Benefits Of Problem-Based Learning In Chemistry

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kevin Mon, Jan 10, 2022 04:36 PM UTC

It has always been the goal of every educational system to develop an individual who has the ability to
think and process the knowledge acquired from the process of teaching and learning. These ideas and
knowledge learned must be applied efficiently in society. For the past decades, the status of the Philippine
The educational system has faced several challenges.

1. Journal of Technology and Science Education
JOTSE, 2019 – 9(3): 282-294 – Online ISSN: 2013-6374 – Print ISSN: 2014-5349
https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.631
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING APPROACH ENHANCES THE PROBLEM
SOLVING SKILLS IN CHEMISTRY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Joseph E. Valdez1 , Melfei E. Bungihan*2
1
College of Arts and Sciences, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (Philippines)
2
College of Teacher Education, Quirino State University, Diffun, Quirino (Philippines)
valdezjosephe@gmail.com, *Corresponding author: fei_jan14@yahoo.com
Received December 2018
Accepted March 2019
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) approach in enhancing
the problem solving skills in Chemistry of Grade 9 students in a public high school in the Philippines. The
level of problem solving skills of the students in the non-PBL and PBL group before and after their
exposure to non-PBL and PBL approaches was determined respectively. The comparison of their levels
before and after the intervention was done to determine the effectiveness of the non-PBL and PBL
approaches. Then comparison of the effectiveness of non-PBL and PBL approach was assessed. Using
the descriptive-comparative and pretest-posttest experimental design in processing the data from 96
students, the following revelations were obtained: (1) the level of problem solving skills before and after
their exposure to non-PBL approach is generally very low; (2) the level of problem solving skills was
initially very low but was comparatively increased to low after exposure to PBL; (3) there was a significant
difference in the level of problem solving skills of the students in the PBL group; (4) between these two
approaches in this study, the PBL approach of teaching the chemistry concepts to Grade 9 students was
proven more effective than the non-PBL approach.
Keywords – Problem-based learning, Problem solving skill, Pedagogy, Chemistry education
To cite this article:
Valdez, J., & Bungihan, M. (2019). Problem-based learning approach enhances the problem solving
skills in chemistry of high school students. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 9(3), 282-294.
https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.631
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1. Introduction
It has always been the goal of every educational system to develop an individual who has the ability to
think and process the knowledge acquired from the process of teaching and learning. These ideas and
knowledge learned must be applied efficiently in the society. For the past decades, the status of Philippine
Educational system has faced several challenges. It has undergone several reforms to be more appropriate
to the present demands of the nation and the world in general, by reflecting the current vision of the
content, classroom management, methods of teaching and support necessary to provide quality science
education to students (Hofstein, 2005).
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One of the areas of concern in education is the method used in the teaching-learning process. During the
learning process in class, teachers should recognize the way students think in order to help them construct
their understanding and for them to create rich and meaningful interactions in the classroom. This will
help the teacher ensure that transmission of knowledge will certainly take place (Mamlok-Naama,
Hofstein & Taitelbaum, 2012). Teacher’s use of methods or strategies must also be dynamic to answer the
needs of varied learners. This was supported by Minstrell and Stimpson (2000) and Mamlok-Naama et al.
(2012), when they claimed that teachers should change their teaching strategies and adopt new strategies
to make the teaching and learning process better.
Science teachers at present are facing great challenges in teaching chemistry as a subject. They have an
indispensable responsibility of ensuring that students achieve the learning competencies desired for each
specific topic in the subject. As students face challenges in mastering these competencies expected of
them, teachers too are expected to face challenges in teaching. If teachers do not understand their
learners’ needs, then their instructional approaches will be a hit or a miss (Davis, 2006). Strategies must
then be carefully chosen to fit the needs, interest, motivation and characteristics of the learners. A good
teacher’s approach to teaching and learning contributes more likely to higher quality learning outcomes.
Therefore, it is important that teachers should carefully select the appropriate tools and strategies in
delivering their lessons. These should fit the type of learners they have and it should improve and enhance
the teaching-learning process (Lynch, Kuipers, Pyke & Szesze, 2001; Schroeder, Linderman & Choo,
2007). In addition, Zimmerman (2002) emphasizes that the strategy, tool or approach should teach
students to become responsible learners and will make them realize that learning is an activity for
themselves in a proactive way rather than a covert event despite their differences in learning styles.
After several encounters with pedagogies of teaching, an approach that would possibly provide solution
on the ehancement of students’ performance in the subject was identified. It is hypothesized that
problem-based learning approach in learning will give positive results in the pursuit of elevating the
performance of the students. With problem-based learning, it is believed that problem solving skills of
the students will be enhanced. These skills will not only be applicable to science subjects but also in other
subject areas and most importantly, in real life. They will also acquire skills that will help them in their
interaction with the dynamic community or the society in general where they dwell. Problem solving is a
strategy in “posing significant, contextualized, real world situations and providing sources, guidance and
instruction to learners as they develop content knowledge and problem-solving skills” (Killen, 2007). It
can be used as a part of a lesson, a theme of several lessons or as a structure of a substantial part of the
curriculum – also known as problem-based learning or PBL. PISA or Program for International Student
Assessment defines problem-solving as an individual’s capability to participate in intellectual processing to
comprehend and resolve problem situations where a method of solution is not directly apparent. It
embraces the readiness to participate with such situations in order to achieve one’s potential as a
productive and reflective citizen (Macdonald, 2014).
Problem-based learning (PBL) in its most highly developed form is an approach to curriculum design and
implementation rather than teaching strategy or method. This approach to teaching and learning was first
applied and utilized in the field of medicine. When it was proven effective to medical students, several
attempts were made to apply it in another field like teaching (Bransford, 2015). A PBL curriculum is
designed around a comprehensive, real and complex problems that provide learners with opportunities to
acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills that are defined by the curriculum outcomes. In its
deepest sense, the problem is the curriculum which is the stimulus for each aspect of student’s
independent learning. The use of problem solving is based on the premise that sustained exposure with
appropriate set of problems will help learners to acquire a substantial knowledge base, deepen their
understanding of important concepts and principles, and develop skills (problem-solving skills and
interpersonal skills) that are relevant to their future careers (Killen, 2007).
Chemistry learners must be good problem solvers. Problem solving is a dynamic, confusing process which
is often annoying among students but the process can be rewarding. Students must learn to explore
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problems and understand that committing errors is as significant as knowing the correct answers or
solutions. During the process, students must be perceptive so that they will realize if they are going farther
or closer to the solution of the problem (Society Committee on Education, 2012). It is a necessary
mandate of any educational system to enhance and develop the problem solving skills of students in
order for them to be globally competitive. These skills of students can be enhanced if they are exposed to
problem based learning approach wherein they encounter real life problems that require them to identify
the problem, gather data for the problem, provide plausible solutions and finally decide on which of those
solutions will effectively solve the problem (Dolmans, De Grave, Wolfhagen & Van Der Vleuten, 2005).
While PBL has been proven effective in studies mentioned, its application in many high schools in the
Philippines has not been as popular as traditional lecture with problem-solving activities. The
problem-based learning matrix introduced as an enhancement or introduced strategy to the usual set-up
of the public high school might develop further the problem solving skills of students. Thus, the purpose
of the study was to determine the effectiveness of problem-based learning using a developed problem-
based learning matrix in enhancing the level of problem solving skills of Grade 9 students in a public high
school in Philippines.
2. Methodology
2.1. Model of Research
The study utilized the descriptive-comparative research and pretest-posttest experimental designs. The
descriptive part of the research involved the profiling of the student and determining their levels of
problem solving skills. The comparative part involved the comparison of their levels during the pre- and
post-test. The experimental part of the study involved the students’ performance in chemistry after
exposure to problem based-learning approach. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were utilized in
determining the level of problem solving skills of students. Quantitative analysis was used to determine
any difference between the pretest and posttest means of the experimental and the control groups.
2.2. Implementation
The study was conducted to four randomly selected classes of Grade 9 Integrated Science students of a
public high school in the Philippines under the Revised Basic Education Curriculum for the school year
2015 – 2016. There were two classes for the non-PBL group. These consist of 50 students with 24 males
and 26 females. These sections are heterogeneous and handled by another teacher. The PBL group also
has two classes which consist of a total of 46 students, 14 males and 32 females. Students had their classes
240 minutes a week (4 sessions per week) and 60 minutes per session.
The research tools used were the (1) Problem-Based Learning Matrix which contained the desired
learning competencies for the different learning topics, learning activities and assessment that were
delivered and administered to the students during the duration of the research study. This learning
plan/matrix was validated by experts (2) Problem-Based Learning Teacher’s Guide which consisted of
semi-detailed lesson plans in every lesson in each module. This served as a guide for the teacher to deliver
the lesson to the learners with PBL approach successfully, (3) PBL Learning Material which was a
learner’s module developed by the researchers. It comprised four modules covering the four major topics
of Grade 9 units for chemistry. Each module covers several lessons that expose students to
thought-provoking problems and require students to determine their goals/objectives, provide plausible
solutions and decide critically on the best solution to solve the problem and attain their identified
objectives, (4) Problem Solving Skill Test (PSST) was an open-ended test for assessing the level of
problem solving skills of the learners. Students were asked to solve a set of 10 problems under sufficient
amount of time. An adapted rubric from NCRESST was used in assessing the level of problem solving
skills of students (Patrick, Cragnolini, Smith, Worsfold & Webb, 2016). The items in the problem solving
test were also validated by experts. The rubric used the 0-4 levels. The table below shows the equivalence
of the levels.
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Descriptions Range of Levels
Very low 0 – 0.49
Low 0.50 – 1.49
Average 1.50 – 2.49
High 2.50 – 3.49
Very high 3.50 – 4.00
Table 1. Level of Problem Solving Skills
After the research and control groups have been selected, a pre-test for problem solving skill was administered
to the PBL and non-PBL group. The results of the test were gathered and analyzed to determine the initial
students’ level of problem solving skills. Students in the PBL group were taught using the problem-based
learning approach while the students in the non-PBL group were taught using the traditional learning approach
as prescribed by the K-12 learning material (Learning Modules/Learning Guides). In the PBL based learning
has the following main parts. First is the mini-lecture. At this initial stage, the researcher provided a short lecture
regarding the topic. This served as a way to actively engage the students to the lesson. The introduction of the
Problem Scenario followed immediately. The students, working as a group of 5 to 6 members, were given a
problem scenario which was related to the topic at hand. Each member of the groups was given a copy of the
problem. They were given sufficient time to discuss, organize their thought and solve the problem. Moreover,
all of them were allowed to use all the available resources provided inside the learning environment in order to
propose a plausible solution and supported by their logical reasons. The PBL method ended with the
abstraction part. After stimulating a brain storming activity among the groups, their ideas were presented to the
other groups. The researcher encouraged the students to accept new knowledge, correct the previous
hypothesis if deemed necessary. The various groups presented their answers and were rated according to the
rubric. The research took 40 class hours (10 weeks) in total.
Post-tests with 10 open-ended problem scenarios were administered to the students of PBL and non-PBL
group after all the identified topics in Chemistry for Grade 9 were taught using the identified teaching and
learning approaches. The results of the post-tests were the basis for identification of the levels of
problem solving skills of students after their exposure to the two identified teaching approaches.
2.3. Preparation, Implementation and Evaluation of the Problem Solving Skill Test (PSST)
At the beginning a 15 open ended questions were prepared by the researcher in accordance to the desired
learning competencies of grade 9 students under the Revised Basic Education Curriculum of the K to 12
Program of the Department of Education. The general subject matters include: a) Electronic Structure of
the Atom, b) Chemical Bonding c) Carbon Compounds and d) The Mole Concept. The prepared material
was assessed by three experts in the field of chemistry - a professor in a reputable university and two
chemistry teachers. After the assessment of the material and based on the recommendations of the
experts the open ended questions were reduced to 10.
Problem Scenario Number Topic to be Assessed
1 Electronic Structure of the Atom
2 Mole Concept:
3 Mole Concept
4 Chemical bonding
5 Organic Compounds
6 Electronic Structure of the Atom
7 Organic Compounds
8 Mole Concept
9 Chemical Bonding
10 Electronic Structure of the Atom
Table 2. The topics included in the problem scenarios used in the
problem-solving task
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2.4. Data Collection and Assessment
SPSS version 16 was used in the treatment of data. For the profile of the respondents, both the
descriptive and quantitative statistics were used (frequency and percent). The significant difference of the
level of problem solving skills in their pre-test and post-test performances was determined using t-test for
dependent samples. To determine the significant difference of the level of problem solving skills of
students exposed to PBL and non-PBL approach, T-test for independent samples was used.
Normalized average gain and effect sizes were used to determine the effectiveness of learning approaches
implemented in this study. The effect sizes of the applied methods were interpreted based on Glass’ delta
calculations of t-test values. The Glass’ delta values for effect size was processed using the Effect Size
Calculator for T-test of Social Science Statistics (https://www.socscistatistics.com/effectsize/default3.aspx).
Generally, the approaches effect sizes can be interpreted as low (d < 0.2), medium (0.20 < d ≤ 0.80) and
high (d > 0.80). Effective approaches have effect sizes that fall within medium and high. The percent
normalized average gain, Gain(%) was calculated using Hake’s Gain Formula:
where: Gain(%) is the percent gain scores of the students, %postscore is the percentage of posttest score
and %prescore is the percentage of the pretest scores.
The Gain (%) was interpreted as low (20 % and below), moderate (21 % to 70 %) and high (71 % and
above). Effectiveness of intervention has a Gain(%) that falls within moderate and high (Hake, 1998;
2.5. Results and Discussion
According to Quadros, Da Silva, Silva, De Andrade, Aleme, Tristao et al. (2011), chemistry is considered
as a core science subject that permeates several areas of knowledge. Moreover, this is one of the
components of the science curriculum that promotes intellectual development of the students, through
various activities for students to understand nature and its transformation. Thus, clear understanding of
the concepts provides opportunities for students to understand the world from a ‘chemical’ point of view.
Society Committee on Education (2012) also stipulates that chemistry learners must be good problem
solvers. Therefore, it is necessary that students’ skills in problem solving be enhanced during chemistry
instruction (Goodwin, 2001).
2.6. Non-Problem Based Learning Approach
In the problem solving skill test, students were given 10 real-life situations to answer in their pre-test and
post-test. The result of their pre-and-post-test is revealed in Table 3. The table shows the level of their
responses in the pre-test and post-test of their problem solving skills test.
Pre Post
Problems Mean SD Description Mean SD Description
Situation 1
You are looking for a gold necklace as a gift to your
mother on her birthday. A vendor offers you to buy a
necklace which he claims to be pure gold. It looks like 0.52 0.18 Low 0.59 0.50 Low
gold and the mass is close to that of gold. He is
offering you to buy it at a lower rate compared to the
other stores. Should you buy it or not?
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Pre Post
Problems Mean SD Description Mean SD Description
Situation 2
Phencyclidine or “angel dust” is C17H25N. Your group
has been analyzing a sample suspected of being this 0.12 0.04 Very Low 0.33 0.30 Very Low
illicit drug and you found that the substance has a
percentage of 84.74 % C, 10.42 % H and 5.61% N. Do
these data match the theoretical data for phencyclidine?
Situation 3
A newspaper story describing the local celebration of
Mole Day on October 23 (selected for Avogadro’s
number 6.02 x 1023) attempted to give their readers a
sense of size of the number by stating that a mole of 0.17 0.11 Very Low 0.20 0.31 Very Low
M&M would be equal to 18 tractor trailers full.
Assuming that M&M occupies a volume of 0.5 cm3,
and a tractor has a volume of 30,000,000 cm3. Would
18 trailers be sufficient?
Situation 4
“You already know that when hydrogen and chlorine
combine, they form hydrogen chloride, HCl. Hydrogen
chloride is a gas at room temperature and it becomes a 0.25 0.10 Very Low 0.21 0.20 Very Low
liquid if it is cooled to - 85ºC. On the basis of this
evidence, do you think that hydrogen chloride is ionic
or covalent?”
Situation 5
“Vitamin C is a covalent compound with a molecular
formula, C6H8O6. A potato chips sold in the canteen is
enriched with Vitamin C. Instead of directly taking the
vitamin C supplement readily available in the drugstore,
your friend preferred to eat the potato chips. However, 0.39 0.12 Very Low 0.47 0.35 Very Low
your friend does not know how much of the potato
chips will she eats. If one ounce of potato chips
provides with 30 % of the recommended daily value of
Vitamin C, how many servings of potato chips will you
tell your friend to eat to get 100 % of recommended
daily value of this vitamin?”
Situation 6
Your chemistry teacher presents the table below to your
Element Atomic Number Electronegativity
(g/mL)
Beryllium 4 1.6
Boron 5 2.0
Carbon 6 2.6
0.07 0.05 Very Low 0.17 0.15 Very Low
Fluorine 9 4.0
Lithium 3 1.0
Oxygen 8 3.4
You were instructed to help him make a general
statement for the trend in the electronegativity in terms
of atomic number.
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Pre Post
Problems Mean SD Description Mean SD Description
Situation 7
Your brother came home late one evening from a
birthday party. He was drunk, his face was flushed and
he was perspiring profusely. You know that he could be
quite irritable. This had already happened several times 0.43 0.05 Very Low 0.75 0.08 Low
in the past. As a member of the family and one who
knows about the psychological effects of alcohol, what
will you advise to your brother to lessen his drinking
Situation 8
Your mother needs to buy her medicine in a drug store.
When she was there she came across two drugs
specified to have the same chemical formula and
0.31 0.05 Very Low 0.71 0.06 Low
approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs. One drug
has a well-known brand name while the other was
manufactured by another company and sells at a lower
price. What will you advice to help your mother decide?
Situation 9
Joe accidentally dropped some iron filings into a salt
solution. With no idea on how to separate the iron 0.01 0.01 Very Low 0.37 0.15 Very Low
filings from the mixture, he then asked you to suggest
ways that could help him separate the filings.
Situation 10
“A miner in Runruno, Quezon, found a nugget that has
a gold color. He realized that it could be a precious gold
metal or pyrite, which is a compound of iron and sulfur
0.04 0.00 Very Low 0.19 0.17 Very Low
called fool’s gold. The nugget has a mass of 16.5 g and
displaced 3.3 mL of water. From this information, can
you tell the miner that he found a real gold or not?
What will you tell him to solve his problem?”
Overall 0.23 0.17 Very Low 0.40 0.21 Very Low
Note: 3.5 – 4.0 = “very high”, 2.5 = 3.49 = “high”, 1.5 - 2.49 = “average”, 0.50 – 1.49 = “low”, 0 – 0.49 = “very low”
Table 3. The Level of Problem Solving skills of the Non-PBL Group in the Items of the Problem Solving Skill Test
Among the 10 problems presented during the pre-test, answers of the students in Situation 1 exhibited
the highest mean of 0.52 (low). Moreover, answers of students in Situation 9 surfaced the lowest mean of
0.01 (very low).
Table 4 presents the level of problem solving skills before and after they were taught using the non-
PBL approach of teaching chemistry concepts in Science 9.
Before After
Level f % f %
Very High 0 0 0 0
High 0 0 0 0
Average 0 0 0 0
Low 4 8.00 14 28
Very Low 46 92.00 36 72
Overall mean = 0.23 (very low), SD = 0.13 mean = 0.40 (very low), SD = 0.16
Note: 3.5 – 4.0 = “very high”, 2.5 = 3.49 = “high”, 1.5 - 2.49 = “average”, 0.50 – 1.49 = “low”, 0 – 0.49 =
“very low”
Table 4. Level of Problem Solving Skills of the Non-PBL Group
before and after Exposure to Non-PBL Approach
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It can be gleaned from the table that students of the non-PBL group have very low problem solving
skills (mean = 0.23, SD=0.13) before they were exposed to non-PBL approach of teaching. Most (92%
of the total 46 students) of the students have very low level of problem solving skills while few (8%)
students have low level of problem solving skills.
After exposure to non-PBL approach in learning chemistry concepts, the number of student in the low
level slightly increased (28%) while the number of students in the very low level slightly decreased
(72%). However, the level of problem solving skills of non-PBL group still remained at low level with a
mean of 0.40 (SD = 0.16). This implies that the approach used in teaching did not have a remarkable
effect in increasing the student’s level of problem solving skills. In addition to this, there could be
limited opportunities for students to develop and enhance this skill. A related study was conducted by
Hasna (2004) and found out that the problem solving skills of the students were not fully enhanced by
just using the traditional way of teaching and eventually suggested another approach – the PBL
The level of problem solving skill of the Grade 9 students in the non-PBL group during their pre-test
was compared to their level during the post-test. Using paired sample t-test analysis, the significant
difference of their problem solving skills during their pre-and post-test is determined as shown in
Table 5.
Mean SD t-value Df Sig
Pre-test 0.23 0.13
4.381 9 0.000*
Post-test 0.40 0.16
*significant at 0.05
Table 5. Paired Sample t-test Analysis (Pre-and-Post-tests) of the Problem Solving
Skills of the Non-PBL Group
Table 5 shows that there is a significant difference in the pre-and-post-test levels of problem solving skills
of the non-PBL students after their exposure to non-PBL approach of learning chemistry. The post-test
mean level (0.40) difference of 0.17 over the pre-test mean level (0.23) indicates that the non-PBL
approach of teaching chemistry concepts among the students in the non-PBL group significantly helped
in enhancing their level of problem solving skills.
2.7. Problem-Based Learning Approach
During the pre-test and post-test of students’ problem solving skills, they were given the same 10
situations/problems to answer as in the non-PBL group (Table 3). Their responses were evaluated and the
result is presented in Table 6.
.Table 6 shows that Grade 9 students under the PBL group generally exhibited very low level of problem
solving skills during the pre-test of the problem solving skill test which surfaced a mean of 0.31. Among
the 10 situations given during the pre-test, responses of students showed highest level of problem solving
skills in Situation 1 with a mean of 0.75 (low). The responses of the students in Situations 3 and 6 exhibit
the lowest level with a mean of 0.04 (very low). The very low level of problem solving skills of students in
the PBL group prior to their exposure to PBL approach suggests that their skills in problem solving are
not yet enhanced.
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Pre Post
Problems Mean SD Description Mean SD Description
Situation 1 0.75 0.26 Low 1.48 0.43 Low
Situation 2 0.14 0.08 Very low 1.21 0.43 Low
Situation 3 0.04 0.03 Very low 0.24 0.06 Very low
Situation 4 0.09 0.05 Very low 0.64 0.07 Low
Situation 5 0.25 0.09 Very low 0.52 0.04 Low
Situation 6 0.04 0.01 Very low 0.96 0.08 Low
Situation 7 0.71 0.10 Low 1.00 0.12 Low
Situation 8 0.62 0.13 Low 0.97 0.09 Low
Situation 9 0.39 0.08 Very low 0.77 0.39 Low
Situation 10 0.20 0.07 Low 0.10 0.02 Very low
Overall 0.31 SD =0.26 Very low 0.73 SD=0.41 Low
Note: 3.5 – 4.0 = “very high”, 2.5 = 3.49 = “high”, 1.5 - 2.49 = “average”, 0.50 – 1.49 = “low”, 0 – 0.49 = “very low”
Table 6. The Level of Problem Solving Skills of the PBL Group in the Items of the Problem Solving Skill Test
The level of problem solving skills of students under the PBL group before and after they were taught
using the PBL approach is presented in Table 7.
Before After
Levels f % f %
Very High 0 0 0 0.00
High 0 0 0 0.00
Average 0 0 0 0
Low 11 23.9 35 76.1
Very Low 35 76.1 11 23.9
mean = 0.32(very low), mean = 0.79 (low),
Overall
SD = 0.21 SD = 0.31
Note: 3.5 – 4.0 = “very high”, 2.5 - 3.49 = “high”, 1.5 - 2.49 = “average”,
0.50 – 1.49 = “low”, 0 – 0.49 = “very low”
Table 7. Level of Problem Solving Skills of the PBL Group before and
after Exposure to PBL Approach
As gleaned from Table 7, the level of problem solving skills of students under the PBL group before they
were exposed to PBL approach of learning the concepts of chemistry was very low (76.10% ) and few
(23.90%) of the students showed low level of problem solving skills. Generally, the PBL group has very
low level of problem solving skills with average mean level of 0.32 with SD=0.21 during the pre-test.
None among the students exhibited higher level of problem solving skills.
Moreover, the level of problem solving skills during the post-test after they were exposed to PBL
approach of learning chemistry concepts was low as indicated by an average mean level of 0.79 with
standard deviation of 0.31. Specifically, most (76.10%) of the students displayed low level of problem
solving skills and few (23.90%) of them showed very low level. It has to be noted that the number of
students in the low level comparatively increased (76.10%) after they were exposed to PBL. On the other
hand, the higher number of students in the very low level comparatively decreased (23.90%) during the
post test. This implies that the intervention made provided a positive effect in developing and enhancing
the problem solving skills of the students. These results agree with the findings of Dochy, Segers, den
Bossche and Gijbels (2003) that students who were exposed to PBL have immediate and lasting problem
solving skills. White (2001) also said that PBL not only improves the skills of the students but also makes
students realize the connections of the concepts when they learn facts and skills as they actively work on
the information rather than passively receive it. In addition, there are evidences that PBL effectively
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develops reasoning skills and problem solving skills and enhances self-directed learning (Hmelo-
The significant difference of level of problem solving skills of students under the PBL group before and
after they were taught was determined using paired sample T-test analysis. The results are shown in Table 8.
Experimental design Mean SD t-value, q df Sig
Pre-test 0.32 0.21
11.021 45 0.000*
Post-test 0.79 0.31
*significant at 0.05
Table 8. Paired Sample t-test Analysis (Pre-and-Post tests) of the Problem Solving Skills
of the PBL Group
As gleaned from table, there is significant difference in the pre-and-post test results of level of problem
solving skills of the PBL group of Grade 9 students. The post-test mean level (0.79) difference of 0.47
over the pre-test mean level (0.32) indicates that the PBL approach used in teaching the PBL group of
Grade 9 students significantly helped in elevating their level of problem solving skills. This is supported by
the results of the studies which clearly specified that PBL efficiently develops the problem solving skills
and reasoning skills of students (Antepohl & Herzig, 1999; Hmelo-Silver, Duncan & Chin, 2007;
Hmelo-Silver, 2004). Moreover, students in the PBL group may have developed their judgement skills in
choosing the best solution for the identified problem. But it has to be noted that the mean level is still low
and this might be affected by the type, characteristics and attitude towards problem situations of students
present within the group (Mergendoller, Maxwell & Bellisimo, 2006).
2.8. Comparison of the PBL and Non-PBL Group
Data analysis on the gain scores of students in the PBL and non-PBL group depending on their raw
scores obtained from PSST is presented in Table 9.
PBL Group N=46 Non-PBL Group N=50
Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test
Average Average Gain(%)* Description Average Average Gain(%)* Description
Problem
0.32 0.79 11 low 0.23 0.40 4 low
Solving Skill
* low = 20 % and below, moderate = 20% < g £ 70%, high = greater than 70 % (Hake, 2007)
Table 9. Percent Gain of Problem Solving Skills of PBL and Non-PBL Group
The gain scores are derived from the average pre-test and post-test scores of students from the
assessment tool. It should be noted that the students were grouped in heterogeneous classes. At the start
(during pretest), the students grouped in the PBL have higher percentage belonging to the higher level of
problem solving skills as shown in Table 4 than in the non-PBL group shown in Table 7. A significant
number of students (52%) in the PBL group upgraded to a higher level, as compared to only 20% in the
non-PBL group. This higher percent gain by the PBL group may be justified by the fact that most of
them have already a higher problem solving skill at the start compared to the non-PBL group. However,
based on the results shown in Table 9, although there is an increase in the scores of the students, the
learning gain for problem solving skill in the non-PBL group (4%) and PBL group (11%) are still both
classified as “low” based on the description of Hake (2007). This may be attributed to the learning
environment, to the characteristic and behavior of learners and their readiness and the length of
implementation of the program (Albanese, 2000; Hmelo-Silver, 2004; Lim, 2013). Furthermore, class
interruptions during the implementation and the teacher’s proficiency in implementing the approach to
the students may also be factors to the low problem solving skills of the students.
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Using the gain scores of students obtained from their raw scores in PSST, the significant difference in
their initial level (during the pre-test) of problem solving skill from their final level (during the post-test)
was determined using t-test for independent samples. The results are given in Table 10.
Groups N Mean SD T df p Description
PBL 46 11.15 6.86
2.52 94 0.014* Significant
non-PBL 50 4.18 29.18
*significant at 0.05
Table 10. Comparison of the Gain Scores on the Level of Problem Solving Skill of PBL and Non-PBL Groups
According to the data presented, the level of problem solving skill of students in the PBL group is
significantly different (t = 2.52, p <0.005) from the non-PBL group. The PBL mean (11.15) difference of
6.97 over the non-PBL (4.18) indicates that the level of problem solving skills under the PBL group is
better than those in the non-PBL group. The high problem solving skill of the PBL group is attributed to
the training they have during the teaching learning process. These students were generally exposed to
real-world problems, and as they solve these problems, their thinking, judgment and decision making skills
were enhanced.
To determine the effect of the PBL and non-PBL approaches applied to PBL and non-PBL group
respectively on the problem solving skill of the students, their scores in the PSST were used as the
measure. Data gathered from this assessment is presented in Table 11.
Groups N Mean SD t df sig Glass’-delta
Pre-test 0.32 0.21
PBL 46 11.02 45 0.000* 2.10**
Post-test 0.79 0.31
Pre-test 0.23 0.13
NPBL 50 4.38 49 0.000* 0.85**
Post-test 0.40 0.16
*significant at 0.05; **low (d ≤ 0.20), medium (0.20 < d ≤ 0.80), high (d > 0.80)
Table 11. Pre- and Post-test Mean Values Obtained from Problem Solving Skill Test, t-test Results and Effect Size
Scores as “Glass’ – delta” from Each Group
It can be seen that the effect size of PBL approach applied to Grade 9 students under PBL group is
higher than the effect size of non-PBL approach applied to non-PBL group. It is apparent that the effect
of PBL applied to the students in the PBL group is at a high level (d = 2.10). The effect size of non-PBL
is also at a high level (d = 0.85) (Irven & Corlu, 2011). These results suggest that PBL approach appears
to be more effective than the non-PBL approach in enhancing the problem solving skill of students in the
PBL group.
3. Conclusion
With the findings of the study, it was proven that the problem-based learning approach used in the study
has been effective in enhancing the problem solving skills of the students. Moreover, Problem-based
based learning is more effective than non-problem based learning in enhancing the level of problem
solving skills of students.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or
publication of this article.
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The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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