Problem-based Learning to Promote Learning Achievement and Scientific Reasoning on Fundamental Chemistry in the Topic of Chemical Reaction for the 10th Grade Students

Abstract

The purpose of this action research aimed to promote the educational achievement and scientific reasoning ability of students in a secondary school by using Problem-based Learning in Fundamental Chemistry class in the topic of Chemical Reaction. 58 research participants were 10th grade students from a secondary school in Pathum Thani province in the first semester of the 2017 Academic year. They were selected by the cluster random sampling technique. The representative samples of students were divided into 2 groups: 28 students in the experimental group and other 28 students in the controlled group. There
were three types of research instruments as follows: (1) experimental tools: seven problem-based learning lesson plans on Fundamental Chemistry in the topic of Chemical Reaction; (2) reflective tools: Student Learning Behavior Observation Form, Teaching Behavior Observation Form, Students’ Opinion Questionnaire, Post-class Reflection Form, and quizzes; and (3) evaluation tools: Educational Achievement Test with reliability of 0.751 and a Scientific Reasoning Test. The data were analyzed by using t-test for Independent sample and calculated for the growth score with the relative gain score. This study showed the achievement of the experimental group was higher than that of the controlled group on Fundamental Chemistry at the significance level of .05 and the scientific reasoning of the experimental group was higher than that of the controlled group on Fundamental Chemistry at the significance level of .05.