Improving Students’ Critical Thinking Skills Using Methods Natural Based Learning On the Exploration of Papuan Itchy Leaf Plants (Laportea decumana) in Elementary School

Abstract

 Improving students’ critical thinking skills is one of the important focuses in elementary education. This study aims to describe the application of the Natural Based Learning method in the exploration of Papuan itchy leaf plants (Laportea decumana) in order to improve the critical thinking skills of elementary school students. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study indicate that the application of Natural Based Learning encourages students to actively observe, analyze, evaluate, and draw conclusions based on real observation data in the natural environment. Although there are several challenges, such as differences in exploration abilities, lack of observation and exploration skills, motivation and focus on learning and environmental factors. Students show enthusiasm, high curiosity, and a significant increase in critical thinking skills. Thus, Natural Based Learning has proven effective in developing students’ critical thinking skills while fostering a love for the environment from an early age.