Examining Effectiveness of an Authentic Problem-based Learning Model based on Uncertainty Level and Learning Performance of Engineering Students Studying Physics

Abstract

Introducing uncertainty into instruction-based classroom has been looked into by some educators to increase students’ learning in terms of problem solving skills. In Problem-based learning (PBL) environment, uncertainty is naturally incorporated into the ill-structured problem which is crafted purposively to motivate and stimulate PBL learners’ learning process as the natural provocation for real learning. This study adopts the quasi-experimental approach and correlational design to explore the relationship between PBL learners’ uncertainty level and learning performance and the effectiveness of an authentic problem-based learning (APBL) model in reducing uncertainty level. 78 Physics students from Taylor’s American Degree Program in Fall 2017 semester participated in this study. A 30-item self-reporting, numerically measurable questionnaire to capture the learners’ uncertainty level with regards to the cognitive, affective and physical dimension was developed. A pre-test on the uncertainty level was conducted to some students who have volunteered to fill out the questionnaire immediately after they learned the PBL scenario which served to determine whether the PBL question has incorporated uncertainty and if there is a reduce in uncertainty level after completing the PBL activities. Posttest on the uncertainty level was conducted after learners presented their solution or proposal to the problem. Learning performance scores constitutes three measures, namely learning satisfaction, learning attitude, and learning score. Learning satisfaction consists of 10-item self-reporting, numerically measurable questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alphas for uncertainty construct and learning satisfaction are 0.89 and 0.92 respectively. One sample T test was conducted to study the effectiveness of APBL in reducing the level of uncertainty. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the variables were obtained. The results of zero order correlation analysis showed a strong negative correlation between uncertainty level and learning performance. One sample t-test result showed that learners’ uncertainty level were significantly reduced after the APBL activities.