Exploring Problem-based Learning in the Context of High School Science: Design and Implementation Issues

Karen Goodnaugh, Marie Cashion

This paper reports on the experiences of a small collaborative inquiry group consisting of a high school science teacher, Deidre, and two university researchers, the authors of this paper, as they explored an active, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning referred to as Problem-Based Learning or PBL (Barrows, 1994; Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980). Although PBL is not new and has an established tradition in medical education and other professional schools, the use and scholarship of PBL at the secondary level is only starting to emerge. This small-scale collaboration allowed the co-inquirers to delve into the complexities of PBL and to examine its feasibility as a curriculum and instructional approach in the context of high school science teaching and learning. The three collaborators adopted an action-based inquiry method referred to as Collaborative Inquiry (CI), a “process consisting of repeated episodes of reflection and action through which a group of peers strives to answer a question of importance to them” (Bray, Lee, Smith, & Yorks, 2000, p. 6). Data collection methods and sources included student-generated work, classroom observation, student interviews, and audio-taped planning meetings. The outcomes of the study focus on the issues that arose during PBL design and implementation, such as selecting a PBL topic, determining the level of structure to be incorporated into the PBL experience, selecting appropriate assessment approaches, facilitating groups, and providing optimal student feedback. In addition, outcomes related to student perceptions of PBL indicated that the majority liked learning through PBL because it promoted active learning, made science relevant, provided variety in learning, and supported group work. The authors discuss implications for the adoption of PBL in K-12 settings.

The Effectiveness of Substituting Locally Available Materials in Teaching Chemistry in Nigeria: A Case for Science Education in Developing Countries

Nkechi S. DomNwachukwu, Chianaka S. DomNwachukwu

This article investigates the effectiveness of improvising locally available materials for teaching chemistry in Nigeria, as a case for a culture of improvisation for teaching the sciences in developing countries. The scarcity and cost of imported materials for teaching science has remained a major challenge to teaching sciences in developing countries, and the fact that many teachers from developing countries tend to wait for these imported materials before they can teach continues to present a set-back for science education in many non-Western nations. In this experimental study, second year students 3 Nigerian Senior Secondary schools in the state of Logos, Nigeria, were sampled to determine whether there will be a significant difference in their performance when taught using imported materials compared to when taught using local substitutes. The study reveals that whereas their attitudes towards local materials may not be as positive as their attitudes towards imported materials, their performances did not differ when taught with either, as long as they were unaware of which material was local or imported. The result of this study proved that science education will flourish if teachers in Nigeria, and probably other developing countries, can begin to improvise local materials for science instruction.

Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Teacher Efficacy: What is the Relationship in Elementary Preservice Teachers?

Susan Lee Swars, C.J. Daane, Judy Giesen

The study investigated the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy among elementary preservice teachers. Participants included 28 elementary preservice teachers at a mid-size university in the southeastern United States who had just completed a mathematics methods course. Data dources included the Mathematics Anxiety rating Scale, Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, and clinical interviews. Findings revealed a significant, moderate negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy (r=-.440, p<.05). In general, the preservice teachers with the lowest degrees of mathematics anxiety had the highest levels of mathematics teacher efficacy. The interviews indicated that efficaciousness toward mathematics teaching practices, descriptions of mathematics, and basis for mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs were associated with mathematics anxiety.