An Organization of Learning Activities on the topic of “Life and the Environment” the Inquiry and the Socioscientific Issue-Based Approaches Promote Learning Achievement, Science Literacy and Decision-making for Prathomsueksa VI Students

This research aimed to 1) develop inquiry learning approach and socioscientific issues-based learningapproachonthetopicof “Lifeand the Environment” for Prathomsueksa VI students, and 2) study the learning achievement, science literacy, and decision-making of Prathomsueksa VI students who learned with the inquiry learning approach and the socioscientific issues-based learning approach. The target group consisted of 30 Prathomsueksa VI students in the second semester of the academic year of 2013, at Nongbuaree (Rachuthit) School, Chumpuang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The instruments for data collection included: an achievement test contains 40 4-multiple choice, science literacy test contains 30 3-multiple choice, and decision-making test contains 30 4-multiple choice. The statistics for data analyses were arithmetic mean, standard deviation, percentage, and using qualitative data. The result found that operating in cycle I consists of 5 steps: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation, and in cycle II consists of 6 steps: the search problem, grouping and priority, the analysis of content, planning to solve issues, the experiences and learning, and evaluate. Prathomsueksa VI students who learned with the inquiry learning approach showed mean scores in learning achievement, science literacy, and decision-making percentages of average were 52.22, 56.50 and 66.31 respectively. The inquiry with socioscientific issues-based learning approach showed mean scores in learning achievement, science literacy, and decision-making percentages of average were 58.33, 56.67 and 67.58 respectively. Prathomsueksa VI students who learned with the inquiry with socioscientific issues-based learning approach showed higher mean scores on learning achievement, science literacy, and decision-making than those who learned with the inquiry learning approach.