Enhancing Learning Mathematical Concept of Set Topic for Empirical Inductive Students Using PBL MATHSSET

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of the integration of problem based learning (PBL) and interactive multimedia among empirical inductive reasoners as a learning tool for mathematics, set topic. When implementing PBL, often teachers are having problems describing ill-structured questions to their students in the classroom. In fact, the students also are facing problems understanding the questions which are too complex for them to solve. To overcome this, PBL MathS-Set courseware has been designed as a teaching aid for teachers in conducting PBL activities. It consists of an authentic problem scenario encountered by a civil engineer consultant who planned to construct buildings using three different piles. While solving the problem, students will construct concepts of set on their own. Samples for this study comprised a group of 25 form-four students from a Technical School in Selangor, Malaysia, majoring in Civil Engineering. Before the students underwent the learning process using the courseware provided, they were assigned to heterogeneous ability groups, based on their reasoning ability scores using Lawson Reasoning and Scientific Test, to determine two types of thinking patterns: hypothetical deductive and empirical inductive. A set of questions related to the topic for pretest and posttest was provided for each student. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS. The findings showed that, there was a significant difference in empirical inductive reasoners for set topic in mathematics, before and after using the courseware. This proved the potential of the integration of PBL with interactive multimedia as a good teaching strategy for set topic inmathematics.