THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DEBATE COURSE IN IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING AT UNIVERSITAS MUSLIM NUSANTARA AL-WASHLIYAHMEDAN

Abstract

A critical thinker is adept at conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating data gathered through debate course activities. Critical thinking is an active intellectual discipline process. This research aims to characterize students’ critical thinking. In order to classify students’ critical thinking abilities and include participants in the debate course activities, this research employs a descriptive methodology. A student’s critical thinking assessment rubric that incorporated the debate method of self-examination, interpretation, analysis, inference, and evaluation used as the instrument for gathering research data. The findings demonstrated that the average percentage of all items from the first meeting to the third meeting was pretty strong, with a high percentage of interpretation (50%), analysis (56.2%), inference (50%), and self-examination (62.6%). Students, on the other hand, tend to have weak critical thinking abilities. Even though there was no discernible improvement, at each meeting the number of students who scored at the poor level decreased by 75%, moving up to 68.8% and then 62.5%. Additionally, there were two kids who scored at the accepted level at the most recent meeting. In light of this, it can be said that the majority of students at the English debate meeting at Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah Medan exhibit deficient critical thinking. To determine how students’ critical thinking levels grow, it is advised to apply the Facione theory to examine students’ critical thinking. As a result, the students can intensify their regular debating activities, which will aid in their development of sound critical thinking at the end of the day.