Effectiveness on Development of Logical Thinking Skills of Problem Based Learning Skills in Science Teaching

Yaman /TUSED / 2 (1) 2005 31


TÜRK FEN EĞİTİMİ DERGİSİ
Journal of
Yıl 2, Sayı 1, Mayıs 2005

TURKISH SCIENCE EDUCATION

Volume 2, Issue 1, May 2005


http://www.tused.org

Effectiveness on Development of Logical Thinking Skills of
Problem Based Learning Skills in Science Teaching

Süleyman YAMAN1

1 Dr., OMU Amasya Education Faculty, Dept. of Primary Sci. Edu., Amasya


SYPNOSIS
Introduction
One of the most essential goals of science education is to develop students’ scientific
thinking skills. Piaget, Ausebel and Wallot who are important reseacher pointed out that
students must be active participant in order to acquire those skills in learning proces.
However, in our country (Turkey) it is clearly shown that teachers tend to teacher centered
education rather student centered. In this system, students’ learning which is targeted
knowledge and skills is more depended on teachers’ teaching skills than students’ own
abilities. Therefore, naturally it can not be reached expected learning outcome especially in
science education. Results show that the lowest success is to science education in centeral
exams like University Entry Exam. When this situation took into consederaiton, it is
unavoidable that alternative approaches must be used in science education.
Science education trains persons who can discover, explore, make right decisions,
solve problems, and continuously learn.. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the
approaches in education that helps students to focus on themselves involving these
educational environments. Howard Barrows first developed the PBL during 1960s in the
field of medicine and later on it has been observed that its applications in other fields are
also efficient. The most important features of PBL are; considering students as the center
of learning, covering real life experiences, applying cooperative studies, using problem
solving, developing communication skills, and promoting logical thinking.
Logical thinking is a skill which is determined in the period of abstract process in
Piaget’s cognitive development phase. With logical thinking skills, learners solves the
problem by doing various mental practices or reaches principals or rules by doing some
abstraction and generalization. In PBL approach, students understand related concepts
logically very well and solve problems easly by linking between previous knowledge and
targeted knowldege in learning processes. Logical thinking is a skill which is considered
important to develop from elementary school to university level. Therefore, studies which
will conduct to that end contribute not only science education but also other fields. In this
research, it was tried to examine the effects of both PBL method and traditional teaching
methods on developing of student teachers’ logical thinking skills.

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Yaman /TUSED / 2 (1) 2005 32

Aim of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine whether students acquire logical thinking
skills in different teaching methods and strategies which are used during the given the
course. To that end, PBL approach was used as an alternative to traditional methods in
laboratuvar applications in this study. In that context, main research problem of this study
is “is there any statistically significant between logical thinking skills of prospective
teachers who continue education according to PBL approach and traditional teaching
methods in science education and their gender and their according to ranking preference of
department?”

Method of the Study
The design of this study is quasi-experimental design, because of a combination of
the use of naturally assembled intact groups. In the study, pretest posttest control design
group were conducted.
This research was conducted at the Gazi Faculty of Education, Gazi University in
Turkey. Twohandred and twenty students, who take “Science Laboratory” course in the
pre-service elementary teacher education programme, participated in the study. In the
experimental group there were 105 and in the control group there were 115 students. All
students, in two intact classes, took science laboratory course during second semester of
sophomore years. Control group (115 students) received the traditional teaching methods
of instruction while PBL from modern approaches for treatment group (105 students) was
applied. Moroever The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) developing by
Roadrankga et al. (1982-83) was applied to measure students’ levels of cognitive
development. The GALT consists of 21 questions which 18 of them are not only required
student to pick the most appropriate answer, but also required the reason students’ choice
that particular answer. The other 3 questions of GALT consist of open ended questions to
determine students' logical thinking skills. This test was used by many researchers as a
predictor of student’s logical thinking. In addition, this test measures students’ ability to
apply logical thinking and scientific reasoning which involves testing hypotheses.
The data obtained in this study were analyzed through quantitatively. In order to
determine the difference between the medium points of the experimental and control
groups “t-test for independent variables;” to analyze the data obtained in different time
frames for the same group, “t-test for dependent variables” have been used. The two-factor
ANOVA technique for repeated measurements was used to determine whether pre-test and
post-test mean scores of the groups differed statistically.

A Summary of Results
In the present study, it was intended to determine whether PBL is effective to
develop logical thinking skills of the pre-service elementary teachers. After the application,
it was realized that student teachers’ logical thinking skills developed better in treatment
group than the control group. It was determined that, levels of student teachers’ logical
thinking skills of the treatment group were significantly (p<0.05) different from the control
group student teachers’. Results clearly show that especially PBL approach was effective
in the development of logical thinking skills. In addition, gender of student teachers’ does
not have meaningful effect on logical thinking skills, whereas their choices of departments
have.

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Yaman /TUSED / 2 (1) 2005 33

Discussion and Suggestions
It may be claimed that in order to implement PBL in science classes successfully and
therefore to improve logical thinking skills, student teachers’ need to have higher level
reasoning skills. This kind of studies will be beneficial for elementary science education.
During PBL, students are mostly involved in gathering information, stating hypothesis,
collecting and analyzing data, and drawing logical conclusions. PBL develops
collaboration and interaction because it encourages students to study in teams. Therefore,
learning outcomes, which occur by using of this approach, contribute the students’
development themselves. This study will also contribute how education can be made more
effective. In addition, this study, which conducted in the field of teacher education, will be
helpful to student teachers’ who serve in the elementary schools as well as in other
educational institutes. Clearly, much additional study is needed to determine how to design
an instruction to enhance students’ different skills.

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