Development of Learning Activities Using Phenomenon Based Learning to Enhance Critical Thinking Competence of Student Teachers

Abstract

This research on the development of learning activities using a phenomenon-based approach to enhance the critical thinking competence of pre-service teachers aimed to design learning activities that incorporate real-world phenomena to foster critical thinking skills. The study was conducted with pre-service teachers from the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai University, using a quasi-experimental research design. Data collection tools included a critical thinking competence assessment and a manual for implementing phenomenon-based learning activities. Data analysis was performed using statistical methods such as mean, standard deviation, and paired-sample t-test. The research findings were as follows:

Five principles for designing learning activities to enhance critical thinking competence were synthesized, leading to a structured five-step learning process: selecting a phenomenon, exploring the phenomenon, analyzing the phenomenon, connecting the phenomenon, and summarizing the phenomenon. Three learning activities were developed across three different courses. Expert validation confirmed a perfect alignment between the designed activities and the research framework, with an average agreement score of 1.00 across all activities and steps—exceeding the threshold of 0.66. Additionally, the appropriateness of these activities in terms of course relevance, feasibility, student engagement, and duration was rated above 4.50 on a five-point summated scale. Experts also provided recommendations for further refinements.

The evaluation of pre-service teachers' critical thinking competence after implementing the learning activities showed a statistically significant improvement (p < .05) across all three courses. This indicates that the phenomenon-based learning approach effectively enhances critical thinking skills among pre-service teachers.