The Impact of the Problem-Based Approach on the students' level of Understanding in parametric linear systems in the secondary I class at Sagesse Hight School Ain Saadeh

النوع : Mémoire

The aim of this study was to test the effect of the active learning strategy and the problem-based approach on solving systems of linear equations in the secondary 1 class, particularly on: 1) the procedural fluency in solving systems of linear equations and related problems; 2) developing a conceptual understanding of systems of linear equations, especially the concepts of equivalent systems and multiple solutions; and 3) developing a conceptual understanding of parametric systems of linear equations which means understanding the role that a parameter plays in a certain system. The participants were the 45 secondary 1 students at Sagesse High School in Ain Saadeh. The 45 students were divided into two sections, A and B, encompassing 23 students in each section. Every group received 6 math sessions per week. The first section, sec 1/A, was used as a control group and the second section, sec 1/B, was the experimental class that used the problem-based approach. In order to study the academic performance of the students, a posttest was given to the two classes as the instrument of this study. There were two dependent variables for this study: student academic performance and their conceptual understanding. It was hypothesized that the students of the experimental group who learned the concepts through solving problems would have better results in terms of solving test problems involving ones similar to those given in class, including basic conceptual understanding and application of knowledge. There was no significant difference in terms of recalling information and on the application level between the control and the experimental groups. Nevertheless, data gathered in the study revealed a significant difference between the control and the experimental groups in terms of deep understanding and the ability to solve new problems at the analysis and the synthesis levels.