Efektivitas dan dinamika implementasi model pembelajaran problem based learning dalam meningkatkan kemampuan pemecahan masalah dan berpikir kritis siswa

Abstract

Students' low problem-solving ability and critical thinking skills remain a fundamental issue in teacher-centered learning practices. This study aims to analyze the concept, characteristics, syntax, and implementation effectiveness of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model in accelerating students' problem-solving ability and critical thinking. The method used in this study is library research, by examining, comparing, and synthesizing theoretical literature and empirical research findings related to PBL. The results show that PBL effectively shifts the orientation of learning from passive knowledge transfer to an active investigation process through the presentation of authentic problems as the starting point of learning. Through five main stages, namely orienting students to the problem, organizing them for study, guiding individual and group investigation, developing and presenting artifacts, and analyzing and evaluating the problem-solving process, students are trained to think systematically, design solution strategies, and construct their own knowledge. Various empirical studies confirm that PBL consistently improves problem-solving ability, critical thinking skills, motivation, and learning outcomes compared to conventional learning. Nevertheless, the implementation of PBL still faces challenges such as students' readiness to face open-ended problems, limited instructional time, and teachers' competence in designing authentic problems relevant to the curriculum. This study concludes that the success of PBL greatly depends on the quality of problem design and the teacher's role as facilitator, requiring mitigation strategies in the form of teacher training and gradual scaffolding for students unaccustomed to independent learning.