PENGARUH MEDIA PHET INTERACTIVE SIMULATION TERHADAP KETERAMPILAN BERPIKIR KRITIS DAN KETERAMPILAN DISKUSI SISWA SMP KELAS IX MATERI PEWARISAN SIFAT

Critical thinking skills are one of the skills that students must have. Critical thinking students are able to analyze, evaluate information, raise questions and collect relevant information. Discussion skills are one of the skills that students must have. students are trained to speak, ask questions and be able to argue in a group to draw conclusions from problems in class. Efforts to develop students' critical thinking and discussion skills optimally require interactive classes using PhET Interactive Simulation-based learning media. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an effect of PhET Interactive Simulation learning media on critical thinking skills and discussion skills of junior high school students. This research method uses a quantitative approach, the type of research is quasi-experimental and the research design is nonaquivalent control group design. Data collection techniques used were pretest and posttest to measure students' critical thinking skills and observation sheets to measure students' discussion skills. The data analysis technique used is the assumption of normality test, homogeneity test, regression homogeneity test and linearity test. Hypothesis testing using ANCOVA test. The results showed that there was a significant effect of PhET Interactive Simulation media on students' critical thinking skills and students' discussion skills. It can be seen from the results of the average pretest and posttest that the experimental group has a greater average increase than the control group. Based on the results of ANCOVA shows that there is a significant difference in critical thinking skills between one class and another by controlling the students' initial critical thinking skills [F(1,61)= 47,758, p = 0,001, p2= 0,439]. Based on the results of ANCOVA shows that there is a significant difference in discussion skills between one class and another by controlling the students' initial discussion skills [F(1,61)= 43,075, p = 0,001, p2= 0,414]. So it can be concluded that the PhET Interactive Simulation media has a significant effect on students' critical thinking skills and discussion skills