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Problem Based Learning improves Students Awareness of their Learning in Science.

Problem Based Learning improves Students Awareness of their Learning in Science. CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School; The Faculty of Education,University of Hong Kong. Mr. Wong Kin Hang. Secondary Schooling in Hong Kong. Those were the days.

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Problem Based Learning improves Students Awareness of their Learning in Science.

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  1. Problem Based Learning improves Students Awareness of their Learning in Science. CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School; The Faculty of Education,University of Hong Kong

  2. Mr. Wong Kin Hang

  3. Secondary Schooling in Hong Kong

  4. Those were the days • From fishing village to a world-known harbour

  5. Secondary Schooling in Hong Kong • Nine years compulsory schooling began in 1978 (F1-F3 Secondary are compulsory) • Learning of prescribed content by formal lecture style delivery • Supported by teacher produced “notes” to be learned by rote.

  6. Class sizes of 40-45 students are normal. • formal examinations at the end of each semester, interspersed by uniform tests, once or twice every semester.

  7. at the end of Form 5 (Grade 11) > First Public Examination, (HKCEE level) - 90% of age cohort • 40-45% of F5 students selected by second public exam (A-Level) to enter Form 6 • Finally ~20% can go to 8 local Universities

  8. Changes In Hong Kong… • Education Blueprint for the 21st century • “Learning for Life”

  9. Changes • Review of Education System: Reform Proposals “Excel and Grow”

  10. Changes • 12 years of compulsory schooling from 2009 • School based curriculum, (frameworks not syllabuses • Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE), • Only one public examination

  11. Learning to Learn (HKEMB 2000) • Creativity, Critical thinking • Collaboration Communication • Information Technology Numeracy • Self Management Problem Solving • Study Skills 9 Generic skills

  12. Study Objectives • To investigate how Problem based Learning (PBL) techniques would affect learning outcomes both for factual recall and for attitudes towards learning, • To compare PBL with more traditional lecture based teaching which also includes interactive questioning.

  13. Study design • Two Form 1 classes (Grade 7) PBL (n=38) LBL(n=40)

  14. Science Topics chosen • Human Reproduction (Well known and popular!) • Density (Highly conceptual, little explicit prior knowledge)

  15. Human Reproduction : Case 1 • Mr.and Mrs.Chan have been married for two years and have sexual intercourse regularly. They are hoping to have a baby as soon as possible but no sign of pregnancy occurs throughout these years.

  16. Task 1 • Imagine you are their Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist doctor, suggest why they still do not have a baby. • Explain the processes of conception to Mr. & Mrs. Chan and give some advice to improve Mrs.. Chan’s chances of pregnancy.

  17. Things to know: • Mr. Chan is a cook who works five days a week in a very hot environment while Mr.s.. Chan is a housewife. • As a cook, Mr. Chan always wears tight jeans and T-shirts whilst working close to hot cooking ranges

  18. Case 2 • Mr. and Mrs. Lee are farmers in a remote area in China and have been married for 10 years. They have not been to school and have no knowledge about contraception at all. • They have regular sexual intercourse. They already have five babies and they do not want to have any more, as they are not able to afford the cost of raising so many children.

  19. Task 2 • Imagine you are a consultant from the Peoples Family Planning Authority employed by the Government of China. • Advise Mr.& Mrs. Lee of all possible contraceptive methods and explain how to use such methods in details since Mr. Lee knows nothing about this area.

  20. Null Hypothesis • students learning through PBL will neither enjoy more, nor perform better than students’ learning by enhanced LBL.

  21. Instrument • MOLES-S, the Metacognitive Orientation Learning Environment Scale – Science, (Thomas, 2002) • encourages students to think about the nature of their learning and to declare whether or not they agree that their situation meets stated satisfying criteria.

  22. Subscales of MOLE-S • Metacognitive demands • Student-student discourse • Student-teacher discourse • Student voice • Distributed control • Teacher encouragement & support • Emotional support

  23. MOLES-S data after Topic 1 “Human Reproduction”(*=significantly different at p<0.05)

  24. Outcomes (Human Reproduction) i. Students appreciate the richer metacognitive demands of their learning environment

  25. ii. they have significantly greater opportunity to: • be emotionally supported and encouraged by their teachers • interact with the teacher • collaborate with each other • be in control of the learning process

  26. Density:Case 3 Mayday!!! • Imagine that you are an officer leading troops which become surrounded by the enemy. You need to pass an important ‘Mayday’ message to your friendly forces and that is the only way you will be able to escape. • You only have some plastic bottles, some sand and pebbles in your isolated area. You have to pass the ‘Mayday’ message using the bottles and hope that your fellow defenders will find it. However, you need to pass the bottles just under the water surface so that your enemies cannot see them; otherwise, your troops will all be killed by enemy guns.

  27. Key: Black hat figures are enemy troops, white ones are friendly

  28. Results of MOLES-S after Topic 2 “Density”(*=significantly different at p<0.05)

  29. Inferences & Outcomes: Density • Same pattern, except “teacher discourse” • Students engaged in experimentation, detracted from chances to discuss with their teacher.

  30. Inferences & Outcomes: Density • PBL students had a significantly greater sense of metacognitive demand compared with the LBL group who were less aware of it during second topic than for the first topic

  31. Comparison of % differences between first and second instance for each subscale

  32. Inferences In a relatively unfamiliar topic, PBL is possible to • i.increase metacognitive orientation in further extent. • ii. offer greater chances for emotional support.

  33. Conclusion • PBL is possible in high school levels. • PBL tends to gain metacognitive growth compared with LBL . • PBL offers students chances to understand the processes of their learning.

  34. Challenges ahead • Are the gains lost over time if problem based learning opportunities are not continued? • How to set problems of appropriate complexity for different ages of students? • Can students generate their own problems and thereby design their own curriculum, acting as real scientists do?

  35. Contact • Mr.Wong Kin Hang Kenson kensonwong@yahoo.com

  36. THANK YOU

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