Changing the Concept of Prospective Primary Education Teachers through Ethnoscience-based Critical Thinking

Abstract A suitable environment as a learning resource can improve critical thinking skills. Increasing critical thinking skills will strengthen the concepts mastered or change the concepts if there is an error in understanding. The purpose of this study is to find out the change or shift of concepts through critical thinking of prospective teachers of primary school in ethnoscience-based learning. It is carried out using questionnaires and interviews to see the concept changes experienced by prospective primary school teachers through critical thinking in ethnoscience learning. The survey results and participant interviews show that the concept change in ethnoscience-based learning occurs because of an increase in critical thinking skills. This increase occurs because of relevant problems that critically encourage prospective primary school teachers to provide argumentation and analysis. The real problems that exist around us and are easy to find in everyday life are about the culture or the surrounding environment. A learning environment based on culture or local wisdom is one of the alternatives that can be used in science learning to increase concern for the environment and the surrounding culture.