Abstract:
This study was premised on the fact that combining inquiry-based real
hands-on and computer simulation methods with cooperative learning has the
potential of improving students’ learning outcomes. In this study, 110 senior high
school Form 2 students from two schools who participated were put into
heterogeneous-ability and friendship cooperative learning groupings. Each group
was taught electric circuits with the combination of inquiry-based real hands-on
and computer simulation methods. The aim was to compare the two groups in terms of their scientific reasoning, conceptual understanding and changes in conception. In addition, within each group, the hypothetical-deductive and empirical-inductive
The results showed among other things that students in the heterogeneous-ability
group outperformed their counterparts in the friendship group in conceptual
understanding of electric circuits but not in scientific reasoning. It also showed that
heterogeneous-ability group outperformed their counterparts in the friendship
group in scientific reasoning and conceptual understanding. The results further
showed that many more students in the heterogeneous-ability group changed their
recommended that senior high school teachers should employ the combination of
inquiry-based real hands-on laboratory and computer simulation methods with
heterogeneous-ability cooperative learning grouping when teaching to promote
scientific reasoning, conceptual understanding and conceptual change in electric
circuits.
