Investigating the Effects of Active Learning Strategies on Problem Solving.: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Cycle Two

Abstract

Problem-solving, being one major aspect of our daily activities, is often considered by students worldwide as the most difficult domains in mathematics. In Lebanon, like many other countries, problem-solving is a major aspect in the mathematics curriculum which requires students to apply and to integrate many mathematical concepts and skills as well as making decisions. However, the absence of national and international statistics of Lebanese elementary students’ performance in problem solving (PS) challenged the researchers to consider teaching strategies that give the students the chance to play an active role in their learning, and thus improve their performance in PS. Therefore, this article reports on a part of a larger mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study which investigated the effect of implementing Active Learning Strategies (ALS) mainly Think/Pair /Share (TPS), Socratic Questioning (SQ), and Inquiry based Learning (IBL) on students’ performance in problem solving (PS) in Grade 4, 5, and 6. (n=454) in three private schools in Tripoli- Lebanon. After assigning students and teachers to experimental and control groups, teachers in the experimental group participated in an intensive training on the use of ALS and implemented them over a three months period. The researcher used the t-test to compare the pre- and post-scores of both groups on mathematics PS. Findings indicated that experimental group students outperformed control group students on problem solving. Recommendations for continuous professional development for educators and for further research were also provided.

Keywords: Active learning strategies, Mathematics problem-solving, Elementary, IBL, TPS, SQ

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-17-05

Publication date:June 30^th 2021