Ethnoscience-based physical science learning and its effects on students’ critical thinking skills: A meta-analysis study

Abstract

This research aimed to ascertain the effects of ethnoscience-based instruction on students’ critical thinking skills in learning physical science using a meta-analytic method. The data source was seven research articles obtained from databases and screened based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis was conducted through the organization of selected studies, extraction of the results, calculation of effect size using Cohen’s d, discussion of results, and formulation of general findings. The findings of this study report that ethnoscience-based learning significantly affects students’ critical thinking skills in physical science, with an overall effect size of 3.42. Therefore, ethnoscience-based instruction can be utilized by schools catering to indigenous learners to improve their science critical thinking skills and, at the same time, maintain and preserve their cultural identity.