The Practice Research Of Project-Based Learning In Senior High School Biology Pointing To The Cultivation Of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an essential component of scientific thinking and a crucial skill for individuals to succeed in the knowledge-based society of the future.Effective cultivation of critical thinking skills during high school years heavily relies on actively solving real-world problems.Project-based learning is an intellectual activity that focuses on solving realworld problems as the explicit goal while developing students’ various skills implicitly.There is an intrinsic relationship between critical thinking and project-based learning.However,due to the constraints of college entrance exams,there are few opportunities for high school biology classrooms to conduct practical activities using project-based learning.Therefore,it has become a current research focus and challenge to use project-based learning as a carrier in high school biology classrooms to create practical activities that can enhance students’ critical thinking skills.This research focuses on the relationship between critical thinking and project-based learning,and explores through case studies how to use project-based learning in high school biology classrooms to cultivate students’ critical thinking skills.The main results of the research are as follows:Firstly,through a survey,it was found that students are very willing to participate in project-based learning and are particularly interested in projects that have close connections with real-life situations and involve frequent hands-on practice.In small group activities,students are willing to complete group tasks on time and actively participate in problem discussions.However,their skills in argumentation,evaluation,and reflection have not been fully trained,and their ability to express themselves in language needs to be strengthened.Secondly,based on literature review,a feasibility analysis was conducted on using project-based learning to cultivate students’ critical thinking skills.Referring to previous research abroad,a project-based learning process oriented towards the cultivation of critical thinking was constructed,with a focus on enhancing the part where students express their viewpoints based on evidence.Thirdly,based on the curriculum standards and social hotspots,7 project materials were excavated from high school biology textbooks to cultivate students’ critical thinking skills.These 7 project materials can be divided into three categories: social investigation,design and development,and integrated application.Teaching designs were created for each of these three typical project material categories.Fourthly,a case study on "Investing in Bottled Water" was conducted to empirically investigate the cultivation of critical thinking skills through project-based learning.The results showed that project-based learning can significantly improve students’ critical thinking..Statistical analysis indicated that after completing the project-based learning,the experimental group had a significantly higher level of critical thinking tendency(P=0.00<0.01)than the control group(P=0.140>0.05),particularly in the aspects of "openmindedness," "cognitive maturity," "systematicity," and "confidence in critical thinking." In contrast,there was no significant change in the critical thinking tendency dimensions of the control group.The experimental group’s critical thinking skill level also significantly improved(P=0.00<0.01),and was significantly better than that of the control group(P=0.952>0.05),particularly in analytical and evaluative skills,while the control group did not show any significant changes in the various dimensions of critical thinking skills.The research findings indicate that practical activities using project-based learning in biology classrooms can effectively enhance students’ overall level of critical thinking skills.Teachers need to pay attention to the role of project-based learning in promoting students’ critical thinking.