EFFECTS OF PREPARATORY TRAINING OF CASE

STUDY ACTIVITY ON IMPROVING CRITICAL

THINKING SKILLS
IN INDONESIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Nani Barorah Nasution, Tohru Taniuci

Graduate School of Socio Environmental
Studies,
Kanazawa University
 Critical Thinking
Higher order thinking that defined as a skill of
taking responsibility and control of ones own
mind (Paul, 1996)
Logical and reflective thought which
focuses on a decision about what to believe
and what to do (Ennis, 1995)

Efficient and effective evaluations

 Case study (activity)
A case is a description of an actual situation, a
problem or an issue faced by a person or persons
(Leenders et al., 2001).
Case study is immersive exploration method of realities,
by problem formulation, collecting data and
presenting investigative nature.
Case study facilitates synthesis of content knowledge
and the ability to manage problematic situations by
providing a specific example and the learner can
easily recall when needed (DeSanto-Madeya, 2007).
Case study example:
Does punishment helps shaping children
behavior? Support your opinion with theories
 Concept map (activity)
Concept maps is a graphical scheme of concepts
Students link concepts related to a topic
Concept map activity nurture CT skills

Example of concept map using Freemind Application

Nasution & Taniuchi (2016)
Pretest of CT skills and dispositions
Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z
UF-EMI

Treatment: 8 meeting of basics of psychology class

with
Case study with concept map (CSCM group)
Case study (CS group)
Lecture without active learning (Control group)

Pretest of CT skills and dispositions

Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z
UF-EMI
 CSCM
Nasution & Taniuchi (2016) CS
Control
CSCM was most effective 35
CS alone had no effect 34

CT SKILL SCORE
33
32
31
Lack of experience with CS? 30
29
28
PRE-TEST POST-TEST

Purpose of the present study

Examines effects of preparatory training of case
study activity in advance of treatments
 Case Studies with Control
Case study with
prepatory Case Study Group
concept map
training N=38 N=26
N=25
N=26

Pretest
1. CORNELL CT LEVEL Z (CT skills)
2.UF EMI (CT disposition)

8 topic meeting 4. Personality Theory

(Guidance)Introduction to
topic
1. Basic of Learning
2. Developmental Psychology
3. Motivation and Emotion
5. Strees and Health
6. Gender and Sexuality
7. Abnormal Psychology
8. Social Psyschology

Posttest
1. CORNELL CT LEVEL Z (CT skills)
2.UF EMI (CT disposition)
 Outline of the experimental treatments in a meeting

Case studies (CS) Case studies with Case studies with

Prepatory training (CS) Concept maps(CSCM)

Case Study Prepatory Freemind application

Training : 60 training : 60

Session Time Session Time Session Time

1. Group 1. Group Presentation: 1. Group Presentation :
Presentation: 25 25 25
2. Discussion : 15 2. Discussion : 15 2. Discussion : 15
3.Working in group to 3.Working in group to 3.Working group to solve
solve case : 30 solve case : 30 case with CM: 30
4. Group hearing: 20 4. Group hearing: 20 4. Groups hearing : 20
5. Conclusion : 10 5. Conclusion : 10 5. Conclusion : 10

Control group received traditional lectures without active learning activities

Prepatory Training of Case Study

Theme: Do new student need orientation regarding to

campus activity etc?

1. systematic study of the basic content

60 min. session
2. Problem formulation
3. Observation and data collection
4. Treatment of data
5. Review and Analysis
6. Conclusion and Report
Cornell CT Level Z Example
 Results: CT skills
CSCM group showed the greatest improvement
Concept map supplement effectiveness of case study
CS improved CT skills but preparatory training had no
additional effect

CSCM S-CS US-CS Control

35
30
S-CS:
CS with preparatory
25 training
CT SCORE

20
15 US-CS:
10 CS without preparatory
5 training
0
PRETEST POSTTEST
 Results: CT dispositions
CSCM showed the greatest improvement
Control group showed no improvement
Prepatory training of CS had additional effect on CT
dispositions
CSCM S-CS US-CS Control
104
S-CS:
CT DISPOSITION SCORES

102
CS with preparatory
100
training
98
96 US-CS:
94 CS without preparatory
92 training
90
PRETEST POSTTEST
Discussion
1. The present study confirmed findings in Nasution &
Taniuchi (2016) that showed effectiveness of case
study combined with concept map on CT skills and
dispositions.
2. In contrast with in Nasution & Taniuchi (2016) that
showed case study alone has no effect on CT skills ,
case study alone had a significant effects on CT
skills and disposition regardless of prepatory
training.
Discussion
Unstable effects of case study

Possibility 1: effectiveness of case study is volatile and

depends on various experimental variables such as
topics, personality or disposition of group members
and so on.
Possibility 2: a kind of ceiling effect in Nasution &
Taniuchi (2016)
 Discrepancy with Nasution & Taniuchi (2016)
Ceiling effect in Nasution & Taniuchi (2016)
Case study alone may be effective only when
students do not have enough CT skills.
Nauthin & Taniuchi (2016) Present study
CSCM S-CS
CSCM CS Control
US-CS Control
40 40

30 30
CT SCORE

20 CT SCORE 20

10 10

0 0
PRE-TEST POST-TEST PRETEST POSTTEST
 Discrepancy in effects of case study between
the present study and Nasution & Taniuchi (2016)

A kind of ceiling effect in Nasution & Taniuchi

(2016)
CORNELL CT LEVEL Z CORNELL CT LEVEL Z
Control US-CS S-CS CSCM
40 CSCM US-CS Control
40
35 35
30 30
25 25
20 20
15 15

10 10

5 5

0 0
PRE-TEST POST-TEST PRETEST POSTTEST

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