Natural product chemistry laboratory project to improve creative thinking skills

This research was conducted to examine the application of a natural product chemistry laboratory project to enhance students' creative thinking skills. A quasi-experimental method was employed, with participants comprising 26 students in the experimental class and 26 students in the control class, all of whom were chemistry education students in the 7th semester of the 2024/2025 academic year at a state university in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. In the experimental class, a natural product chemistry laboratory project was implemented, whereas in the control class, a verification laboratory approach was used. The results indicated a significant difference in creative thinking skills (fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration) between the experimental and control classes. Additionally, the average n-gain test results revealed a moderate increase in the experimental class (34.12), compared to a low increase in the control class (27.27). These findings suggest that the natural product chemistry laboratory project enhances students' creative thinking skills more effectively than the conventional laboratory approach.