The effect of the controlled and free grouping schemes in the achievement in basic science process skills in high school physics laboratory activities

• Main Author: Vargas, Sonia R.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1990
• Subjects: Physics > Study and teaching (Secondary); Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1245; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8083&context=etd_masteral
• Institution: De La Salle University

Statement of the problem: This research aimed primarily to determine the effect of controlled and free grouping schemes on the achievement in basic science process skills in high school physics laboratory activities. The correlation and joint effect of mental ability and GPA in previous science subjects on the achievement in basic science process skills were also determined. Significant differences on the achievement in each of the basic science process skills among the students in the free and controlled grouping schemes were also tested. Procedure: This study adopted the non-equivalent control group design. The OTIS-LENNON Mental Ability Test was administered at the start of the experimental study. This and the students' GPA in previous science subjects were used as antecedent data in lieu of the pre-test. Two sections of fourth year high school students from Catanduanes State Colleges Laboratory High School and the Catanduanes National High School were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group subdivided into subgroups according to the students' free choice of group and group members. Membership of each subgroups, however, was limited to a certain number in order to maintain a proportion of members in each subgroup. The control group was subdivided into subgroups according to varying mental abilities. This grouping was teacher controlled. All classes used the same textbook and course outline, and performed the same laboratory activities. Finally, at the end of the research period the test on basic science process skills was administered to all sections. Student's achievement in basic science process skills was correlated to the aforementioned antecedent variables. The achivements of the experimental and control groups were compared after the effect of the antecedent variables was removed. Treatment of Data: Pearson product moment correlation was used to correlate achievement in science process skills with the antecedent variables. ANCOVA through stepwise regression and t-test of significant difference between means of independent samples were used in computing the significant difference between the achievement in basic science process skills of the experimental and the control groups. Findings: Analysis of the gathered data showed that: 1. Students' achievements in basic science process skills were highly correlated with mental ability and GPA in previous science subjects. 2. Students when grouped according to controlled and free grouping schemes do not differ significantly in their overall achievement in the basic science process skills. 3. There is a significant difference regarding the students' achievement in the skill of observing in favor of the controlled group. 4. Students in both grouping schemes do not differ significantly in achieving in the skills of classifying, communicating, quantifying, measuring, predicting, inferring, and problem solving. 5. Students in both the controlled and free grouping schemes achieved best in the skill of communicating. 6. Students in the free-grouping scheme achieved least in the skill of observing while students in the controlled grouping scheme achieved least in the skill of problem solving. 7. Although the students in the two grouping schemes both performed semi-structured laboratory activities, the manner with which the activities were completed differed between the two groups, depending upon the nature of the activity. Most laboratory activities were performed through the joint effort of the group leader and the group members.