Project Learning in Improving Critical Thinking Skills and Learning Outcomes of Elementary School Students

This research is motivated by the demands of 21st-century learning, which require students to develop skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. These skills are categorized as higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Critical thinking and creativity, in particular, are crucial components of effective learning in schools. Therefore, evaluation tools must be designed to measure students’ higher-order thinking abilities, encouraging them to utilize their HOTS. However, the current evaluation tools used at the elementary school level do not sufficiently measure critical and creative thinking skills. As a result, there is a need for innovation in developing evaluation tools to support HOTS-based Project Learning in elementary schools. This study is descriptive qualitative research. The findings indicate that the project learning evaluation tool developed is effective as an assessment instrument, capable of measuring higher-order thinking abilities, including critical and creative thinking skills, with significant improvements observed in these areas.