Pentingnya keterampilan berpikir kritis bagi peserta didik dalam menghadapi tantangan abad 21 menuntut inovasi dalam proses pembelajaran. Namun, fakta di lapangan menunjukkan bahwa keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa masih tergolong rendah. Hal ini disebabkan oleh model pembelajaran yang belum sepenuhnya mampu memfasilitasi siswa untuk berpikir secara mendalam dan mandiri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis peningkatan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa melalui penerapan model Problem Based Learning (PBL) berbantu media mind mapping. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah pre-eksperimental dengan desain One Group Pretest-Posttest. Sampel dalam penelitian ini dipilih secara purposive sebanyak 70 siswa sebagai kelas eksperimen. Instrumen yang digunakan untuk pengambilan data meliputi tes uraian berbasis indikator keterampilan berpikir kritis, angket respon siswa, dan lembar observasi aktivitas pembelajaran. Analisis data dilakukan menggunakan uji t. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terjadi perbedaan signifikan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa sebelum dan sesudah diterapkannya model PBL berbantu media mind mapping, dengan nilai rata-rata keterampilan sebesar 79,67% (kategori baik) dan nilai peningkatan sebesar 0,66 (kategori sedang). Dengan demikian, dapat disimpulkan bahwa penerapan model PBL berbantu media mind mapping efektif untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa.

The importance of critical thinking skills for students in facing 21st-century challenges demands innovation in the learning process. However, field observations show that students' critical thinking skills are still relatively low. This is due to learning models that have not fully facilitated students to think deeply and independently. This study aims to analyze the improvement of students' critical thinking skills through the implementation of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model assisted by mind mapping media. The research method used is pre experimental with a One Group Pretest-Posttest design. The sample in this study was selected purposively, consisting of 70 students as the experimental class. The instruments used for data collection include essay tests based on critical thinking skill indicators, student response questionnaires, and learning activity observation sheets. Data analysis was conducted using a t-test. The results showed a significant difference in students’ critical thinking skills before and after the implementation of the PBL model assisted by mind mapping media, with an average skill score of 79.67% (categorized as good) and a gain score of 0.66 (moderate category). Therefore, it can be concluded that the implementation of the PBL model assisted by mind mapping media is effective in improving students' critical thinking skills.