The Development of Learning Management with EIPCE Model to Enhance Academic Achievement Alongside Fostering Critical Thinking Skills in Chemistry on the Topic of Atoms and Properties of Elements for Secondary School Students of Kalasin Secondary Educational Service Area Office

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the components and indicators of critical thinking skills, investigate the current state of learning management and related problems in enhancing students’ academic achievement and critical thinking skills in Chemistry on the topic of Atoms and Properties of elements, and to design and develop instructional management using the EIPCE model with the goal of improving academic achievement alongside fostering critical thinking skills among secondary school students. Additionally, the study sought to evaluate the outcomes of implementing the EIPCE instructional model. The informants consisted of 7 experts, while the sample group included 28 Grade 10 students from Anukoolnaree School in the first semester of the 2025 academic year, selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments comprised evaluation forms, interview protocols, focus group discussion records, an academic achievement test, a critical thinking skills assessment, and a satisfaction questionnaire. This study was conducted as research and development (R&D). Quantitative data were analyzed using mean, percentage, standard deviation, and t-test statistics, whereas qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

The findings indicated that critical thinking skills consists of six components: inductive thinking, deductive thinking, questioning, interpretation, acceptance of preliminary agreements, and evaluation of arguments, with a total of 14 indicators. These components and indicators were evaluated as having the highest level of appropriateness. The investigation of instructional conditions revealed that most teachers attempted to organize learning activities using scientific skills and processes to promote critical thinking skills; however, students’ critical thinking skills were still at a low level. The development of learning management with EIPCE model comprised five stages: engagement and activation of prior knowledge, problem identification and data collection, practice, conclusion, and evaluation. The overall appropriateness of the model was rated at a high level (x̄ = 4.18, S.D. = 0.65), and its efficiency in terms of academic achievement and critical thinking skills was 76.42/74.91 and 73.06/73.45, respectively. The implementation of the EIPCE model demonstrated that students’ post-learning academic achievement was higher than their pre-learning achievement, and their critical thinking were higher than those of students who received conventional instruction. Furthermore, students expressed a high level of overall satisfaction with the learning experience.