The Effects of Learning Management Based on STEM Education Approach on Learning Achievement in the Chemistry Course Topic of Organic Chemistry and Science Creative Thinking of Matthayom Suksa VI Students at Pak Chong School in Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

          The purposes of this study were to (1) compare the post-learning chemistry learning achievement of Mathayom Suksa VI students who learned by using STEM education approach with that of students who learned under the traditional learning management; (2) compare science creative thinking of the students who learned by using STEM education approach with that of students who learned under the traditional learning management; and (3) compare the pre-learning science creative thinking of the students who learned by STEM education approach with their post-learning counterpart thinking.  The research sample consisted of 78 Mathayom Suksa VI students in two heterogeneous intact classrooms of Pak Chong School in Nakhon Ratchasima province, obtained by cluster random sampling. Then, one class was randomly assigned as the experimental group; while the other class, the control group. The instruments used in this research were (1) learning management plans for learning by using STEM education approach in the chemistry course topic of Organic Chemistry and learning management plans for the traditional learning management; (2) a chemistry learning achievement test on the chemistry course topic of Organic Chemistry; and (3) a scale to assess science creative thinking. Statistics employed for data analysis were the mean, standard deviation, and t-test.  The research findings revealed that (1)  the post-learning chemistry learning achievement of the students who learned by using  STEM education approach and the counterpart learning achievement of the students who learned under the traditional learning management were not significantly different; (2) science creative thinking level of the students who learned by using STEM education approach was significantly higher than the counterpart thinking level of the students who learned under the traditional learning management at the .05 level of statistical significance, and (3) the post-learning science creative thinking level of the students who learned by using STEM education approach was significantly higher than their pre-learning counterpart level at the .05 level of statistical significance.