Comparisons of Learning Achievement, Analytical Thinking, and Achievement Motivation of Mathayomsueksa 2 Students Between Using Simulation Approach and Problem Base Learning for social studies, Religion and Culture Learning Strands

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: (1) to develop plans for learning organization using the simulation approach and Problem based learning approach of Mathayomsuksa 2 level with a required efficiencies of 80/80, (2) to find out effectiveness indices of those two mentioned plans, (3) to compare learning achievement, analytical thinking and achievement motivation of the students who learned using the two different approaches. The sample used in this study consisted of 68 Mathayomsueksa 2 students attending Potisaenvitthaya school in Kusuman district, under the Office of Secondary Educational Service Area Zone 23 in the second semester of the academic year of 2011, obtained using the cluster random sampling technique. They were randomly divided into two experimental groups, 33 and 35 students, and were randomly assigned in different of two experimental groups. The instruments used for the study comprised of: (1) 2 types of learning plans as mentioned 8 plans each, for 16 hours per each approach ; (2) a 30 item of learning achievement test with a discriminating powers ranging 0.33 - 0.88, and a reliability of 0.72 ; (3) 25-item analytical thinking ability test with difficulties ranging 0.28 - 0.43, discriminating powers ranging 0.26 - 0.68, and a reliability of 0.80 ; a 20-item scales of achievement motivation with discriminating powers ranging 0.66 - 0.88, and a reliability of 0.84. The statistics used for analyzing data were percentage, mean, standard deviation, and F-test (One-way MANOVA) was employed for testing hypotheses.

The results of the study were as follows:

1. The plans of Simulation learning approach and Problem-based learning approach had efficiencies (E1 /E2 ) of 83.59/82.73 and 81.56/81.05 respectively.

2. The plans of Simulation learning approach and Problem-based learning approach had the effectiveness indices of 0.6890 and 0.6694, indicating that these students progressed their learning at 68.90 and 66.94 percentage respectively.

3. The students who learned using the Simulation learning approach showed higher analytical thinking ability than the group who learned using problem-based learning approach at the level of significance .003, but they did not show different of learning achievement, and achievement motivation.