Enhancing Conceptual Coherence: Students’ Mental Models of the Male Reproductive System through Collaborative Constructive Approach

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of the Collaborative Constructive approach on the quality of students’ mental models in the topic of the male reproductive system. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with an embedded experimental design and a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. The research sample consisted of 73 eleventh-grade students at a public senior high school in Cirebon City, with 37 students assigned to the experimental class and 36 students to the control class. The experimental class participated in Collaborative Constructive learning through worksheet exploration, group discussion, completion of incomplete concept maps, presentations, and concept clarification, whereas the control class received teacher-centered instruction. The research instrument was an open-ended essay test assessing the aspects of content, prediction, explanation, and drawing. The data were analyzed using normalized gain scores, the Mann-Whitney test, and qualitative analysis of changes in students’ responses. The results showed that the experimental class obtained a normalized gain score of 0.74, which falls into the high category, while the control class obtained a score of 0.51, categorized as moderate. The Mann-Whitney test indicated a significant difference in the improvement of mental models between the two classes. Qualitatively, the experimental class demonstrated a more directed shift in mental models toward scientific understanding, particularly in the aspects of content, prediction, and explanation, although the visual representation aspect still requires further reinforcement. These findings indicate that the Collaborative Constructive approach can support the reconstruction of students’ mental models in abstract and complex biological topics.