Membangun Karakter Kritis Mahasiswa Melalui Inovasi Pembelajaran Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan di Universitas Merdeka Malang

The main objective of the Citizenship Education (PKn) course in higher education is to develop students into individuals with nationalist, participatory, and critical characters towards national dynamics. Conventional learning approaches that are still dominant in higher education, such as one-way lectures and memorization of materials, are considered less able to encourage active participation and the development of critical thinking patterns of students in the Citizenship Education (PKn) course. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of the application of innovative learning methods in improving students' activeness and critical thinking skills. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through classroom observations, interviews with lecturers and students, and analysis of lecture documents from three study programs at Merdeka University of Malang. The results of the study showed that the application of learning strategies such as Project Based Learning, role playing, utilization of interactive multimedia, collaborative discussions, and nationality-based simulations were able to significantly increase students' participation and critical understanding. This method is relevant to the needs of learning in the era of globalization that demands digital literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and contextual problem solving. Based on these findings, this study recommends the integration of innovative methods into the Civics curriculum in higher education, pedagogical training for lecturers, and the provision of technological infrastructure that supports the implementation of competency-based learning in the era of globalization.