Implementasi Pembelajaran Koding dan Kecerdasan Artifisial sebagai Scaffolding Keterampilan Berfikir Kritis Peserta Didik Sekolah Dasar

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation of coding and artificial intelligence (AI) as a scaffolding to enhance elementary school students’ critical thinking skills. It is motivated by observed deficiencies in students' critical thinking, while an AI-based learning approach offers gradual, adaptive support. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative methodology, the research involved the principal, teachers, a coding assistant, and 26 students from the VIA class. Coding instruction was delivered through the Scratch platform, while AI using ChatGPT served as an aid for reflection and problem-solving. Data collection methods included learning observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation of student activities, and the analysis was conducted using an interactive model. It is found that significant findings emerge in a layered scaffolding pattern. Students engaged with coding challenges that required developing algorithms and using loops and conditional statements in Scratch. When encountering logical errors in their programming, students effectively utilized AI to seek clarification, generate alternative solutions, and reflect on their algorithmic mistakes. This iterative process encouraged them to analyze error causes, evaluate their programming methods, and make independent corrective decisions. AI served as cognitive scaffolding, complementing, rather than supplanting, the teacher's role. Teachers provided pedagogical scaffolding through guiding questions and conceptual reinforcement, while student collaboration facilitated social scaffolding in the problem-solving process. The research underscores the practical implications of integrating coding and AI learning in elementary education as a viable approach to strengthening critical thinking skills, highlighting the necessity of an active teacher role in directing the pedagogical use of AI.