The Effect of the Discovery Learning Model on Students’ Science Process Skills in Learning the Excretory System: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of the Discovery Learning model on students’ science process skills in learning the excretory system. A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group was employed during the second semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. The participants were 54 Grade XI students at SMA Negeri 1 Pringgasela, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, who were assigned to an experimental class and a control class. The experimental class was taught using the Discovery Learning model, whereas the control class received conventional instruction. Data were collected using an essay test administered as a pretest and posttest and an observation sheet designed to assess students’ science process skills during the learning process. The observation sheet employed a five-point rating scale ranging from very poor to very good. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann–Whitney U test. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in science process skills between students in the experimental and control classes (p < .001). Observational data also showed that the experimental class achieved a mean score of 75.6, categorized as good, whereas the control class obtained a mean score of 46.3, categorized as poor. These findings indicate that the Discovery Learning model had a positive effect on students’ science process skills in learning the excretory system. Therefore, Discovery Learning can be considered an effective instructional approach for promoting students’ active engagement in scientific processes and developing their science process skills in biology learning.