Action Research to Develop Imaginative Writing Skills in Thai Language for Grade 4 Students using Mind Maps Combined with Skill Exercises

Abstract

This research article aims to 1) to study the outcomes of developing imaginative writing skills in Thai Language for Grade 4 students through mind maps and skill exercises, 2) to compare the imaginative writing skills in Thai Language for Grade 4 students through mind maps and skill exercises with 70% criterion, and 3) to study  the satisfaction level of Grade 4 students who were developed imaginative writing skills in Thai Language through mind maps and skill exercises. The research was conducted as Action Research, following the model of Kemmis & McTaggart, involving two cycles. The research sample consisted of seven Grade 4 students from Ban Nong Yang School during the first semester of the 2024 academic year, selected through Cluster Random Sampling. The research instruments included 1) six lesson plans, 2) skill exercises, 3) an imaginative writing skills assessment form, 4) classroom behavior observation forms, 5) structured interviews, and 6) a satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to assess the normality of the score distribution for the imaginative writing assessment. As the scores were not normally distributed, non-parametric statistics (Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test) were employed, and conclusions were drawn through descriptive analysis.

The research findings were as follows: 1) The development of imaginative writing skills in Thai Language for Grade 4 students through mind maps and skill exercises revealed that, in the first cycle of action, some students were unable to present new creative ideas in the core content of their writing. They incorrectly used spacing, tore words apart while writing, misspelled words, lacked neatness, had trouble focusing, gave unclear explanations, and submitted assignments late. Three students did not meet the criteria set by the researcher. These issues were addressed in the second cycle, resulting in students being able to write imaginative stories and improving their learning behaviors. The overall results of the imaginative writing skills assessment in the second cycle met the 70% criterion set by the researcher. 2) A comparison of the imaginative writing skills in Thai Language of Grade 4 students after learning through mind maps and skill exercises showed that their performance exceeded the 70% criterion, with statistical significance at the .05 level. 3) The study on the satisfaction of Grade 4 students who were developed imaginative writing skills in Thai Language through mind maps and skill exercises found that the overall satisfaction was at a high level, with an average score of 4.46 and a standard deviation of 0.21.