The Effectiveness of the Peer Project Collaborative Learning Model on Students’ Critical Thinking Skills: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Paulina Maria Ekasari Wahyuningrum; Siti Masitoh; Andi Kristanto

doi:10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.232

Authors

Paulina Maria Ekasari Wahyuningrum Universitas Negeri Surabaya
Siti Masitoh Universitas Negeri Surabaya
Andi Kristanto Universitas Negeri Surabaya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.232

Keywords:

peer project collaborative, critical thinking, Experimental Study

Abstract

This study examines whether the Peer Project Collaborative Learning (PPCL) model is more effective than Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in improving the critical thinking skills of junior high school students. PPCL integrates peer, project, and collaborative learning into a five-phase syntax. A quasi-experiment with a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted on 68 ninth-grade students at a Catholic junior high school in Palangka Raya, divided into an experimental group taught with PPCL and a control group taught with PjBL. Critical thinking was measured with a validated eight-item essay test and analysed using an independent-samples t-test. Groups were statistically equivalent at pretest, but the experimental group obtained a significantly higher posttest mean (26.59 vs. 24.56; t = 5.086; p < 0.001; d = 1.23). The findings indicate that embedding peer interaction within project work meaningfully strengthens critical thinking.

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