Improving students’ reflective thinking skills on environmental change through a deep learning approach integrated with creative problem-solving in Biology

Abstract

Reflective thinking is an essential skill for students to evaluate evidence, review their learning, and address environmental issues, particularly in biology. Conceptually, integrating Deep Learning and Creative Problem-Solving is seen as relevant for improving students' reflective thinking skills. Deep Learning provides direction for the formation of meaningful, conscious, and contextual understanding, while Creative Problem-Solving provides learning procedures that encourage students to identify problems, analyze information, develop alternative solutions, and evaluate decisions. This research investigated how Grade X students' reflective thinking evolved after applying Creative Problem Solving within a deep learning framework during environmental lessons. A quantitative pretest-posttest approach was employed with 108 students across three classes, collecting data from a 10-item essay test and a 20-item reflective thinking scale. Results indicated that combining deep learning and Creative Problem Solving significantly enhanced reflective thinking (p < 0.05). The R² values demonstrated positive effects: 22% in Research Class I, 12.2% in Class II, and 53% in Class III, with improvements in reacting, comparing, and contemplating. These findings imply that integrating deep learning with Creative Problem Solving can effectively boost reflective thinking in biology, especially regarding environmental issues.