Imlementasi Pembelajaran STEAM Dalam Mengembangkan Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Pada Anak Usia Dini

Abstract

Early childhood education (PAUD) is an important stage in child development. At this time, children have high curiosity and are ready to learn new things. The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning approach is an approach that can be used to develop various children's abilities, including critical thinking abilities. There are several PAUD units in Tuban Regency that implement STEAM-based learning, so the author is interested in analyzing the process of implementing STEAM-based learning in early childhood. This research aims to examine the implementation of STEAM learning in developing critical thinking skills in early childhood. The research method used is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through observation, in-depth interviews with teachers, and analysis of learning documents. The research results show that the application of STEAM learning significantly improves children's critical thinking abilities, especially in terms of analysis, evaluation and problem solving. The discussion indicates that the interdisciplinary and hands-on approach in STEAM provides effective cognitive stimulation, facilitating children to think more deeply and creatively. In conclusion, the implementation of STEAM learning has a positive impact in developing critical thinking skills in young children, which has the potential to increase their readiness for future academic challenges.