Problem-solving skills are advantageous when resolving complicated and multidimensional challenges. Problem-solving skills can be developed through active learning models that engage students in the learning process. One active learning model is RICOSRE. The main focus of RICOSRE is problem-solving activities in (1) reading; (2) identifying the problem; (3) constructing the solution; (4) solving the problem; (5) reviewing the solution; and (6) extending the solution. The purpose of this study was to assess the ongoing development of problem-solving skills of students with upper, middle, and lower academic abilities at the Department of Biology Education in a state university in Indonesia. This study employed a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design. The repeated-measures ANOVA was used to test the hypothesis for the quantitative data, and NVivo 12 was utilized to analyze the qualitative data. The participants’ problem-solving skills were determined by their responses to items on RICOSRE-integrated worksheets. The students’ responses were graded using a validated and reliable problem-solving rubric. The findings indicated that the students’ problem-solving skills improved consistently in the upper, middle, and lower academic groups that were taught by implementing RICOSRE.

Character education gets a lot of attention from stakeholders and educators to be developed; hence, many models have been created to develop the affective domain. This study aimed to analyze the relationship and contribution of critical thinking skills and social skills with students’ character through the application of discovery models. The population of this study were high school students in Situbondo. The research sample was chosen from SMA Negeri 1 Besuki with the purposive sampling method. The research instrument to measure critical thinking skills was an essay test developed from Facione's critical thinking skills rubric. Social skills were measured using instruments adopted from Social Skills inventory. To examine students’ character, observation sheets were developed from six pillars of character element of the Josephson Institute. The validity and reliability of the instruments were performed before using them. The results of the validity calculation with product-moment correlation analysis and the reliability calculation with Cronbach's alpha analysis showed that the instrument was valid and reliable so that it could be used in this study. Data were analyzed using multiple regression. The results showed critical thinking skills and social thinking skills together had a contribution to the development of students’ character in the application of discovery learning models. This research can be a reference for readers about the contribution of students' critical thinking skills and social skills to developing students' character. Further research is needed to find out other impacts that affect students’ character.

The instructional models that have been implemented in the classroom could not support the development of students’ critical thinking skills. These instructional models can be well implemented if those models can facilitate students with meaningful learning experiences such as reading, connecting prior knowledge to new information being learned in the classroom as well as doing investigation-based activities, discussion activities, and evaluation activities. The authors conducted the research to develop a ReCODE (Reading, Connecting, Observing, Discussing, Evaluating) instructional model and valid, practical, and effective tools. The procedures for developing the model included the preliminary research phase, prototyping phase, and assessment phase. Data on the validity of the model were collected using expert validation instruments, while the practicality of the model was measured using the instruments for the model’s component practicality and the model’s implementation. The effectiveness of the model was examined using the critical thinking test and questionnaires. The model was implemented to first-year students from the Department of Biology Education, Universitas Negeri Makassar, in the even semester of 2018/2019. The results showed that ReCODE was (1) valid, in terms of the theory underlying the development of the model, the components of the model, and the instructional tools accompanying the model, (2) practical because it had feasible components, and the learning process could be carried out successfully, and (3) effective in improving student critical thinking skills; the model also received positive responses from the lecturer and the students. Thus, this study’s findings suggest that the ReCODE instructional model can be applied in the classroom to facilitate critical thinking.

University students’ misconceptions have become an important issue to discuss as prior concepts brought by the students into the classroom can affect the acquisition of new information. The current study attempted to identify Biology students’ misconceptions in Human Anatomy and Physiology courses through a three-tier diagnostic test. The participants of this study were 128 students from the Department of Biology Education who were currently enrolled in Human Anatomy and Physiology courses at the Institute of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences (STKIP) Pembangunan Indonesia in Makassar. A three-tier diagnostic test was used as the instrument to identify the number of participants who had developed misconceptions about the concepts introduced in the courses. The test contained 23 items of Certainty of Response Index (CRI) that, on average, achieved a validity score of 0.426 and a reliability score of 0.794. The results of the test analysis showed that the majority (61.51%) of the students developed misconceptions in Human Anatomy and Physiology courses. In detail, there were several misconceptions in 57.81% skeletal system, 52.34% muscular system, 55.47% integumentary system, 51.04% nervous system, 54.69% endocrine system, 66.02% hemolymphatic system, 62.89% cardiovascular system, 68.75% respiratory system, 70.31% digestive system, 70.70% urinary system, and 71.88% reproductive system. Misconceptions were mostly developed on reproductive system sub-materials and less likely found in nervous system sub-materials. Given this information, it can be concluded that the misconceptions of Biology students from the Institute of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences (STKIP) Pembangunan Indonesia in Human Anatomy and Physiology courses are categorized as high. Therefore, there should be an effort to deal with this issue.

[Objective] The current study explored the correlation and contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female and male students' retention in senior high school. [Methodology] This study used a descriptive correlational design, where critical thinking and metacognitive skills served as the predictor, during retention as the criterion. A total of 230 students participated in this study. The participants comprised 112 (48.70%) male students and 118 (51.30%) female students. An essay test and a scoring rubric were used to collect data on participants' critical thinking and metacognitive skills. The research data were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis at a 5% significance level, followed by ANOVA to examine the contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward male and female students' retention. [Results] The statistical analysis revealed that the simultaneous contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female students' retention was higher than that toward male students' retention. The effective contribution values of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward male students' retention were 2.44% and 10.06%, respectively. Meanwhile, critical thinking and metacognitive skills contributed 7.89% and 12.81% toward female students' retention. [Conclusions] There was a simultaneous correlation between critical thinking, metacognitive skills, and retention of male and female high school students. The effective contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female students' retention was more significant than that toward male students' retention. The findings of this study suggest that high school teachers need to consider gender equality when implementing learning strategies to improve critical thinking and metacognitive skills.

It is a challenge for higher education in the 21st century to prepare the students with various skills to master, including creative-thinking skills. Creative-thinking skills are essential to apply in all courses, one of which is Animal Structure. This research aims to determine the effect of the ERCoRe learning model in improving the creative-thinking skills of preservice biology teachers. It was conducted using the pretest-posttest control-group quasi-experimental design. The sample in this research were preservice teachers in the Biology Education Department of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sulawesi Barat Indonesia, who were enrolled in the even semester of the 2018/2019 academic year with the Animal Structure course. The subjects of this research were 84 preservice teachers in 4 classes, which were divided into two experimental classes and two control classes. The number of preservice teachers in the experimental class was 44 and in the control class 40. The experimental class was taught with the ERCoRe learning model and the control class with the conventional model, namely the lecture and question and answer methods. The research instrument used was an essay test of creative-thinking skills totaling 13 items. The research data were analyzed using one-way Ancova. It was found that the creative-thinking skills of the preservice teachers generated by the ERCoRe learning model were higher than those generated by the conventional model. The use of the ERCoRe learning model influences and can improve the creative-thinking skills of preservice biology teachers at the Universitas Sulawesi Barat. The authors recommend that the ERCoRe learning model be used for other subjects as considered to have the potential in developing 21st century skills, especially creative thinking.