Abstract:

Problem-based instructional strategy provides real-world, purposeful interactions to help students learn how to work with and learn from a diverse group of people laterally and horizontally within a learning community. In this study, 67 General Science students (N=34, N=33) participated and were compared regarding their academic achievement in a three month term by giving them problem-based instructional treatment. One of these groups attended a traditional lecture-based instructional strategy based on conventional lecture, while the other attended a problem-based instructional strategy. Groups were administered by academic achievement test (AAT) and retention test (RT) respectively and the test scores were analyzed through an independent sample t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate academic achievement and retention rate of the students (p=0.05). It was concluded that the academic achievement of the problem-based group was significantly higher than the traditional lecture-based group. Also, the problem-based group reported more positive retention rate of subject matter than did the traditional lecture-based group. Statistically, there were significant differences between the two groups in their academic achievement and retention of the subject matter for a longer period of time. It was recommended that basic general science knowledge may be given to the students through the problem solving.

Keywords:

Instructional Strategy, Problem-based learning, lecture-based group, academic achievement, real-world.