Vol. 11 No. 9 (2025): September
Open Access
Peer Reviewed

The Role of Problem-Based Learning Model in Optimizing Senior High School Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Biodiversity Material: A Literature Review

Authors

DOI:

10.29303/jppipa.v11i9.12348

Published:

2025-09-25

Downloads

Abstract

Through PBL, students do not only memorize facts, but are invited to analyze real problems related to biodiversity, such as species extinction or ecosystem damage. This approach encourages students to find solutions, gather information from various sources, and develop logical arguments, which are the core of critical thinking. Thus, PBL effectively transforms passive learning into active learning, equipping students with essential skills to understand and contribute to global environmental issues. This research aims to analyze and explain the concept and characteristics of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Model; the relationship between PBL and critical thinking skills; identify the benefits and challenges of implementing PBL; and explain the implementation of PBL in biodiversity material. The objectives are to identify what is known, find research gaps, and provide a basis for further research. The results of this study are Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an educational model that makes authentic problems the main foundation in the student learning process; PBL is student-centered, utilizing real problems to trigger independent investigation and group collaboration. This model aims to develop problem-solving and self-reflection skills. General stages of PBL include: Problem orientation: Introducing the problem to students; Student organization: Forming study groups; Guiding inquiry: Facilitating the search for solutions; Development and presentation of results: Presenting findings. • Process analysis and evaluation: Reflecting on learning; PBL is highly effective in improving students' critical thinking skills.

Keywords:

Biodiversity materials Critical thinking skills Optimizing Problem-based learning Senior high school students

References

Aizikovitsh-Udi, E., & Cheng, D. (2015). Developing Critical Thinking Skills from Dispositions to Abilities: Mathematics Education from Early Childhood to High School. Creative Education, 06(04), 455–462. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2015.64045

Almazroa, H., & Alotaibi, W. (2023). Teaching 21st Century Skills: Understanding the Depth and Width of the Challenges to Shape Proactive Teacher Education Programmes. Sustainability, 15(9), 7365. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097365

Almomani, L. M., Halalsheh, N., Al-Dreabi, H., Al-Hyari, L., & Al-Quraan, R. (2023). Self-directed learning skills and motivation during distance learning in the COVID-19 pandemic (case study: The university of Jordan). Heliyon, 9(9), e20018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20018

Almulla, M. A. (2020). The Effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) Approach as a Way to Engage Students in Learning. Sage Open, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020938702

Amani, J., & Mkimbili, S. T. (2025). Developing critical thinking skills among secondary schools students: The role of research project. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 58, 101883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.101883

Arifin, Z., Sukarmin, S., Saputro, S., & Kamari, A. (2025). The effect of inquiry-based learning on students’ critical thinking skills in science education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 21(3), em2592. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15988

Arviani, F. P., Wahyudin, D., & Dewi, L. (2023). The Effectiveness of Problem Based Learning Model in Improving Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills. JPI (Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia), 12(4), 627–635. https://doi.org/10.23887/jpiundiksha.v12i4.65606

Assen, J. H. E., & Otting, H. (2022). Teachers’ collective learning: To what extent do facilitators stimulate the use of social context, theory, and practice as sources for learning? Teaching and Teacher Education, 114, 103702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103702

Bhardwaj, V., Zhang, S., Tan, Y. Q., & Pandey, V. (2025). Redefining learning: Student-centered strategies for academic and personal growth. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1518602. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1518602

Chen, J., Kolmos, A., & Du, X. (2021). Forms of implementation and challenges of PBL in engineering education: A review of literature. European Journal of Engineering Education, 46(1), 90–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2020.1718615

Crogman, H., & Trebeau Crogman, M. (2018). Modified generated question learning, and its classroom implementation and assessment. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1459340. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2018.1459340

Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791

Fitrah, M., Sofroniou, A., Setiawan, C., Widihastuti, W., Yarmanetti, N., Jaya, M. P. S., Panuntun, J. G., Arfaton, A., Beteno, S., & Susianti, I. (2025). The Impact of Integrated Project-Based Learning and Flipped Classroom on Students’ Computational Thinking Skills: Embedded Mixed Methods. Education Sciences, 15(4), 448. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040448

Guo, P., Saab, N., Post, L. S., & Admiraal, W. (2020). A review of project-based learning in higher education: Student outcomes and measures. International Journal of Educational Research, 102, 101586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101586

Herlinawati, H., Marwa, M., Ismail, N., Junaidi, Liza, L. O., & Situmorang, D. D. B. (2024). The integration of 21st century skills in the curriculum of education. Heliyon, 10(15), e35148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35148

Hogan, D., & O’Flaherty, J. (2022). Exploring the nature and culture of science as an academic discipline: Implications for the integration of education for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(8), 120–147. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-06-2021-0236

Juniantari, N. L. P., & Suniasih, N. W. (2023). Problem Based Learning Model Assisted by Visual Media Improves Critical Thinking Skills of Grade IV Elementary School Students. Thinking Skills and Creativity Journal, 6(1), 76–85. https://doi.org/10.23887/tscj.v6i1.62587

Kerimbayev, N., Umirzakova, Z., Shadiev, R., & Jotsov, V. (2023). A student-centered approach using modern technologies in distance learning: A systematic review of the literature. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00280-8

Kim, S., Raza, M., & Seidman, E. (2019). Improving 21st-century teaching skills: The key to effective 21st-century learners. Research in Comparative and International Education, 14(1), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499919829214

Komala, R., Heryanti, E., & Rinawati, A. (2021). Effect of problem-based learning model on biodiversity problem-solving skills. Biosfer, 14(1), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.21009/biosferjpb.16325

Lenkauskaitė, J., Bubnys, R., Masiliauskienė, E., & Malinauskienė, D. (2021). Participation in the Assessment Processes in Problem-Based Learning: Experiences of the Students of Social Sciences in Lithuania. Education Sciences, 11(11), 678. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11110678

Liu, Y., & Pásztor, A. (2022). Effects of problem-based learning instructional intervention on critical thinking in higher education: A meta-analysis. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 45, 101069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101069

Maqsood, Z., Sajjad, M., & Yasmin, R. (2025). Effect of feedback-integrated reflection, on deep learning of undergraduate medical students in a clinical setting. BMC Medical Education, 25(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06648-3

Markula, A., & Aksela, M. (2022). The key characteristics of project-based learning: How teachers implement projects in K-12 science education. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 4(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-021-00042-x

Martin-Alguacil, N., Avedillo, L., Mota-Blanco, R., & Gallego-Agundez, M. (2024). Student-Centered Learning: Some Issues and Recommendations for Its Implementation in a Traditional Curriculum Setting in Health Sciences. Education Sciences, 14(11), 1179. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111179

Mayombe, C. (2025). The Role of Self-Directed Learning in Enhancing Entrepreneurial Learning of Students in Higher Education Institutions. Education Sciences, 15(5), 629. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050629

Miserez, A., Yu, J., & Mohammadi, P. (2023). Protein-Based Biological Materials: Molecular Design and Artificial Production. Chemical Reviews, 123(5), 2049–2111. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00621

Muhamad Dah, N., Mat Noor, M. S. A., Kamarudin, M. Z., & Syed Abdul Azziz, S. S. (2024). The impacts of open inquiry on students’ learning in science: A systematic literature review. Educational Research Review, 43, 100601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100601

Mutanga, M. B. (2024). Students’ Perspectives and Experiences in Project-Based Learning: A Qualitative Study. Trends in Higher Education, 3(4), 903–911. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu3040052

Nicholus, G., Nzabahimana, J., & Muwonge, C. M. (2024). Evaluating video-based PBL approach on performance and critical thinking ability among Ugandan form-2 secondary school students. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2346040. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2346040

Niesenbaum, R. A. (2019). The Integration of Conservation, Biodiversity, and Sustainability. Sustainability, 11(17), 4676. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174676

Novalia, R., Marini, A., Bintoro, T., & Muawanah, U. (2025). Project-based learning: For higher education students’ learning independence. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101530

Pary, C., Keliata, F., Renngiwur, J., & Kurnia, T. S. (2025). Science Module Development Problem-Based Learning for Biodiversity in Junior High School. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 11(1), 545–550. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i1.10038

Putri, P. L. K., Widiana, I. W., & Suarjana, I. M. (2024). Project-Based Learning Assessment Guidebook Project-Based Assessment with Design Approach Thinking. Thinking Skills and Creativity Journal, 7(1), 30–41. https://doi.org/10.23887/tscj.v7i1.74556

Raslan, G. (2023). Critical Thinking Skills Profile of High School Students in AP Chemistry Learning. In K. Al Marri, F. Mir, S. David, & A. Aljuboori (Eds.), BUiD Doctoral Research Conference 2022 (Vol. 320, pp. 79–96). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27462-6_8

Rehman, N., Huang, X., Mahmood, A., AlGerafi, M. A. M., & Javed, S. (2024). Project-based learning as a catalyst for 21st-Century skills and student engagement in the math classroom. Heliyon, 10(23), e39988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39988

Salmon, A. K., & Barrera, M. X. (2021). Intentional questioning to promote thinking and learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 40, 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100822

Sánchez-García, R., & Reyes-de-Cózar, S. (2025). Enhancing Project-Based Learning: A Framework for Optimizing Structural Design and Implementation—A Systematic Review with a Sustainable Focus. Sustainability, 17(11), 4978. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114978

Septiany, L. D., Puspitawati, R. P., Susantini, E., Budiyanto, M., Purnomo, T., & Hariyono, E. (2024). Analysis of High School Students’ Critical Thinking Skills Profile According to Ennis Indicators. IJORER : International Journal of Recent Educational Research, 5(1), 157–167. https://doi.org/10.46245/ijorer.v5i1.544

Silva, A. B. D., Bispo, A. C. K. D. A., Rodriguez, D. G., & Vasquez, F. I. F. (2018). Problem-based learning: A proposal for structuring PBL and its implications for learning among students in an undergraduate management degree program. Revista de Gestão, 25(2), 160–177. https://doi.org/10.1108/REGE-03-2018-030

Ssemugenyi, F. (2023). Teaching and learning methods compared: A pedagogical evaluation of problem-based learning (PBL) and lecture methods in developing learners’ cognitive abilities. Cogent Education, 10(1), 2187943. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2187943

Stanton, J. D., Neider, X. N., Gallegos, I. J., & Clark, N. C. (2015). Differences in Metacognitive Regulation in Introductory Biology Students: When Prompts Are Not Enough. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 14(2), ar15. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-08-0135

Suwistika, R., Ibrohim, I., & Susanto, H. (2024). Improving critical thinking and creative thinking skills through POPBL learning in high school student. JPBI (Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Indonesia), 10(1), 115–122. https://doi.org/10.22219/jpbi.v10i1.30172

Trullàs, J. C., Blay, C., Sarri, E., & Pujol, R. (2022). Effectiveness of problem-based learning methodology in undergraduate medical education: A scoping review. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 104. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03154-8

Wahdaniyah, N., Agustini, R., & Tukiran, T. (2023). Analysis of Effectiveness PBL-STEM to Improve Student’s Critical Thinking Skills. IJORER : International Journal of Recent Educational Research, 4(3), 365–382. https://doi.org/10.46245/ijorer.v4i3.312

Wang, C.-C. (2021). The process of implementing problem-based learning in a teacher education programme: An exploratory case study. Cogent Education, 8(1), 1996870. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1996870

Weiskopf, S. R., Rubenstein, M. A., Crozier, L. G., Gaichas, S., Griffis, R., Halofsky, J. E., Hyde, K. J. W., Morelli, T. L., Morisette, J. T., Muñoz, R. C., Pershing, A. J., Peterson, D. L., Poudel, R., Staudinger, M. D., Sutton-Grier, A. E., Thompson, L., Vose, J., Weltzin, J. F., & Whyte, K. P. (2020). Climate change effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, ecosystem services, and natural resource management in the United States. Science of The Total Environment, 733, 137782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137782

Widyapuraya, N. W., Suryana, A. L., Suyanta, S., & Wilujeng, I. (2023). Profil Keterampilan Berpikir Kritis Siswa SMP Negeri 1 Juwangi pada Pembelajaran IPA. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(3), 1368–1374. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i3.1723

Wijnia, L., Noordzij, G., Arends, L. R., Rikers, R. M. J. P., & Loyens, S. M. M. (2024). The Effects of Problem-Based, Project-Based, and Case-Based Learning on Students’ Motivation: A Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 36(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09864-3

Zhang, L., & Ma, Y. (2023). A study of the impact of project-based learning on student learning effects: A meta-analysis study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1202728. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202728

Author Biographies

Renny Threesje Tumober, Universitas Cenderawasih

Author Origin : Indonesia

Albert Lumbu, Universitas Cenderawasih

Author Origin : Indonesia

Semuel Jeujanan, Universitas Cenderawasih

Author Origin : Indonesia

Rudolf Doni Abrauw, Universitas Cenderawasih

Author Origin : Indonesia

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

How to Cite

Tumober, R. T., Lumbu, A., Jeujanan, S., & Abrauw, R. D. (2025). The Role of Problem-Based Learning Model in Optimizing Senior High School Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Biodiversity Material: A Literature Review. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 11(9), 81–89. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i9.12348