DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICS LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT AND ANALYTICAL THINKING ABILITY OF GRADE 10 STUDENTS THROUGH CONCEPT MAPPING

Abstract

      This research aimed to 1) compare the physics learning achievement of Grade 10 students before and after learning through concept mapping, and 2) compare their analytical thinking ability before and after the implementation of concept mapping-based learning. The study employed a pre-experimental research design using a One-Group Pretest–Posttest Design. The participants were 29 Grade 10 students at Phothak Phitthayakhom School, Nong Khai Province, during the first semester of the 2026 academic year, selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments consisted of concept mapping-based lesson plans, a 30-item physics learning achievement test, and a 30-item analytical thinking ability test. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and a paired-samples t-test.
      The results revealed that 1) the students’ posttest physics learning achievement had a mean score of 24.83 (S.D. = 2.51), representing 82.77%, which was higher than the pretest mean score of 16.21 (S.D. = 3.42), representing 54.03%, with a statistically significant difference (t = 14.72, p < .001). Moreover, 93.10% of the students achieved the 70% criterion. 2) The students’ posttest analytical thinking ability had a mean score of 24.10 (S.D. = 2.62), representing 80.33%, which was higher than the pretest mean score of 15.48 (S.D. = 3.11), representing 51.60%, with a statistically significant difference (t = 15.93, p < .001). These findings indicate that concept mapping-based learning can support students in organizing knowledge, establishing relationships among physics concepts, and systematically developing analytical thinking ability.