate.

Give an explanation

beforehand

2,46 2,28

The question make

curiosity arises, what

about the intent, but

sometimes confused

too, yet want to know

what the answer

Low

Very confusing

question and the

question should

be read many times

2,33 1,88

not understand what

that means because,

confusing and

intriguing

ICoSEEH 2019 - The Second International Conference on Social, Economy, Education, and Humanity

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Information

CTPR : Critical Thinking Process and Result

Cat : Curiosity Attitude

4 DISCUSSION

Based on the quantitative analysis of mathematical

critical thinking and curiosity did not differ

signiﬁcantly from those taught using PBLCCS

in the experimental class compared to using

EDI in the control class. This means that the

application PBLCCS not give signiﬁcant effect.

From observations on the application of this

PBLCCS, students have not been able to construct

their own what will be learned without considerable

assistance from educators (lecturers). From the

interviews, their hopes of learning, ﬁrst there is a

detailed explanation, there is setting the example,

new students are given the opportunity to learn in

a group. Most of the students are unfamiliar also

in learning no explanation is given in advance or

if there is an explanation, it is very minimal, so

that they do not know what to do about a given

task. In this case, the student has not been able to

independently build their knowledge, need more

detailed assistance of educators in understanding the

material provided. Yet effective means minimizing

guidance to improve critical thinking skillsThis result

appropriate with previous studies of (Sweller, 2006),

in a study that minimizes instruction or teaching tends

to be ineffective. Over half a century of empirical

research on this issue has given clear evidence and

guidance for teaching that minimizes signiﬁcantly

less effective and efﬁcient than guidance speciﬁcally

designed to support the cognitive processes needed

for learning. Also (Camp, ) states whether PBL is

just a paradigm shift from teacher learning center to

the student center or just a mere fad? So results of

research from (Zetriuslita, ; Zetriuslita et al., 2015)

about proﬁle of mathematical critical thinking ability

student and (Zetriuslita et al., 2015) about proﬁle of

mathematical curiosity ability student still low. It

means that we have to can something to increasing

both of them.

But in the process, critical thinking skills so

evident and mathematically when learning takes

place, it is concerned with their thought processes

in understanding a given task. They eagerly asked,

investigate what should be done, seen also their

sense of confused but curious about the completion

of a given problem. Likewise curiosity (curiosity)

developed this PBLCCS like the questions they

convey, ’bu this mean anything? ”,” A way to

resolve how bu?’ And other questions indicating

they are keen to ﬁnd out the solution. However,

in the process, they are very enthusiastic in solving

challenging problems, they are curious, challenged

that in their discussions eager to collaborate, although

not yet gave the impact to increase critical thinking

skills.

5 CONCLUSION

Based on the result, it can be concluded that PBL and

cognitive conﬂict strategy can’t give a satisfactory in

improving the student critical thinking and curiosity,

but if see from the process of critical thinking and

curiosity during the learning, the results show that

the process the development of critical thinking and

the attitude of curiosity towards mathematics run well

during teaching and learning process. Educators

expected can implement this concept in a good

situation and the right way so it is expected to have

an inﬂuence on students critical thinking ability

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