The effectiveness of the POST BRENNAN strategy in improving the achievement of fourth-grade science students in physics and their deductive reasoning

Abstract

This research aimed to identify effectiveness of the Post-Brennan strategy in improving the physics achievement of fourth-grade science students .The study used a quasi-experimental design with two equivalent groups. The research sample consisted of 74 female students from the fourth year of the science track at the First High School for Gifted Students in Al-Qadisiyah Education Directorate during the 2025-2026 academic year. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group of 38 students who studied using the Post-Brennan strategy, and a control group of 36 students who studied using the traditional method. Each group received three lessons per week for 12 weeks. The two groups were equivalent in terms of the following variables: chronological age, intelligence, prior physics knowledge, deductive reasoning, and prior achievement, as determined by an independent samples t-test. The curriculum content was limited to chapters six through nine of the physics textbook. The researcher developed two instruments: an achievement test consisting of 50 multiple-choice items, and a deductive reasoning test consisting of 26 items distributed across seven skills. The reliability coefficient for both instruments was 0.82. After applying the two tools and analyzing the data using SPSS v22 and Excel 2010, the results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the achievement test and inferential reasoning. The study confirms the effectiveness of the POST BRENNAN strategy in improving achievement and developing inferential reasoning skills among fourth-year science students in physics.