@article{education20186816,
author={{Aboagye, Godwin Kwame and Ossei-Anto, Theophilus Aquinas and Ampiah, Joseph Ghartey},
title={Combining Inquiry-Based Hands-On and Simulation Methods with Cooperative Learning on Students¡¯ Learning Outcomes in Electric Circuits},
journal={American Journal of Educational Research},
volume={6},
number={8},
pages={1172--1181},
year={2018},
url={http://pubs.sciepub.com/education/6/8/16},
issn={2327-6150},
abstract={Concepts in electric circuits are reported in literature as being problematic for students at all levels of pre-tertiary education [1] and the situation in Ghana is not different [2]. Hence, innovative ways of teaching are being explored by researchers to remediate the problem. This study, therefore, 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 all, 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 method. The aim was to compare the two groups in terms of their scientific reasoning and conceptual understanding. Within each group, the hypothetical-deductive and empirical-inductive students were also compared along the two learning outcomes. The results showed among others that the heterogeneous-ability group outperformed their counterparts in conceptual understanding of electric circuits but not scientific reasoning. Hypothetical-deductive and empirical-inductive students in the heterogeneous-ability group outperformed their counterparts in scientific reasoning and conceptual understanding. Implications of the findings for teaching and learning are discussed.},
doi={10.12691/education-6-8-16}
publisher={Science and Education Publishing}
}