Does collaboration matter? Inquiry learning and students’ creative thinking in the kinetic theory of gases
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
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.
Institutions: Universitas Ma'arif Lampung, The University of Queensland
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $19
OpenAlex ID: W7224320122