The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning with multiple representation to improve critical thinking skill in learning electrochemistry

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of electrochemistry learning based on open inquiry with multiple representation approaches to improve students’ critical thinking skills. The research used a quasi-experimental method with the control group pretest-posttest design. The study was conducted at a public vocational high school in Bontang. The study involved 30 students as the experimental group and 29 students as the control group. The instrument consisted of 8 short-answer questions to uncover students’ conceptual mastery of electrochemistry. Critical thinking skills aspect was taken into account when constructing the questions. Questionnaires to reveal students’ responses to the implementation of inquiry learning was also given. The results showed that inquiry learning was effective in improving students’ critical thinking skills. This is indicated by the mean N-Gain score of critical thinking skill of the experimental group students which is 0.59 and the control group which is 0.37, the effect size fell in the high category with 1.19. The highest N-Gain was for the indicator of elementary clarification (N-gain = 0.81) and the lowest one for strategy and tactics (N-Gain = 0.35). Students responded positively to inquiry learning with multiple representations.