The Development of Critical Thinking Skills through the STEM Activities for the General Science Pre-service Teacher of Phranakhon Rajabhat University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to enhance fourth year general science pre-service students’ critical thinking skills that studying in college of teacher education at Phranakhon Rajabhat University by using STEM activities before practicing profession in the schools. The samples used in the study were general science pre-service students studying in academic year 2016 at college of teacher education at Phranakhon Rajabhat University. The researcher created 8 STEM activities plans for enhancing critical thinking skills. The researcher measured samples’ critical thinking skills before and after using STEM activities to develop critical thinking skills by using the critical thinking skills test adapted from Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z. The researcher measured samples’ STEM activity organized skills by using STEM activity organized skills evaluate form and measured samples’ satisfaction toward learning with the STEM activities by using satisfaction evaluate form. The data were analyzed by using mean, standard deviation and T-test dependent. The research results revealed that: 1. The samples’ scores of each critical thinking skill and in total mean scores after using STEM activities were statistically higher than the samples’ scores before using STEM activities at the 0.05 level of significance.2. The samples’ STEM activity organized skills were good. 3. The samples’ satisfaction toward learning with the STEM activities was high.