Activating Strategies in Teaching Physical Science: Direction towards Enhanced Students’ Critical Thinking Skills
1Fatima Micah P. Maloles, 2Elisa N. Chua, PhD.
1San Pedro National High School, Division of Batangas, Department of Education,
2Laguna State Polytechnic University San Pablo City Campus, Philippines
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54476/iimrj348
ABSTRACT
Teaching Science is challenging; teachers find it exciting. To sustain eagerness and attention of the students, teachers need to learn the subject and choose strategies which can help enhance students’ skills. With that, the study aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of activating strategies in teaching Physical Science toward enhanced students’ critical thinking skills in St. Thomas Academy. The study utilized experimental design involving the participation of 105 Grade 11 match paired students. It used diagnostic test to assess the students’ prior knowledge, survey questionnaire to evaluate their needs, interest, and attitude towards Science subject before the implementation of the activating strategies such as carousel brainstorming, challenge envelopes, and talking drawings. It also used learning plans in each activating strategy during the lesson. Pre-test and posttest were administered to assess their critical thinking skills. Students’ preparedness in terms of prior knowledge, needs, interest, and attitude towards Science subject were analyzed and interpreted using standard deviation and mean, frequency, mean difference, t-test was used to test the difference on the transmuted mean gain scores of the respondents. Pearson r, multiple comparisons to compare the results of the scores in each strategy per subskill, and ANOVA to analyze the relationship among the variables under students’ preparedness and critical thinking subskills. Furthermore, the study found out that there is a significant difference in the pre-test and post-test scores of the three groups exposed to the different activating strategies as to their critical thinking skills. Lastly, there is a significant difference in the mean post-test scores of the groups exposed to the different activating strategies as to their critical thinking skills and there is a significant relationship between student preparedness and critical thinking skills .
Keywords: Activating Strategies, Critical Thinking Skills, Carousel Brainstorming, Talking Drawings, Challenge Envelopes, Philippines