The Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning on Students’ Critical Thinking Post-Pandemic

Abstract

Changes in educational systems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created various challenges that affected learning quality and the development of students' critical thinking skills. In the post-pandemic learning context, educational approaches are required to encourage active student engagement while fostering twenty-first-century competencies. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in enhancing secondary school students' critical thinking skills in the post-pandemic era. The study employed a library research method with a qualitative descriptive approach by reviewing scientific literature published over the last five years. Data sources consisted of national and international journal articles discussing the implementation of PjBL and the development of critical thinking skills. The findings indicate that PjBL effectively improves critical thinking skills through student involvement in investigation, problem-solving, collaboration, and reflective learning activities. Project-based learning also encourages students to develop analytical, evaluative, argumentative, and decision-making abilities more effectively than conventional learning approaches. Furthermore, the student-centered nature of PjBL makes it highly relevant as a learning strategy for supporting educational recovery in the post-pandemic period. Therefore, PjBL can serve as an effective instructional approach to enhance critical thinking skills among secondary school students.