How are Students’ Critical Thinking Skills When Solving Problems Collaboratively?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35763/aiem27.5669Keywords:
Critical thinking skills, Collaborative problem solving, Mathematics, Collaborative learningAbstract
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory states that interaction with peers will expand students’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to think critically. Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) is an activity that requires interaction between team members, and several studies state that CPS has an impact on increasing students’ critical thinking abilities. This study describes students’ critical thinking skills when solving collaborative math problems. Students’ critical thinking skills when solving problems collaboratively appear in two conditions: when working independently (individual space) and when interacting with other team members (collaborative space). Students’ critical thinking skills are triggered by the problems given in the individual space. In collaborative space, students’ critical thinking skills emerge more because they are triggered by two things, namely the problem given and responses from other group members. A description of how students’ critical thinking skills work when solving problems collaboratively is explained in more detail in the research results section.
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