Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the critical thinking of biology students of STKIP Hamzanwadi Selong on an environment course through the implementation of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Group Investigation (GI) through Lesson Study. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a descriptive qualitative method. The subjects of the study were 73 freshmen biology students academic year 2013/2014 who were divided into two classes. The Lesson Study was conducted in 16 cycles, comprising Plan, Do, and See stages. The instrument of the study used to measure the students’ critical thinking was an essay test which covered several criteria of critical thinking adapted from SOLO Taxonomy. Findings – The implementation of PBL and GI encouraged the students to think critically through planning, arguing, stating questions and problems, and analysing and providing solutions to the surrounding environmental problems. Originality/value – This study depicted Lesson Study activity on an environment course which focused on the students’ critical thinking activity through the integration of PBL and GI. The learning was conducted through Lesson Study and was based on the environment. The crucial value of the Lesson Study was the lecturers showed more attention to the students since they wanted to know the students’ learning style and what made them learn.

The present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Predict, Observe, Explain (POE), and the combination of both (PBLPOE) on students' critical thinking skills and scientific attitudes in Biology. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design was employed in this study and 132 tenth-grade students from Bengkulu, Indonesia was involved. This study was carried out from February to June 2018. An essay test was administered to assess the participants' critical thinking skills, and a checklist and an interview guideline were used to observe the students' scientific attitudes. The results of the ANCOVA analysis showed that PBL, POE, and PBLPOE had an effect on the students' critical thinking skills and scientific attitudes in Biology with p-value<0.005. The results of the LSD test indicated that PBLPOE was not significantly different from PBL, but differed considerably from POE and conventional in improving students' critical thinking. Also, LSD test on the students' scientific attitudes showed that PBLPOE differed significantly from PBL, POE, and conventional in enhancing students' scientific attitudes. The highest post-test score was observed in the PBLPOE classroom. Therefore, PBLPOE can be used to improve students' performance in Biology.

This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of problem-based learning (PBL), predict observe explain (POE), and PBLPOE on students' problem-solving skills and self-efficacy in Biology. This research is based on various facts that problem-solving skills and selfefficacy of Indonesian students in biology subjects are still low.Research Methods: This quasi-experiment employed a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design. One hundred and thirty-two (132) tenth graders (aged 15 to 17) from Bengkulu, Indonesia, participated in this study. The participants were homogenous concerning academic abilities. Data were collected using an essay test and observation sheets.

Tobelo Dalam (Togutil) ethnic group has been using local plants for years; one of them is Canarium. The ethnic are nomads and live in conservation forests. Data on ethnobotanical knowledge was collected through interview technique with "work in the wood" method. There were three types of informant: main informants, key informants, and recommended informants. Main informants were chosen through purposive sampling technique while key informants and recommended informants were chosen through snowball sampling technique. The informants in this study were grouped based on their age: 14 children (5-11 years), 18 teenagers (12-25 years), 13 adults (26-45 years), nine elder (46-65 years) and three old age (≥ 65 years). The result of fidelity level analysis (FL%) indicated that all age groups had FL value of 100% in utilizing walnut as local food. Regarding the use of skin exocarp the result was as follow: children (FL: 28.57%), teenagers (FL: 77.77%), adults (FL: 69.23%), and elder and old age (FL: 100%). Whereas, the use of Shell endocarp among the age groups was as follow: children (FL: 14.28%), teenagers (FL: 66.66%), adults (FL: 46.15%), elder (FL: 33.33%), and old age (FL: 100%). Canarium bark had value of FL% in children (FL: 35.71%), teenagers (FL: 61.11%), adults (FL: 92.3%), elder (FL: 33.33%), and old age (FL: 100%). The use of resin by the groups was children (FL: 50%), teenagers (FL: 83.33%), adults (FL: 92.3%), elder and old age (FL: 100%). The use of Canarium root among the groups was children (FL: 14.28%), teenagers (FL: 61.11%), adults (FL: 92.3%), elder (FL: 33.33%), and old age (FL: 100%). The use of plant's trunk was as follow: children (FL: 50%), teenagers (FL: 77.77%), adults, elder, and old age (FL: 100%).The research indicated that walnut had high utility value. All parts of the plant (root, wood, bark, and resin) were exploited for economic, health and cultural interest.

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between critical thinking skills and academic achievement in Biology through the implementation of problem-based learning-predict observe explain (PBLPOE) learning model. The study was conducted from February to June 2018 in the even academic year of 2017/2018. A correlational design was employed in this study. The participants consisted of tenth graders from Public Senior High School (SMAN) Number 5 in Bengkulu, Indonesia. The students’ critical thinking skills and academic achievement were measured using essay tests. The result of the regression analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between students’ critical thinking skills and academic achievement in biology, where Y=7.383 + 0.500x. The regression equation suggests that students’ academic achievement may improve as the students’ critical thinking increases. Therefore, it is advisable for the educator to promote critical thinking skills in the classroom in order to improve students’ academic achievement by, for example, implementing PBLPOE learning model.

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Scientific skills literacy is one of the skills that students need to have to support the learning process. This study aims to explain the literacy skills of the students through project experience with the help of local potential-based teaching materials. This research is a quantitative study and it used quasi-experimental design, pre-and posttest design. ANCOVA analysis was used as the data analysis technique at a significant level of 5% (p <0.5). Analysis prerequisite tests included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality test and homogeneity of variance with Levene's-Test. All data testing was done using the SPSS version 23.0 for Windows. The results of the study show that the experience of project activities has a significant effect on the scientific literacy skills in three competencies. These competencies are to explain scientific phenomena, evaluate and design scientific investigations and interpret scientific evidence and data. Competence in evaluating and designing scientific investigations has the greatest significance compared to the other two competencies.

Efforts to build pro-environment behavior have been strengthened by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry through Adiwiyata green school program. This current study aimed at describing the patterns of building pro-environmental behavior among school community of Adiwiyata green school in Malang City. This study was conducted by means of descriptive design. The data were collected using in-depth interview, directed observation, and documentation as well as triangulation. The data were analyzed descriptively by means of content analysis. Hereafter, this study has shown that SMAN 7 Malang was and is running a program of pro-environmental behavior building offered to all school community, to enhance the knowledge, to fossilize the behavior, and to implement pro-environmental behavior, with the concrete support from the school management and teachers. The program was run sustainably and supported by education authorities along with pro-environmental communities. To sum up, the patterns of building pro-environmental behavior involved all the school community, to cover such aspects as knowledge enhancement, behavior fossilizing, and pro-environmental behavior reinforcement through a sustainable collaboration with pro-environmental communities. Therefore, it is suggested that Adiwiyata green school keep intensifying its commitment and be consistent in building sustainable pro-environmental behavior to amplify a long-term memory of its school community.