The Development of Scientific Explanation Ability and Learning Achievement Using Model-Based Learning in the Topic of Phenomena and Global Changes of Prathom Suksa VI Students at Wat Samnakbok School Chonburi Province

Abstract

The purpose of this action research were: to develop the scientific explanation ability and learning achievement and to study of the best practices in learning management using a model-based on the topic of Phenomena and Global Changes of Prathom Suksa VI. The research sample consisted of 21 Prathom Suksa VI students studying in the first semester of the academic year 2020 at Wat Samnakbok School, Chonburi province, obtained by purposive sampling.  Data were gathered by a scientific explanation of ability assessment form, a learning achievement test, teacher’s reflective journal and student worksheets. Data were analyzed using content analysis, frequency percentage and normalized gain. The results of this research showed that 1) in the pre-learning, 21 (100.00 percent) students’ scientific explanation ability was at an improvement level while in the post-learning, students developed their scientific explanation ability as follows: 7 students (33.33 percent) were at a good level, 13 students (61.19 percent) were at a moderate level, and 1 student (4.76 percent) was at an improvement level; 2) The students’ post-learning achievement was higher than the pre-learning counterpart, and the class normalized gain was at the medium level with <g> = 0.37; 3) The best  practices in learning management using a model-based to help develop the scientific explanation ability were: (1) clarifying the elements of scientific explanation encouraging the writing of scientific explanations after a scientific inquiry; (2) writing an empirical concept map enabling students to select the appropriate information for writing scientific explanations; and (3) presenting and discussing issues encouraging more appropriate writing of student claims.