Development of Physics Board Game Using Reflective Cycle to Enhance Upper Secondary Students’ Strategic Thinking Ability

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) develop a physics board game using reflective cycle to enhance strategic thinking ability among upper secondary school students, and 2) compare students’ strategic thinking ability before and after using the board game. This research employed a research and development (R&D) methodology and was conducted in three phases: 1) Conducting in-depth interviews with physics and science teachers to identify problems and needs. The research instrument included a problem-and-needs interview form. The data were analyzed using domain-based typological analysis. 2) Designing and developing a physics board game. The research instrument included the physics board game designed to incorporate the reflective thinking cycle. 3) Implementing the board game with a cluster random sample of 40 Grade 10 students from one classroom. The research instruments included lesson plans for the unit on linear motion, strategic thinking ability test, and decision-reporting form completed during gameplay. The data were analyzed using dependent samples t-test. The research findings were as follows: 1) The physics board game using reflective cycle should possess six key characteristics: collaborative gameplay, realistic simulation, the inclusion of unexpected events, multiple decision-making options, clear rules, and age-appropriate challenge levels. 2) A comparison of students’ strategic thinking ability before and after the intervention, both in terms of behavior and statistical analysis, showed that the post-test mean score was significantly higher than the pre-test score at the .05 level of significance. Additionally, post-instruction, students demonstrated all components of strategic thinking behavior.