The Effects of Inquiry Instruction Together with Scaffolding Technique in the Topic of Electricity on Scientific Explanation Ability and Analytical Thinking Ability of Grade 6 Students at Opportunity Expansion Network School Group in Mae Mo District Lampang Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to:  1) compare the pre-learning and post-learning scientific explanation ability of grade 6 students who learned through inquiry instruction together with scaffolding technique, and 2) compare the analytical thinking ability of grade 6 students who learned through inquiry instruction together with scaffolding technique. Research design was a one group pretest - posttest. The population were 72 grade 6 students in 4 classrooms at opportunity expansion network school group in Mae Mo district Lampang province who studied in the academic year 2024. The research sample consisted of one intact classroom of 14 grade 6 students in Sobpadwittaya school which is part of the group of opportunity expansion network school obtained by cluster random sampling. The research instruments were 1) 4 lesson plans based on inquiry instruction together with scaffolding technique in the topic of electricity for 18 hours, 2) a scientific explanation ability evaluation form, and 3) an analytical thinking ability evaluation form. The statistics used for data analysis were mean, standard deviation, and sign test. The research findings showed that 1) the scientific explanation ability of grade 6 students after learning through the inquiry instruction together with scaffolding technique was significantly higher than before learning at the .05 level of significance, and 2) the analytical thinking ability scores of grade 6 students after learning through the inquiry instruction together with scaffolding technique was significantly higher than before learning at the .05 level of significance.