Enhancing Fifth-Grade Students’ Critical Thinking Skills through Project-Based Learning Integrating STEM Elements in Science

Abstract

This research is motivated by the demand for the development of critical thinking skills as the main competency of the 21st century in science learning in elementary schools. Science learning practices that are still dominated by a teacher-centered approach lead to low student involvement and lack of facilitation of high-level thinking skills. The purpose of this article is to conceptually examine the potential of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) integrated with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) elements in developing critical thinking skills of grade V elementary school students. The method used is a literature review with a qualitative descriptive approach to internationally reputable journal articles that are relevant to PjBL, STEM, and critical thinking in science education. Data were analyzed through thematic synthesis to identify the role of the PjBL stages and the integration of STEM elements in stimulating critical thinking indicators, including analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, and self-regulation. The results of the study show that STEM-integrated PjBL provides a contextual, cross-disciplinary, and authentic problem-solving oriented learning environment, so it has a strong potential in supporting the development of students' critical thinking. STEM integration acts as a conceptual and procedural reinforcement in science learning projects. This article emphasizes that STEM-integrated PjBL has a strong theoretical foundation to be used as a framework for 21st century science learning in elementary schools.