Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills Through Argumentative Scientific Writing In Undergraduate Biology Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of argumentative scientific writing on the critical thinking skills of undergraduate biology students. A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was employed, involving 70 students divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received instruction based on argumentative scientific writing, while the control group was taught using conventional methods. Data were collected using a critical thinking test administered before and after the intervention. The results showed that both groups had comparable pre-test scores; however, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly higher improvement in post-test scores compared to the control group. The independent samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p < 0.05), indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. Additionally, the effect size analysis showed a large effect (Cohen’s d = 1.45), suggesting a substantial impact of argumentative scientific writing on students’ critical thinking skills. These findings indicate that integrating argumentative scientific writing into biology instruction can effectively enhance students’ ability to analyze, evaluate, and construct evidence-based arguments. This study highlights the importance of incorporating writing-based learning strategies to foster higher-order thinking skills in science education.