Effects of problem-based learning on cognitive and affective variables in learning statistics among university students
Two phases of experimental study with randomized post-test only control group design were conducted to investigate the effects of problem-based learning on the cognitive and affect variables in learning statistics among university students. Experiments in Phase I and Phase II were conducted ov...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67270/1/IPM%202012%209%20IR.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67270/ |
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| Summary: | Two phases of experimental study with randomized post-test only control group
design were conducted to investigate the effects of problem-based learning on
the cognitive and affect variables in learning statistics among university
students. Experiments in Phase I and Phase II were conducted over a duration
of 10 weeks lessons, each week consisted of three hours lesson. In the first
phase of the study, two experimental groups, namely the Traditional Problembased
Learning (PBL-Tr) and the Web-basedProblem-based Learning (PBLWeb),
and one control group were involved. The subjects of the study were
graduate students who enrolled in an Educational Statistics course at a public
university in Malaysia. The PBL-Tr group underwent learning using the
traditional problem-based learning approach with guided questions and the PBL-Web group underwent learning using problem-based learning approach with
guided questions by using a website; and the control group underwent learning
using conventional instruction. In Phase I, the three groups were compared on
cognitive variables (overall statistical performance, statistical conceptual
knowledge and statistical procedural knowledge) and affect variables (metacognitive
awareness and motivation).
In Phase II another batch of graduate students who then enrolled in an
Educational Statistics course at a public university in Malaysia participated in the
study. In Phase II, three groups of students were administered the respective
treatments and tested once again for the same attributes as that in Phase I and
additional measures such as number of of errors made by the subjects during
solving test problems, students’ mental load assessment for all three groups and
hence instructional efficiency index were obtained.
Four instruments were used in this study, namely Statistics Performance Tests,
Paas Mental Load Rating Scale, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and
Motivation toward Learning Survey Questionnaire. The data for Phases I and II
were analysed by using independent t-test and planned comparison test,
ANOVA, ANCOVA and repeated measure ANOVA tests.
The study shows that the problem-based learning with guided questions
approach enhanced students’ overall performance and induced higher levels of
metacognitive awareness and motivation toward learning with less mental load invested during the learning. These findings indicated that the PBL with guided
questions with two different modes: traditional and by using a website instruction
is superior in comparison to the conventional instruction, hence implying that
integrating the use of this approach in teaching and learning of mathematics was
more efficient than the conventional instruction strategy. Further, students in
experimental groups showed an overall favourable view toward integrating the
use of the PBL with guided questions in the teaching and learning of Statistics.
Even though some students experienced difficulties during PBL with guided
questions at the beginning, they confirmed that PBL improved their
understanding of statistics. Hence, it may be concluded that both forms of PBL
were effective for student learning. |
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