The Effect of an Ethnoscience-Based Guided Inquiry Learning Model on Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

This study aims to examine the effect of an ethnoscience-based guided inquiry learning model on students’ critical thinking skills in physics learning, particularly on sound wave topics. The study employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design and purposive sampling technique. The participants consisted of two Grade XI classes at SMAN 1 Dewantara with a total of 44 students, including 22 students in the experimental group and 22 students in the control group. Data were collected through critical thinking skills tests administered as pretests and posttests, as well as student response questionnaires. The results showed a significant difference in posttest scores, indicating that the ethnoscience-based guided inquiry learning model had a positive effect on students’ critical thinking skills. Students’ responses were also very positive, with an average score of 86.79%, suggesting that the model is interesting and feasible to be implemented in physics learning. The main contribution of this study is providing empirical evidence that the integration of ethnoscience in physics learning strengthens the connection between scientific concepts and local cultural contexts, making learning more meaningful, contextual, and relevant to students’ characteristics.