The WebQuest: Its Impact on Students' Critical Thinking, Performance, & Perceptions in Physics

Abstract

This paper investigated the impact of WebQuest on students' critical thinking, content-knowledge acquisition, task performance and perceptions in basic Physics. This study also determined which aspect of critical thinking was best or least demonstrated by the students, and examined the correlation between students 'critical thinking and task performance and the relationship between students' content-knowledge acquisition and perceptions. The study employed both descriptive and inferential data analysis procedures. More broadly, this study utilized a case study format. As such, through classroom observations, structured and unstructured interviews, the researcher gained a deeper understanding of the students' views and experiences. The key findings of this study showed that participants had significant gains in both critical thinking and content-knowledge acquisition. As far as students' perceptions were concerned, the analysis also showed that students responded positively on the use of WebQuest model in terms of collaboration, creativity, motivation, and knowledge enhancement but were not in time management. A low to moderate, correlation was found between critical thinking and task performance. In contrast, there was negligible correlation between students' academic performance and perceptions. Thus, this study demonstrated that students viewed WebQuest favorably irrespective of their ability to learn and it suggests that WebQuest model can be a useful tool for student learning.