INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL PEDAGOGY OF SOCIAL STUDIES, VOL 6, (2), 2021, 9 - 14

International Journal Pedagogy of Social Studies

p-ISSN : 2550-0600
e-ISSN 2549-6530

The Analysis of Students’ Creative Thinking Skills through the

Implementation of the Project Based Learning Model in Social Studies
Learning

Ririn Prihatin1, Erlina Wiyanarti2, Yeni Kurniawati

Social Studies Education Program, Faculty of Social Sciences Education
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract. This research is motivated by the lack of creative thinking skills of students in social studies
learning. This is because learning is still dominated by teachers. This research aims at describing the
Project Based Learning model to encourage creative thinking, the planning of Project Based Learning, the
implementation strategies of Project Based Learning, and the solutions to obstacles in developing creative
thinking. The approach employed in this research was a qualitative approach with descriptive methods.
The data were collected through interviews and documentation studies. The subjects of this study were a
social studies teacher and 25 students in class VII-E. Based on the research results, it could be seen that
1) the implementation of the Project Based Learning model had been able to develop students’ creative
thinking skills, which could be seen from the results of the projects they had done; 2) the planning in
implementing the Project Based Learning model had been well prepared and could develop students’
creative thinking; 3) the process of implementing the Project Based Learning was carried out in accordance
with the syntax of the Project Based Learning model itself, starting from asking basic questions to
evaluating experiences; 4) The obstacles faced were class management, planning learning time, students
who were not able to fathom the aims and objectives to be conveyed, and students who needed to be given
an overview of the example projects they were going to work on.

Keywords: Creative Thinking, Project Based Learning

Correspondence. [email protected]
Article History. Received August 2021, Received in revised September 2021, Accepted October 2021
©2021. International Journal Pedagogy of Social Studies. Program Study of Social Studies Education

A. INTRODUCTION used is too conventional, making it difficult

Education has an important role in for teachers to develop students’ thinking
developing and realizing students’ potential. skills. The biggest challenge for teachers
The student learning process can be today is to help students develop their
measured by the quality of the teachers. One thinking skills.
of the problems in education nowadays is According to Anderson’s revised
about the weakness of the learning process. Bloom Taxonomy, there are two levels of
Usually, the learning process does not thinking. The first one is lower-level
develop students’ thinking skills because it thinking and the second one is higher-level
is dominated by teachers. It can shackle the thinking. In line with that, Ramli (2015, p. 6)
students’ mindset, thus reducing students’ states that Higher Order Thinking Skills
creativity. In addition, the learning model (HOTS) are skills that include a person’s

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RIRIN PRIHATIN, ERLINA WIYANARTI, YENI KURNIAWATI/ The Analysis of Students’
Creative Thinking Skills Through the Implementation of the Project Based Learning Model in
Social Studies Learning

skill to think critically, logically, social studies learning, social studies

reflectively, metacognitively, and creatively. learning is not only delivered theoretically
Higher-order thinking skills, especially the but through direct practice in making work
skill to think creatively, are skills that must to completion. This activity will stimulate
be possessed to face the challenges of life in students to be creative in pouring their
this 21st century. creative ideas into a unique work.
Based on the results of pre-research
observations and interviews conducted at the B. METHOD
seventh graders of SMP Laboratorium In this research, a qualitative approach
Percontohan UPI, most students did not have was employed. This qualitative approach
the creative thinking skills in optimal and was used to obtain an overview of students’
adequate manners. This was assessed using creative thinking skills in social studies
indicators of creative thinking skills learning. According to Bogdan and Taylor
according to Susanto (2014, pp. 111-113), (in Moleong, 2013, p. 4) qualitative research
which consists of thinking fluently, is a research procedure that produces
originally, flexibly, and elaborately. descriptive data in the form of written or
Thinking fluently is related to the number of spoken words from people and observable
works or ideas that are produced. Thinking behavior. The method employed in this
originally indicates works or ideas that are research was the descriptive method.
different from the work of the people around According to Setyosari (2010), descriptive
them. Thinking flexibly is being able to see research is research that aims at explaining
a problem from a different point of view. or describing a situation, event, object,
Meanwhile, the skill to elaborate is the skill person, or everything that is related to
to add or elaborate the details of an object, variables that can be explained by either
idea, or situation to make it more interesting. numbers or words. The descriptive method
One of the educational programs that was chosen because students’ creative
can be used to develop these skills is the thinking skills in social studies learning
social studies subject. Through social studies needed to be explored and described. The
learning, students can develop creative place used as the research site was the SMP
activities that involve their imagination, Laboratorium Percontohan UPI, located on
discovery, curiosity, and the skill to make Jalan Senjayaguru, Universitas Pendidikan
predictions and guesses. Based on the Indonesia, Bandung 40154. The research
aforementioned problem, a solution is subjects in this study were the social studies
needed to deal with problems regarding teacher in class VII at the SMP
students’ creative thinking skills. The social Laboratorium Percontohan UPI and the
studies teacher of the VII grade of SMP students of class VII E of the SMP
Laboratorium Percontohan UPI tried to Laboratorium Percontohan UPI. The data
solve the problem of students’ creative collection techniques used were interviews
thinking skills by employing a varied and documentation studies. The data that
learning model and prioritizing the had been collected were then analyzed using
development of thinking skills. Therefore, the Miles’ and Huberman’s (in Sugiyono,
the Project-Based Learning model was 2014, pp. 337-345) version of the analysis
chosen as an appropriate effort to improve method, which were data reduction, data
students’ creative thinking skills. By presentation and conclusions, and
applying a project-based learning model in verification. The validity of the data was

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tested using triangulation. Triangulation, through direct practices in making a work.

according to Sugiyono (2012, p. 241), is a This was expected to stimulate students to
data collection technique that combines think creatively, work together in
various data collection techniques and completing projects, and think critically. In
existing data sources. addition, with this Project Based Learning
model, students were required to be more
C. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION active and given the freedom to express their
1. Project-Based Learning Model to ideas through the projects they produced.
foster students’ creative thinking This is in line with the opinion of Ruseffendi
skills in social studies learning (1998) (in Susanto, 2017, p. 25) who states
that attracting creative people can be
In the current era, in the learning
complemented by activities in the
process, both social studies and other
classroom, discussions, projects, and
subjects, students are required to be able to
problem solving.
develop their creative thinking skills. These
The results showed that by employing
skills are the assets that students must have
the Project-Based Learning model in social
in facing this 21st century. The National
studies learning in class VII E of the SMP
Education Association (in Redhana, 2019,
Laboratorium Percontohan UPI and by
pp. 2239-2253) has identified 21st-century
employing infographics and mind mapping
skills as “The 4Cs” skills. The 4Cs include
as the selected projects, it was found that
critical thinking, creativity, communication,
students were able to develop their creative
and collaboration. Therefore, in the learning
thinking. There were four indicators of
process, teachers must be able to stimulate
creative thinking skills put forward by
students’ creative thinking skills through the
Susanto (2014, p. 111), which are Fluency
learning model they employ.
(thinking fluently), Flexibility (thinking
The social studies teacher in class VII
flexibly), Originality (thinking originally),
of the SMP Laboratorium Percontohan UPI
and Elaboration (detailing ability).
thought that the development of creative
thinking in the social studies learning
2. Planning a Project-Based Learning
process was necessary. Therefore, it was
Model to develop students’ creative
carried out through the teaching and learning
thinking skills in social studies
process. Of course, it was necessary to
learning
choose a suitable and appropriate model to
support the development of creative Planning in teaching and learning is
thinking. The learning model chosen to certainly one of the most important things
foster students’ creative thinking skills was that teachers do. If the planning is well
Project-Based Learning. In the selection of prepared, the learning objectives will be
the model, factual conditions in the field, achieved well. With the planning that has
such as student conditions, class conditions, been made, the teacher in carrying out the
learning materials, learning objectives, and teaching and learning activities refers to the
Basic Competencies (KD, Kompetensi steps that are adjusted to the learning plan
Dasar) had to be considered, so that that has been made. One of the components
students’ creative thinking skills could of the learning plan that becomes a reference
develop. By applying this project-based in the learning process is the Lesson Plan
learning model, social studies learning was (RPP, Rencana Pelaksanaan
delivered not only theoretically but also

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RIRIN PRIHATIN, ERLINA WIYANARTI, YENI KURNIAWATI/ The Analysis of Students’
Creative Thinking Skills Through the Implementation of the Project Based Learning Model in
Social Studies Learning

Pembelajaran), which is adjusted to the patterns; 3) determining the stages in making

applicable the 2013 curriculum. a project or determining a sample project to
In developing students’ creative be done by students. This was done to get
thinking skills in social studies learning, students stimulated and to give them a
teachers had to prepare a lesson plan with the general picture of the project pattern to be
intent and purpose of developing students’ worked on; 4) determination of evaluation.
creative thinking skills. The initial plan in Determination of evaluation was done to
preparing the lesson plan was to determine determine the influence of the project on
the learning approach and model to be used. students’ creative thinking abilities. In the
The model used was Project Based Learning planning stages in the Project-Based
and the approach was scientific. Then, the Learning model proposed by Ridwan (2014,
next plan was to determine the learning p. 178), it is stated that the implementation
media to support students’ creative thinking. of Project-Based Learning must start from
The learning media used were quite diverse. adequate learning planning. It can be done
In this case, the social studies teacher at the by following these stages: determining
SMP Laboratorium Percontohan UPI, in project material, determining project
social studies learning with the Project- objectives, identifying students' initial skills
Based Learning model, had used several and knowledge needed to carry out the
learning media such as interactive learning project, determining study groups,
videos, infographic summaries, and learning determining the project implementation
modules. It was intended to stimulate schedule, evaluating resources, and
students to think creatively through social determining the evaluation method to be
studies learning. used.
3. Project-Based Learning strategy to
develop students’ creative thinking 4. Solutions for obstacles in developing
skills in social studies learning students' creative thinking skills
through Project-Based Learning in
In implementing the Project-Based
social studies learning
Learning model in social studies learning, a
teacher must have a strategy and stages that The employment of the Project-Based
are carried out in accordance with the steps Learning model to develop students' creative
or syntax of the model they use. Therefore, thinking skills did not always go well
the expected goals can be achieved. according to plan. There had to be obstacles
The results showed that social studies to face. Based on the findings obtained
teachers in class VII of the SMP through interviews, the obstacles faced came
Laboratorium Percontohan UPI had from both the teacher and the students.
prepared the strategies and stages in The obstacles faced by teachers in
implementing this Project-Based Learning developing creative thinking skills through
model. These stages include: 1) determining the employment of the Project-Based
the learning material to be developed Learning model included class management
through creative thinking. By determining and timing in learning which were
the material, the teacher was able to adjust sometimes ineffective and not in accordance
the time effectiveness of the material to be with the planning that had been designed in
taught; 2) determining the projects to the lesson plans. There were two solutions to
stimulate students’ creative thinking this problem. First, the teacher had to

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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL PEDAGOGY OF SOCIAL STUDIES, VOL 6, (2), 2021, 9 - 14

understand the conditions of the class they theoretically but also through direct practice
were teaching. For example, in dividing in making a work. Therefore, it could
students into groups for project stimulate students to think creatively and
development, they should be divided equally critically, and to work together in
and diversely. This group division had to be completing their projects. There were many
adjusted to the ability of each student examples of projects that could stimulate
himself. Therefore, there was no group students to foster creative thinking such as
whose all of the members were smart or making mind mapping, historical stories,
were lazy. Second, the teacher had to be able infographics, clippings, essays, and many
to manage time to make the teaching not too more.
slow or too fast. Thus, the time allocation By employing the Project-Based
planned before was in accordance with what Learning model in social studies learning in
happened in reality. year seven, especially in class VII E of the
Next are the obstacles faced by the UPI Pilot Laboratory Junior High School,
students. In developing creative thinking and by employing infographics making and
through Project-Based Learning, sometimes mind mapping making as the selected
students could not understand the aims and projects, it was found that students were able
objectives to be conveyed. In addition, to develop their creative thinking through
students needed an overview of the project the work or project that they carried out.
they were going to do. The solution to these
obstacles was that the teacher had to provide ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
a clear understanding of the technical details To the Social Studies Education Study
of the project. The next solution was to Program, Faculty of Social Sciences
provide various examples of the project that Education, Universitas Pendidikan
was going to be carried out so that students Indonesia for the Publication of this article
could be stimulated to think creatively in in the journal IPS Education Studies
working on the project. In this case, as Program
mentioned in the Project-Based Learning
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Social Studies Learning

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