Mobile and printed dichotomous keys in constructivist learning of biology in primary school

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Exploring using constructivist learning has become a focus of educational research in recent years. However, no available research has been found which examines the contribution of constructivist learning through the implementation of handheld computers and tablets (in the literature, a constructivist mobile learning environment refers to constructivist learning with the implementation of mobile devices) to student knowledge across cognitive levels, while their opinion on that contribution in biological education in primary schools is as yet unreported. Purpose: The main aim of this research is to examine the contribution of the Dichotomous Mobile Key (DMK) and the Dichotomous Printed Key (DPK), implemented in the classroom through constructivist learning, to student achievement and the sustainability of the primary school students' biological knowledge about the Systematic and classification of plants at all cognitive levels. The research also analyses students' opinions about the applied dichotomous keys in the constructivist learning process and the correlation between student knowledge and their opinion about the application of the DMK or the DPK. Design and methods: This research uses a quasi-experimental design and involved 140 eight-grade students from Montenegro assigned to two experimental groups, learning through: 1) the DPK (Group C) and 2) the DMK (Group E). Results and conclusions: The results indicate that studying using a DMK is more suitable than a DPK for learning botany in primary schools when implementing a constructivist approach. This is because the DMK is better suited to enhancing some elements of certain constructivist approaches, notably eliciting students’ prior knowledge; facilitating exploratory learning; creating cognitive dissonance; and receiving continuous feedback during the entire learning process. The contribution of the DMK is greater than that of the DPK to students’ knowledge and opinions to the contribution of the applied dichotomous key to their knowledge and greater desire to learn about plants.