A STUDY OF PRATHOMSUKSA 4 STUDENTS' ACHEIVEMENT AND FLUENCY IN QUADRILATERALS VIA OPEN APPROACH AND CONCRETE PICTORIAL ABSTRACT

Abstract

This study aimed (1) to examine the learning achievement on the topic of quadrilaterals, (2) to investigate students’ thinking fluency regarding quadrilaterals, and (3) to explore students’ thinking fluency behaviors in learning about quadrilaterals through instruction that combined the open-ended approach with the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) model. The sample consisted of 17 Grade 4 students selected through cluster sampling, with 4 students purposively chosen as target cases for further study. The research instruments included 12 instructional plans, each comprising the following steps: (1) presenting open-ended problems, (2) student self-directed learning through concrete or pictorial materials connected to prior knowledge or experiences, (3) discussion and comparison, and (4) synthesis by linking students’ ideas that emerged during classroom activities. Learning outcomes were assessed using an achievement test on quadrilaterals and a test measuring thinking fluency in the same topic. Thinking fluency behaviors were evaluated using observation checklists and student work samples. The findings revealed that (1) students’ learning achievement in quadrilaterals significantly exceeded the 60% criterion of the total score at the .05 level, (2) students’ thinking fluency regarding quadrilaterals also significantly exceeded the 60% criterion of the total score at the .05 level, and (3) students demonstrated two key characteristics of thinking fluency: the ability to generate a large number of solutions within a limited time and the ability to produce multiple distinct types of solutions, as evidenced by their work showing a variety of strategies in expressing answers.