THE EFFECTS OF SIMULATION ACTIVTIES ON CRITICAL THINKING OF EARLY CHILDHOOD IN SCHOOLS UNDER SINGHANAKORN MUNICIPALITY IN SONGKHLA PROVINCE

Abstract

Objectives of this research article were: 1. To study both the overall and specific aspects of critical thinking development of early childhood while participating in simulation activities; and 2. To compare the critical thinking scores of early childhoods before and after participating in simulation activities. The target group consisted of 15 female and male early childhoods, aged 5-6 years, who currently studying in kindergarten 3 during the first semester of the academic year 2023 at Singhanakorn Municipality 1 School (Ban Yang Ngam) in Songkhla Province, obtained by cluster sampling. The employed research instruments consisted of 1. a manual and plans for organizing simulation activities, 2. a scenario-based critical thinking test, and 3. an observation form for observation of critical thinking development in early childhood. Statistics employed for data analysis were the mean, standard deviation, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test.

Research findings revealed that: 1. Early childhoods who have participated in simulation activities showed higher development in an overall and specific critical thinking aspects which were observation and perception aspect, the data collection aspect, the consideration and reflection of information aspect; 2. Early childhoods, after participating in simulation activities, have a statistically significant higher average of critical thinking scores compared to before engaging in simulation activities with statistically significant level at 0.05.