Inquiry-based laboratory practice enzyme kinetics to improve students’ critical thinking ability

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of practicum using inquiry-based laboratories of enzyme kinetics on local material to improve students’ critical thinking ability. The inquiry-based laboratory practice of enzyme kinetics has four stages to keep the students’ effort on track: pre-lab activities, an in-lab discussion, in-lab work and a post-lab assignment. This study used a quasi-experimental method, with single group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this study involve 55 students enrolled in biochemistry practicum course from the sixth semester of chemistry study program. The critical thinking ability test instrument consist of 12 reasonable multiple choices question that includes two indicators of critical thinking ability i.e. basic support and inference and also supported by student worksheet. Data analysis of students’ score test using t-test. There was a statistically significant improvement of students’ critical thinking skills (symp.sig 0.000). Furthermore to see the increase in each students’ critical thinking indicator, N-gain is calculated. Based on implementation of the inquiry-based laboratory, it is reported that students’ critical thinking skills improved in medium category and also for students’ critical thinking indicator of ‘inference’. But in the students’ critical thinking indicator of ‘basic support’ they get high category.