The Development of Ability in Designing Activities to Enhance Learners’ Capabilities in Constructing Scientific Explanations of Student Teachers Majoring in Science Education, School of Educational Studies, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to develop a supplementary package to support Science student teachers in designing learning activities to enhance learners' capabilities constructing scientific explanations; 2) to compare the student teachers' abilities in designing learning activities before and after learning with the developed package; and 3) to investigate opinions of the student teachers toward the developed package. The subjects of the study were 19 postgraduate student teachers majoring in Science Education in the School of EducationalStudies, SukhothaiThammathiratOpen University, obtained by purposive sampling technique. These student teachers enrolled in the Science Learning Management Course (22761) in the academic year 2018. The main instruments in this research were 1) a supplementary package on designing learning activities to enhance learners'capabilities in constructing scientific explanations, 2) an evaluation form to evaluate the student teachers' abilities in developing learning activities, and 3) a questionnaire to survey the student teachers' opinions toward the supplementary package. In analyzing the collected data, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed.

Research results revealed that 1) the developed package contained self-study materials and self-check exercises; 2) the post average scores on designing learning activities of student teachers were higher than the pre average scores; and 3) science student teachers rated their opinions on the importance and problems related to teaching with the inquiry process at the medium level, while they gave the high rating on views towards the developed package and the application of knowledge in designing of learning activities based on the inquiry process.