A development of problem solving activity package in science for critical thinking enhancement of lower secondary level students in three southern border provinces

A development of problem solving activity package in science for critical thinking enhancement of lower secondary level students in three southern border provinces
การพัฒนาชุดกิจกรรมการแก้ปัญหาในวิชาวิทยาศาสตร์ เพื่อส่งเสริมความคิดวิจารณญาณ ของนักเรียนระดับมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น สามจังหวัดชายแดนภาคใต้

Achara Thummarpon, Asst. Prof., D. of Psychology and Guidance, F. of Education, PSU.
Pranee Thongkum, Assoc. Prof., D. of Education, F. of Education, PSU.

Published : Songklanakarin J of Soc Sci & Hum 2000, 6(1) : 65-78
Key words : problem solving activity, critical thinking, lower secondary level, three southern border provinces

The purpose of this research was to develop and investigate the effects of problem solving ac-tivity package in science on critical thinking enhancement of lower secondary level students in three southern border provinces. The subjects were 120 Mathayomsuksa I students from the schools in urban and rural district. The subjects in each school were randomly assigned into one experimental group and one control group, 30 students in each. Independent variable was instructional method of two categories : problem solving activity package instructional method and teacher manual method which was developed by the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST). Con-trol variable was school type of two categories : schools in urban district and rural district. The in-struments included the problem solving activity package composed of eight sets of problem solving activities, a teacher manual, a student manual, lesson plans and a 30-item test on critical thinking. The subjects in each group received eight treatments for eight 50-minute sessions. All subjects in both experimental group and control group received pre-test on critical thinking and post-test after all the experiments. The obtained scores were analyzed by mean, standard deviation and t-test.

The results were as follows :

The students from both urban and rural district schools significantly increased their critical thinking at .01 level after taking the treatment of problem solving activity package. The students from rural district school treated with problem solving activity package increased their critical thinking higher than those treated with IPST teacher's manual method at .05 level of significance, but there was no difference between those in urban district school.

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