As living in the era of information and knowledge, new information and knowledge is explosively expanding everyday as becoming diversified and specialized at a rapid pace. Therefore, the ability to select the required things for our own as well as to ...
As living in the era of information and knowledge, new information and knowledge is explosively expanding everyday as becoming diversified and specialized at a rapid pace. Therefore, the ability to select the required things for our own as well as to utilize them to fit the situations among a number of information and knowledge is required. It means that new changes are needed even in education. The ability to select the required knowledge and information in actual problem situation and the ability to reorganize and utilize it in problem solving is emerging as the important objective of education.
Thus, the attention toward Problem-Based Learning (PBL), the constructivist teaching and learning method, is increasing as the ability for actual problem solving is getting emphasized. Problem-Based Learning is the teaching-learning method to make the students to find suitable solutions by exploring knowledge and information on their own in order to solve the problem as the class begins to suggest the problem situations similar to the actual problems in daily living.
Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the ability for problem solving and cooperative ability appeared in the class by applying Problem-Based Learning in the domain of number and operation for the third grader in elementary school.
This study poses the following questions. First of all, how is the ability for problem solving in the Problem-Based Learning class? Secondly, which changes in cooperative ability are made in the Problem-Based learning class?
In order to solve such questions, one class of the third graders at G elementary school in Seoul was selected as the target of the study. This study performs the test on arithmetic ability of number and operation and the test on cooperative ability in advance, and then the classes were preceded with two problems of Problem-Based Learning in the domain of number and operation for each 10 period. After the classes, the test on arithmetic ability of number and operation and the test on cooperative ability were conducted as post test. In addition, the process of problem solving of the students was analyzed through the activity sheets and output of the students shown in the process of the Problem-Based Learning class.
As analyzing the process of problem solving of the students in the Problem-Based Learning class, there are various aspects of ability for problem solving of the students. In each stage of the Problem-Based Learning class, the factor of problem recognition is observed in the stage of understanding problem, the factor of collecting and analyzing information is observed in the stage of exploring problem, the factor of expanding thought and decision is observed in the stage of subsequent problem, the factor of planning ability is observed in the stage of suggesting and presenting results, the factor of assessment and feedback is observed in the stage of solving problem and beyond.
In order to check whether there is level difference in the arithmetic ability of number and operation of the students through Problem-Based Learning, matching sample t-test is performed as comparing the results between prior test and post test of the study group. As the results, there are statistically significant differences, and it is found that Problem-Based Learning has positive influences on arithmetic ability of number and operation.
The results of prior test and post test are analyzed through matching sample t-test in order to check whether the Problem-Based Learning class has positive influences on the cooperative ability of the students. As the results, there are statistically significant differences, and it is found that Problem-Based Learning has positive influences on cooperative ability.
There are some suggestions to be presented on the basis of the results of the study. Above all, a variety of programs for the classes utilizing Problem-Based Learning elementary schools should be developed. Secondly, a variety of follow-up studies about the models or analyzing tools of Problem-Based Learning is required. Thirdly, the problems in Problem-Based Learning related to the actual daily live should be contained in the mathematics textbook in elementary schools. Fourthly, the in-service training for teachers is needed in order to help the practical understanding of teachers as applying Problem-Based Learning.