Students' Problem-Solving Skills: A Descriptive Study in High School Biology Education

Oriny Tri Ananda; Susriyati Mahanal; Hendra Susanto

doi:10.33541/pro-life.v12i3.7389

Authors

Oriny Tri Ananda Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar
Susriyati Mahanal Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang
Hendra Susanto Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33541/pro-life.v12i3.7389

Keywords:

problem-solving skills, biology learning, senior high school student, descriptive quantitative

Abstract

Problem-solving skills are essential competencies in biology learning, which have a broad and complex scope closely related to real-life phenomena. Students are expected not only to understand biological concepts theoretically but also to apply them in formulating solutions to contextual problems. This study aims to analyse students’ problem-solving skills in biology learning at the senior high school level. The research employed a quantitative descriptive method with a sample of 105 students from SMA Negeri 11 Makassar, selected through random sampling. The research instrument consisted of 16 essay items developed based on eight indicators of problem-solving skills proposed by Greenstein. Data were analysed descriptively by calculating the percentage of achievement for each indicator. The results show that students’ problem-solving skills fall into the low category with an average percentage of 51.62%. The highest achievement was found in the ‘identifies solutions’ indicator (57.50%), while the lowest was in the ‘evaluates solutions’ indicator (47.86%). These findings highlight students’ difficulties in identifying complex biological problems, applying systematic problem-solving steps, evaluating the effectiveness of solutions, and connecting them to real-life contexts. Therefore, students’ problem-solving skills need to be improved through innovative, problem-based, and contextual learning strategies. This study emphasises the significance of active learning approaches in ensuring that biological concepts are not only understood conceptually but also applied meaningfully to address real-world challenges.

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