The Development of Scientific Reasoning and Scientific Habits of Mind of Grade 4-5 Students with Multilevel Learning Unit Through Science Technology and Society (STS APPROACH)

Abstract

     The objectives of the research were to 1) develop scientific reasoning of 4^th and 5^th grade students with multilevel learning unit through science technology and society (STS) 2) develop scientific habits of mind of 4^th and 5^th grade students with multilevel learning unit through science technology and society The target group consisted of nine grade 4^th and 5^th grade students in classroom, who were studying at Thangfan school, Surin province, semester academic year 2024. The research design was action research with three operating cycles. The research tools were : 1) the research practice instrument consisted of lesson plans; 2) the reflection tools, including teacher’s learning management recording forms, teacher and student behavior observation forms, student interview forms, ended-inspiral of the scientific reasoning test, ended-inspiral of the scientific habits of mind; and 3) the assessment tools, the scientific reasoning test; a reliability coefficient of 0.75 the scientific habits; a reliability coefficient of 1.00. Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation and percentage, were used to analyze quantitative data was analyzed using content analysis.
     The research findings indicated that : 1) The development of students’ learning abilities was achieved through instruction designed according to the Science–Technology–Society (STS) approach. The teacher implemented six lesson plans across three action research cycles. After the learning activities were conducted, students achieved an average score of 74.53% in scientific reasoning ability. Seven out of nine students met the established criteria, representing 77.78%, which exceeded the predetermined benchmark. Observational results indicated that students were better able to formulate questions, provide explanations, and connect scientific knowledge with social contexts. and; 2) The results of the science psychology learning activity showed that students had an average science psychology score of 77.40% after the learning activity. Furthermore, 8 out of 9 students (88.89%) passed the criterion, which is higher than the set criterion. Observations revealed that students had positive feedback regarding their learning, with most perceiving improved scores as a result of adjusting their thinking and participating in activities.