Does collaboration matter? Inquiry learning and students’ creative thinking in the kinetic theory of gases

Source abstract

The abstract concepts of gas kinetic theory require instructional approaches that foster conceptual understanding and creative thinking. Inquiry-based learning encourages students to generate and explore ideas through active investigation, but how collaborative skills influence its effectiveness remains insufficiently understood. This study examined the effects of inquiry-based learning, collaborative skills, and their interaction on students’ creative thinking in the kinetic theory of gases. A quasi-experimental approach employing a nonequivalent control group design involved 70 eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Padang Cermin, comprising 34 students in the experimental group and 36 in the control group. Data were collected using a creative thinking test consisting of five essay questions and a collaborative skills questionnaire. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with a 2 × 2 factorial design. The results revealed a significant effect of inquiry-based learning on creative thinking (p < 0.000), with higher mean posttest scores in the experimental group (75.06) than in the control group (70.26). Collaborative skills also showed a significant main effect (p = 0.002), whereas their interaction with the learning model was not significant (p = 0.574). The findings indicate that inquiry-based learning supports creative thinking regardless of collaborative skill levels. The implications are that physics teachers can use this approach to foster creative thinking and collaborative skills.