The effect of problem based learning model based on earthquake disaster mitigation on critical thinking ability of class VIII Students at MTS Alkhairaat Pusat Palu

This study aims to determine the effect of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) learning model based on earthquake disaster mitigation on the critical thinking skills of class VIII students at MTs Alkhairaat Pusat Palu. The method used was a quasi-experiment with a nonequivalent control group design. The research subjects consisted of two classes, namely class VIII C as an experimental class treated with the PBL model, and class VIII D as a control class with conventional learning, each totaling 30 students. Data collection involved pretest and posttest essay tests, analyzed for normality, homogeneity, and using paired-sample t-tests. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the critical thinking ability of students in the experimental class, with the average posttest score reaching 90.70 compared to the control class of 71.43. The t-test shows a significance value of <0.001, which means that there is a significant effect of applying the PBL model on improving critical thinking skills. Thus, the disaster mitigation-based PBL model is effective in improving students' critical thinking skills.