Comparisons of Critical Thinking Ability, Learning Achievement, and Attitudes toward Science Learning of Matthayomsueksa 2 Students Who Learned Using 7-E Learning Cycle, Problem-Based Learning and Traditional Learning Approaches

Abstract

Science has an important role in developing thinking ability. Science learningteaching development to be efficient must rely on various techniques and methods
of teaching. This research aimed to compare students’ critical thinking ability, learning
achievement, and attitudes toward science learning who learned using 7-E learning cycle,
problem-based learning, and traditional learning approaches. The sample consisted of
105 Matthayomsueksa 2 (grade 8) students from 3 classrooms, obtained using the
cluster random sampling technique. The instruments used in the research were : 1)
plans for organization of 7-E learning cycle, plans for organization of problem-based
learning, and plans for organization of traditional learning, 16 plans each ; 2) a critical
thinking ability test ; 3) a science achievement test ; and 4) a scale on the attitude toward
science learning. The statistics used for analyzing the collected data were percentage,
mean, standard deviation, F-test (One-way MANOVA)
The results of the research were as follows :
1. The efficiencies of the plans using 7-E learning cycle, problem-based learning
and traditional learning approaches were 89.37/80.10, 88.28/81.90 and 86.60/75.05
respectively.
2. The effectiveness indices of the plans using 7-E learning cycle, problembased learning and traditional learning approaches were 0.6971, 0.7198 and 0.6130
respectively.
3. The students who learned using the 7-E learning cycle, problem-based
learning, and traditional learning showed gains in sctenee learning achievement, critical
thinking ability and attitudes towards science learning from before learning at the .05
level of significance.
4. The students who learned using the problem-based learning approach
showed higher science learning achievement and critical thinking ability than the students
learned using the traditional learning approach at the .05 level of significance, Also, the
students learned using 7-E learning cycle approach indicated more critical thinking ability
than the students learned using the traditional learning approach at the .05 level of
significance.