The Development of a Thai Language Instructional Model to Enhance Creative Writing Using the Knowledge Building Theory for Grade 6 Students

Abstract

Background and Aims: This study aimed to: (1) examine the needs for developing creative writing instruction; (2) develop a Thai language instructional model to enhance creative writing using the Knowledge Building Theory for Grade 6 students, with a quality benchmark of E₁/E₂; and (3) To study the results of using Thai language teaching models and evaluate the overall results so that operations and reporting of results follow the logic of consistent R&D research.

Methodology: The sample consisted of 23 Grade 6 students from Ban Khuem Chad Tat Bok Srisomporn School, under the Yasothon Primary Educational Service Area Office 2, during the first semester of the 2024 academic year. The sample was selected using a cluster random sampling method. The research instruments included: a Thai language instructional model to enhance creative writing for Grade 6 students; 12 lesson plans. The creative writing ability test is a 30-item, four-choice multiple-choice test. (P) ranging from 0.33 to 0.75, item discrimination (B) ranging from 0.30 to 0.77, and a reliability coefficient of 0.89; and a 19-item satisfaction questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, and t-tests.

Results: The study revealed that 1) The need for developing creative writing instruction was found to be at a high level, particularly in reading skills, with the highest average score of 4.57. Both teachers and students expressed a strong need to improve reading and writing through various media, such as prose, poetry, rhymes, and short stories. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of developing skills in explanatory reading, interest-based reading, and reading information from diagrams, maps, charts, and graphs. 2) A Thai language instructional model based on the Knowledge Building Theory was developed to enhance creative writing for Grade 6 students. The model consisted of six key components and four instructional steps: activating prior knowledge, reading practice, presentation and knowledge exchange, and summarization and evaluation. The model was rated as highly appropriate, with an average score of 4.52. 3) The implementation of the model showed high effectiveness (E₁/E₂ = 83.43/81.67). Students’ creative writing performance improved significantly, with the average score increasing from 12.64 before instruction to 24.50 after instruction. Students reported a very high level of satisfaction with the model (\bar{x} = 4.60). And 4) The overall evaluation of the model by teachers indicated the highest level of agreement (\bar{x} = 4.60, S.D. = 0.50).

Conclusion: The development of a Thai-language instructional model to enhance creative writing for Grade 6 students, based on the Knowledge Building Theory, revealed that both teachers and students expressed a strong need to improve reading and writing skills through various media. The developed model consisted of six core components and four instructional steps and was evaluated as highly appropriate. The model's implementation demonstrated high effectiveness, with students reporting high levels of learning satisfaction and teachers expressing highly positive views of it.