Articles

Google Sites Integration to Improve Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Social Studies Learning at Pontianak City Junior High School

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This study aims to examine the integration of Google Sites as a web-based learning medium in improving students’ critical thinking skills in Social Sciences (IPS) subjects at Pontianak City Junior High School. The low critical thinking ability of Indonesian students as reflected in the results of PISA 2022 encourages the urgent need for learning innovations that are able to encourage high-level thinking processes. The research approach used is mixed methods with a sequential explanatory design, involving grade VII students of Pontianak City Junior High School, namely at SMP Negeri 1 Pontianak City, SMP Negeri 10 Pontianak City and SMP Negeri 28 Pontianak City. Data collection was carried out through critical thinking ability tests (pretest and posttest), learning implementation observation sheets, student response questionnaires, and in-depth interviews. The Google Sites integration is designed based on the TPACK framework and the Inquiry Learning model with five main syntax: problem orientation, information exploration, analysis and discussion, synthesis and presentation, and reflection. Critical thinking skills are measured using the six components of Facione’s theory: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation. The results showed a significant improvement in students’ critical thinking skills after the implementation of Google Sites-based learning, accompanied by positive responses from students to interactive, contextual, and real social problem-oriented learning experiences. This research makes a practical contribution to the development of innovative social studies learning that is in line with the demands of the Independent Curriculum and the 21st century Graduate Profile.

Factors Influencing English Teachers’ Use of Generative Ai for Teaching Speaking Activities at a Language Center in Ca Mau

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Despite the potential of Generative AI (GenAI) to reduce Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) in speaking instruction, its implementation in resource-constrained settings like a language center in Ca Mau province, Vietnam, remains underexplored. This study investigates the paradox of “digital native” instructors who possess high digital literacy but face infrastructural and pedagogical barriers in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 58 EFL teachers via surveys, followed by semi-structured interviews. Utilizing the SAMR model as a diagnostic framework, the findings revealed the existence of a Substitution Plateau. Although teachers frequently used GenAI for administrative tasks (Substitution level, M = 3.91), its application for transformative, real-time voice interactions was notably limited (Redefinition level, M = 1.96). Stepwise multiple regression and thematic analyses demonstrated that infrastructural barriers (beta = -.52) and ethical concerns regarding “synthetic fluency” significantly inhibited advanced GenAI adoption, outweighing the positive influence of teachers’ TPACK competence. The study concludes that in peripheral educational settings, the primary limiting factor is not technological illiteracy, but rather a contextually driven “safety-first” pedagogical strategy. These findings challenge the universality of tech-integration models and provide localized implications for AI adoption in the Global South.

Development of TPACK-Based Teaching Materials on Biodiversity Subject to Measure Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

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Teaching materials are auxiliary elements employed to accomplish the goals of the educational process. The observed fact reveals a deficiency in teaching materials that incorporate Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for the purpose of developing students’ critical thinking abilities. Thus, there is a want for an instructional resource that may assist pupils in enhancing their critical thinking abilities. The objective of this project is to provide TPACK-based teaching materials on biodiversity that are credible, effective, and practical. In addition to elucidating students’ critical thinking abilities through the utilization of TPACK-based instructional resources. The methodology employed in this study is Research and Development (R&D) utilizing the ADDIE paradigm. The tool employed is a questionnaire sheet for the purpose of validating materials and media. The study yielded data indicating that teaching materials centered around Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) were valid and appropriate for learning purposes in the context of Biodiversity. The validity includes a material validation score of 91.25% and a media score of 96.42%, with an N-Gain of 0.75, indicating strong testing performance. Therefore, it can be inferred that educational resources rooted in Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and focused on the topic of Biodiversity have a positive impact on students’ ability to think critically.