APPLICATION OF THE CANVA-ASSISTED PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING MODEL TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' MATHEMATICAL CREATIVE THINKING ABILITY
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model combined with the Canva platform in improving students’ mathematical creative thinking skills. This study also aimed to determine differences in learning outcomes between students taught using Canva-assisted PBL and those taught using conventional methods. The research employed a quasi-experimental method with a nonequivalent control group design. Subjects were eighth-grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Puspahiang in the 2025/2026 academic year, consisting of 33 students in the experimental class and 34 students in the control class (n=67), selected through purposive sampling. Before use, the research instrument was validated by two mathematics education lecturers and one junior high school mathematics teacher using expert judgment content validity analysis. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha with a coefficient of 0.84, indicating high reliability. The instrument assessed three creative thinking indicators: fluency, flexibility, and originality. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and an independent-samples t-test. N-Gain categorization followed Hake (1999): high (more than equal to 0.70), medium (0.30–0.70), and low (less than or equal to 0.30). Results showed that the experimental class achieved an average N-Gain of 0.65 (medium category), significantly higher than the control class at 0.48 (medium category). These findings confirm that Canva-assisted PBL effectively enhances students’ mathematical creative thinking skills compared to conventional learning.