The Effect of Design Thinking-Based Inquiry Learning on Students’ Problem-Solving Ability and Creative Thinking Skills in the Circulatory System

Abstract

Learning the circulatory system requires higher-order thinking skills, particularly problem-solving ability and creative thinking skills. These competencies can be developed through inquiry-based learning integrated with design thinking. This study aimed to analyze the effect of design thinking-based inquiry learning on students’ problem-solving ability and creative thinking skills in the circulatory system topic. A quasi-experimental method with a pretest–posttest control group design was employed, involving 62 eleventh-grade students from a public senior high school in Tangerang Regency, Banten Province. The experimental group implemented inquiry-based learning based on design thinking, while the control group applied discovery learning based on the scientific approach. Data were collected using essay tests measuring problem-solving ability and creative thinking skills. The N-Gain scores for problem-solving ability were 0.66 in the experimental group and 0.47 in the control group, while those for creative thinking skills were 0.66 and 0.50, respectively. All scores fell within the moderate category. MANCOVA results indicated a statistically significant effect of the learning model on the combined outcome variables (p < 0.001; α = 0.05). These findings suggest that inquiry-based learning integrated with design thinking can support the development of students’ problem-solving ability and creative thinking skills. Biology teachers are encouraged to integrate design thinking into inquiry-based learning to promote active exploration, idea development, and solution refinement.