Thesis
Thesis
Thesis
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
awareness among students. This goal can only be achieved if and only if science teachers are
effective enough in the delivery of science instruction. Recent studies have reiterated that
effective teaching increases student achievement and closes achievement gaps for all students
(Johnson et.al, 2006). Thus, effective teaching each year could eventually eliminate achievement
gaps in science.
Moreover, the goals of science instruction demand a strong preparation for teaching and
deep specialization in the sciences. This is in addition to the wealth of talents and attributes the
students innately possess. Developing a curious and critical mind insures a continuing search for
new information and systematic approaches in solving problem situations (Salandanan et.al,
1996). To realize these goals, all possible solutions must be exhausted to improve science
Science education had progressively gained importance during the last century, and is
expected to advance more and more in the forthcoming years. However, one of the challenges
that Science education is facing nowadays lies along Science instruction. Turney (1981) asserts
that with mastered teaching skills, the teacher must learn to use a variety of teaching strategies to
become effective in teaching. This means that a teacher’s effectiveness in achieving the
instructional objectives may greatly increase depending on one’s ability to make the most out of
the different teaching strategies. To become effective, science teachers should have a deep
1
understanding of the subject they teach as well as the nature and methods of Science and its
Physics is one of the branches of science where students as well as teachers usually find
as a complex subject to comprehend. In fact, there had been numerous studies conducted to
investigate such trend. In 2004, Angell et. al. as cited by Ornek et al. (2007) found that students
find physics difficult because they have to challenge themselves with the different
explanations which are to be done simultaneously inside a physics class. Ornek et. al. (2007)
established that students and teachers have different levels of difficulty in understanding physics
and said that student-related factors such as not studying more have the most influence on
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 and National
Achievement Test (NAT) are examinations where students obtain consistently low scores in
science. Filipino learners are lagging behind from their Asian counterparts in the TIMSS. In
Grade IV Math and Science, the Philippines ranked 23rd out of 25 countries. For high school
Math, the Philippines ranked 34th out of 38 countries. In high school Science, it ranked 43rd out
K12-Basic-Education.pdf).
Also in the past years, Bicol region consistently underperformed in the NAT ranking 15 th
among the 17 regions in the Philippines. Results of the NAT revealed that Bicol Region
performed dismally in the three core subject areas: Mathematics, Science and English, with
Mathematics at the bottom, followed by Science and English. The same trend has been observed
2
at the school: mathematics at the tail end with 59.30 percent MPL, followed by science at 60.45
and English at 66.65 percent MPL (DPPMHS Mean Performance Level by Subject Area).
The MPL for Science IV (Physics) at the school level for the past three years registered
these results: 50.65, 59.64 and 62.40. It should be noted that these results are well way below the
With the above-mentioned problems, the teacher cannot expect much from the students in
terms of the mastery and application of concepts. Evidently, the students are underperforming in
science. Some educators contend that teachers should develop the students’ metacognition to
enable them to understand content and monitor their own learning. The contention is that, if
students are trained to use comprehensive strategies and to monitor their application, the practice
will lead to more effective learning, and in turn, facilitate acquisition of knowledge.
Mechanics. The central concept of Mechanics is the force concept. Force is most often
incomplete, fragmented and often taught with naïve theories or misconceptions that are
inconsistent with the scientifically accepted ideas. Likewise, there has been a wide range of
studies using the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) developed by Hestenes et. al, that has proven
that physics students hold misconceptions or alternative conceptions in force. They also revealed
some of the prevalent reasons for students to possess those alternative conceptions such as their
prior knowledge, cultural orientation, ecological background, motivation, teacher input, among
others. If this is so, it is imperative for teachers to help the students overcome these
misconceptions.
3
There are a lot of researches and innovations in the core of science education going on.
Researches on teaching have shown that effective instruction is facilitated by the appropriate
content and the selection and utilization of strategies, procedures and materials within the context
and objectives of teaching. Furthermore, traditional approaches are becoming obsolete, thus,
more interactive approaches are deemed suitable. Studies show that effective learning is strongly
However, one cannot totally eradicate the traditional way of teaching but it can be
modified if the teacher will add and implement student-centered teaching strategies (Merca,
2012). Teaching strategies and instructional materials, like modules, must incorporate a more
active and student-centered approach. Suiting modules to the learning needs and abilities of the
students will teach them to be independent learners and responsible for their own learning.
According to Acelajado (2005), students will learn best if they will be given enough time and
Concept Formation by Burger (1986) and the Theory of Reinforcement by Skinner (1968)
brought the idea of module development which adopts the same format as programmed learning.
With programmed learning, the learner will gain the enthusiasm to pursue his studies if he is
given the feedback about his performance and he is able to repeat reading the material for better
form a coherent program of learning. A module contains title, aims and objectives, knowledge,
concepts, skills and attitudes, teaching and learning styles, and assessment methods. If the
modules will just use the lecture-type method as the teaching style, students might not be
4
actively engaged in learning (Watkins in Wilson, 1991). Therefore, in developing modules, one
must consider the methodology that would actively engage the students into learning.
The low performance level during the NAT, DAT and school-based assessment of
Deogracias P. Princesa Memorial High School in Science IV (Physics) and the researcher’s
strong belief in the promise of modules as effective non-traditional learning materials, prompted
her to venture into the development of modules to enhance the learning of the fourth year
students in Physics.
The study aims to develop, validate and evaluate the effectiveness of learning modules on
Force for the fourth year high school students of Deogracias P. Princesa Memorial High School
a. interest
b. conceptual understanding
c. attitude?
As we continually strive for quality Science education, the researcher believes that the
results of this study would be beneficial to the educational system, specifically to the following
users:
5
Teachers. They can use the modules developed in this study as instructional materials in
teaching Physics. Also, results of this study would inspire them to continuously seek for ways
and means towards improving of learning activities in pursuit of the ultimate goal of Science
teaching.
Students. Being the direct beneficiaries of the study, they will develop better and deeper
School Administrators. This study will give them idea to conduct teacher trainings and
seminars about the other trends in teaching like the modular teaching.
Curriculum Planners. The information that will be obtained from the results of this
study will help in their efforts to design and enrich the curricula that will accomplish and
Researchers. This study can be used as a relational study for the researchers who are
The focus of this study is the Learning Modules on Force an instructional material
supplement. This study is concerned mainly on the development and validation of the content of
the module and shall further look into the effectiveness of the modules in enhancing the
The modules shall only cover topics on force, which is considered to be most often
misconceived by the students. Said modules shall be tried out to one class of fourth year students
The validation of the modules shall be done by experts who will be guided with the
6
NOTES
A.Turney (1981). Better Teaching in Secondary Schools 3rd ed. New York: Mcmillan
Co. p.10.
C.C. Johnson, J.B. Kahle, J. D. Fargo (2007). Effective Teaching Results in Increased
Science Achievement for All Students. Science Education. 91, 371-383.
National Center for Education Statistics. Highlights from the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study 2003. December 2004. Retrieved from http://www.donbosco
press.ph/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DepEd-K12-Basic-Education.pdf.
Thomas Burger (1986). Max Weber’s Theory of Concept Formation, History, Laws
and Ideal Types. Durham: Duke University Press.
7
Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies with bearing on the
present research study. The literature review integrated both foreign and local literature and
studies and synthesized them to surface the gaps in knowledge that the study shall attempt to
bridge. The theoretical and conceptual frameworks and the definition of key terms are also
Nowadays, many students consider science classes to be difficult and boring. A report
entitled “Science Teaching in Schools” notes a decade-long decline in the numbers of students
taking science and maths. It attributed the decline to teachers who were confining their
06/science_decline/).
Bruce et al. (2001) pointed out that the development of positive attitudes towards any
school subject is fundamental for several reasons. First, attitude is related to achievement and
may enhance cognitive development directly. Second, positive attitude towards a subject makes
students more likely to engage in lifelong learning both formally and informally. More
specifically, in the area of science teaching, positive attitude affects both course and career
choices.
There are studies which reveal that students, who early in their school careers state that
science is their favorite subject, often shun science in the secondary school. Students who hold
negative stereotype images of scientists, science and technology in society are easily discouraged
from pursuing scientific disciplines and accordingly perform poorly in science subjects
8
(Changeiywo, 2000). Maton (1995) claims that teachers must quickly do something to rekindle
For Science to be understood, it must be experienced. These experiences should allow the
students to be actively engaged in the manipulation of the everyday objects and materials from
the real world. Children are by nature observers and explorers, and the most effective approach
to learning should capitalize on these intrinsic abilities. Hands-on learning is the only way by
which students can directly observe and understand science. As students develop effective
techniques for observing and testing everything around them, they learn the what, how, when
and why of things they interact. These experiences are necessary if the youngsters of today are to
remain “turned on” to science and become scientifically literate (Mathew Bacon 2002). In fact,
researches in science teaching are geared towards finding out how science can be taught in such
a way that children will learn the fundamental concepts inherent in both physical and biological
sciences.
The K-12 Curriculum set by the Department of Education emphasizes that teaching
should not just deal with what the students learn from everyday lessons but what it can do and
how it will transform and improve the quality of life, while teachers are urged to become prime
movers of change to make Filipino learners scientifically literate and trashing out beliefs that are
non-relevant to the ever changing world. It has been structured to promote reciprocal interaction
between the students and teachers, among students themselves, between students and
instructional materials and between students and multimedia sources and among teachers of
9
Science education in the Philippines is claimed to be of poor quality. According to Ellis
(2005), the following benchmark the necessity to change science education: (a) society faces
critical global-scale issues that are fundamentally technical in nature and only technically-literate
citizenry can make decisions on such issue, and (b) modern economics are so heavily based on
technology that will require its community to have sufficient and optimum understanding of
science and technology. A major shift should be done to improve the mode of instruction to
prepare its local learners to become globally competitive by patterning and implementing the
necessary mode of instruction that could help enhance literacy on science and technology.
Lawson (1994) offered some objectives of an effective science teaching. These objectives
are stated in order to help students to develop creative and critical thinking skill; construct
understanding of the major conceptual systems that pose questions and problems; and to seek
Gowin (1981) placed great emphasis on empowering the learners and characterized the
shared meanings of curricular materials between students and teachers as “cracking down the
code”. This shared meaning or mutual understanding empowers the students by accentuating
their ability to construct knowledge. He further emphasized that by having the students
reconstruct scholarly knowledge under the guidance of the teacher, students will have greater
Collette and Chiapetta (1994) said that there is a good match between student’s
development stage and the cognitive complexity of instructional materials. Students, according
to them, have a greater chance to achieve the desired learning outcomes. However, they asserted
that when the materials are abstract and complex many students may fail to comprehend the
subject matter. If science teachers and curriculum writers were to identify learning outcomes that
10
the students can attain, they must be aware of the cognitive operations, scheme, or reasoning
According to Salandanan et al. (1996), the instructional devices prepared by teachers take
center stage in the teaching methodology. The teaching aids are used to provide a concrete
experience about the lesson for the students. Modern classrooms which are equipped with
audiovisual materials for learning enable the teacher to plan ideal teaching-learning scenarios.
Ornstein (1990) cited that the type of instructional aid to be used by the teacher must
consider the purpose of the learning activity. The instructional aids can affect students in many
ways, namely: in motivating students, providing varied learning experiences, allowing for
The need of each learning situation determines the materials which the teacher will use.
There are some general considerations that can help in estimating their value and evaluating the
instructional aids have the following features: purpose, defined objectives, flexibility, diversity,
which occurs as a result of practice or experience. Gotengco (1999) said that true learning
empowers and changes an individual. True learning is the development of the “whole” person –
an individual’s mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and social facilities. True learning includes
the capacity to utilize all these faculties; thus, achieving personal integration, being able to link
these rights and skills to the world where the individual operates.
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According to Ali (2005), a learning module is a self-learning package dealing with one
specific subject matter unit and it can be used in any setting convenient to the learner and may be
completed at the learner’s own pace. He further added that in learning module, a teacher
instructional, concern for individual differences, optimal association sequence and structure of
A module aims to develop a clearly identifiable and certifiable portion of the curriculum,
expressed in terms of competency objectives. The objectives should be achieved within a clear
and realistic time limit. Modular organization implies constant monitoring and feedback to insure
that learning is really work-in-progress. Modular teaching allows the teacher to address not only
what the student doesn’t know, but what the student needs to know – and when (www.modular-
teacher.com/what.html)
the teacher in conducting lecture. A great number of students can benefit from the strategy
wherein they can learn independently according to their own pace of learning. Competition is
within themselves and not among their peers. Hence, individualizing instruction through the use
of learning modules would enable students to work at their own rate and profit more from the
learning process by involving themselves actively. The main objective of the modular instruction
system is to advocate the efficiency and effectiveness of the teaching-learning process in school.
Moreover, Cabanias (2005) said that module as a delivery system in the teaching-learning
process has been chosen to change the circumstances into teaching-learning situation which is
12
stimulating and challenging, a situation in which the student is given the chance to read and
learn, to solve a problem by himself under the supervision and the guidance of the teacher who is
always willing to befriend and help the student when necessary. The teacher will be the one
Stewart and Wilkerson (1999) said that module instructors have responded
enthusiastically to the transformation of their classrooms into places of rich, active learning. In
fact, many said that they would never “go back” to a more traditional classroom. Therefore,
teaching with modules should create a lively and dynamic environment where learning, thinking
A module is an instructional material which aims to attain objectives within the curricula.
It includes knowledge, concepts, facts, theories and methods of the discipline at an intellectual
level appropriate for the students. A module may not necessarily belong to a single specific
discipline of learning. Interdisciplinary learning may allow students to approach knowledge and
perceive issues from different points of view. Students will explore the purposes of various
writing genres and their strengths and weaknesses as vehicles for science communications. As
part of the module, students will be expected to develop their written skills (Gregory 2005).
The structure of the lessons in the modules enables to guide and facilitate learning. All
the activities encourage and support student inquiry, promote discourse among students, and
challenge students to accept and share for their learning. The collaborative learning, allows you
to respond effectively to students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles. Students work
collaboratively with other to solve problems and plan investigations. Many students find that
they learn better when they work with others n a collaborative environment than when they work
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scientific inquiry, students succeed in making their own discoveries. They ask questions,
observe, analyze, explain, draw conclusions, and ask new questions. These inquiry-based
experiences include both those that involve students in direct experimentation and those in which
(http://www.science.education.nih.gov/supplements/inquiry/guide/implementing.htm).
A study conducted by Monreal (2006) suggests that students nowadays learn concepts
and skills in science when they are exposed to hands-on activities as a product of technological
advancement. Exposure to computers and other teaching devices could enhance student learning
Acero (2000) said that modules as instructional materials have strengthened the principle
of individual differences by allowing each student to proceed at his own pace. More
intellectually superior students are separated to finish more modules; less bright ones are only
capable of taking up fewer modules. While the use of modules has been widely accepted as a
desirable pedagogical practice, its actual utilization in classroom instruction leaves much to be
desired.
Cortez (2000) suggested that there is a need for a thorough-going study of the teaching-
learning processes and interactions in teacher education. Among these are: relevance, currency
and adequacy of he materials used, and deficiencies of the subject in terms of knowledge, skills
and attitudes.
Ordillas (1993) asserts the relevance and usefulness of instructional materials like
14
Teachers need ammunition in the form of books and teaching materials to
reinforce educational priorities. There is a need for more supplementary and
reference books to supplement the existing textbooks. Usually the students have
little access to what is contained in the basic textbook.
Doll (2001) enumerated the major elements of a module. This includes the readiness test
and key, lesson proper, study guide, mastery test key and teachers guide. A well written
Materials: It’s Effect on Students’ Performance, Tataro found that the performance of students
method, to wit: Module 1 (Visual Arts) – mean score of experimental group in the posttest was
18.51, compared to control group which was 15.43; Module II (Auditory Arts) - mean score of
experimental group in the posttest was 20.4, while the control group was 13.2; and Module III
(Combined Arts) - mean score of experimental group in the posttest was 18.83, compared to
Soriano (2000) posited that various lessons of the module should follow the POLE
(Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Evaluating) formula. The instructional materials contain the
a. Objective – appearing at the beginning of the lesson to guide the learners regarding
b. Lesson Abstract – a precise synopsis written in highlighted form of the whole lesson
package.
d. Sticklers – presenting the most salient ideas/points and set in italics and small tests.
15
e. In-text Questions – a form of recall by challenging the learner to fill the space
f. Summary – the lesson is gist with important details presented in the lesson.
g. Space and Assignment – since the module is flexible, it can be used in traditional
classroom ambiance, thus, the student can jot down additional information discussed
by the teacher.
h. Self Testing – vital questions and exercises for the students to know the progress of
Mathematics for third year high school students of Las Pinas College. The study consisted of two
phases which are the construction and development of module on the identified difficult topics in
This study was found similar to the study conducted by Dy (2006) on the development
and validation of the Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) in Science IV. The study revealed
that the achievement of the students exposed to the SIMs is higher than the achievement of the
Using the modular teaching approach as intervention, the study entitled “The Modular
The modular teaching approach in mathematics has positive effects on the respondents’
achievement, persistence, and confidence levels most especially among the respondents from
16
Another study by Cabanias (2005) about modular instruction as an effective tool in
enhancing students’ academic performance in studying Philippine Literature found that modular
instruction is effective in raising the performance of the students in Philippine literature than the
Mapula (2000) studied instructional modules on complex numbers for fourth year high
school, which showed that the performance level of Mathematics IV students of the experimental
group was higher than the cut off set by DepEd; that there was a significant mean gain difference
between the pretest and posttest of the experimental group, and that the effectiveness of the
Development, Validation and Evaluation of Effectiveness”, she was able to prove that self-
instructional modules are effective in enhancing the conceptual understanding of the students
regarding the concept of motion, and at the same time, developing the cooperative and inquiry
An Evaluation of Modular Teaching Environment and Modular Teaching” found that the
students who adopted the modular teaching approach benefited from learning packages and
gained confidence by using English teaching modules. The students stated that modular teaching
Toh Pei, Ng Kok Vei and Tan (2006) said in their paper entitled “Assessment in an Era of
Rapid Change: Innovations and Best Practices”, the modular approach curriculum has allowed
greater flexibility and creativity in the teaching strategies. Teachers are able to incorporate and
try out new ideas in their strategies to make the activities purposeful and relevant.
17
A positive shift in attitude in learning is accompanied by more motivated behavior and
interest. There is a connection between interest and attitude. Interest is a behavioral response in
learning physics. Interest refers to the behavior that something somebody enjoys doing. There is
a quality about something that attracts attention, concern or curiosity (MSN Encarta). Questions
of students and students’ self-evaluation of the outcome of learning reflect interest in learning.
The present study shall explore student’s interest and attitude in learning physics in the effect of
Barbera (2007) made a study on the development of instrument for measuring students’
attitude towards Chemistry. The CLASS Chem measured attitude towards Chemistry and
learning Chemistry that involves statements categorized into personal interest, real world
These are beliefs about learning chemistry, content of chemistry knowledge, structure of
chemistry knowledge and connection of chemistry to the real world and bout chemistry in
general.
Every learner carry with them some notions and conceptions about the world they live in.
When exposed to concepts like force and motion, they often have common sense beliefs that tend
to inhibit the way they must understand these physics concepts. According to Brookes and
Etkina (2009), many students find complexity in understanding force and motion due to a
combination of linguistic and ontological difficulties. In their study, they found out that students
view force as a property of motion rather than a “sustainer” of motion and that learning about
force involves an act of ontological disambiguation where students have to refine their
understanding of what the term force means in physics. From this study, it could be gleaned that
understanding the term force is already a predicament for students (Brookes and Etkina, 2009).
18
` Junio (2004) has profiled the prevalent alternative conceptions and explored on the level
of conceptual understanding of fourth year high school students of Cobol National High School
on Newtonian mechanics through the use of the open-ended Force Concept Inventory (FCI).
Thirty-four (34) students were used as respondents in this study which concluded that none of
Gilza (2004) has attempted to determine the conceptual understanding as well as identify
the most prevalent misconceptions of forces and motion among senior Science Curriculum
Students of General Santos City High School. There were 37 respondents who took the
revalidated open-ended version of the Force Concept Inventory. Results revealed that only two
students reached the Newtonian entry threshold while the rest (35) were classified as non-
Newtonian thinkers. Analysis of the misconceptions showed that large percentage of the
In 2005, Danao and Roleda worked on consolidating the works of DepEd-NEAP (2004-
2005) scholars of De La Salle University. The modified FCI was administered to 204 fourth year
high school students in 5 public secondary schools in the Philippines (3 schools from Luzon and
2 from Mindanao). Only 2 out of this population were found to be Newtonian thinkers. It was
also found out that the students do not have adequate understanding on the concept of forces
which includes the following; “Heavier object falls faster”, “Mass makes thing stop”, “Motion
implies active force”, “Position-velocity undiscriminated” and “Most active agent produces
greatest force”.
In the same year, Bataller has also aimed at exploring and identifying the students’
conceptual understanding of force and motion among the senior students of Region IV. The 25-
item open-ended Force Concept Inventory was administered to 160 students from the three
19
schools namely, Batangas National High School, San Pedro Relocation Center National High
School and Tanay National High School. Written responses and unstructured interviews were
also done to provide in-depth analysis of data gathered. Results showed that scores in the open-
ended questionnaire have a mean of 3.79 and a standard deviation of 2.27 which reveals the
homogeneity in the FCI scores of the respondents. It further resulted to a conclusion that
respondents are classified as non-Newtonian thinkers and they have a tendency to adhere into
Moya (2007) has also investigated the conceptual understanding on force of above
average performing students in the three science-oriented high schools in the Bicol Region. This
research made use of the 25-item open-ended Force Concept Inventory as utilized by the 2003-
2004 NTME-Physics DepEd NEAP Scholars. Her study has utilized 150 respondents from which
57 were males and 93 were females. Results revealed that alternative conceptions are still
prevalent in this group of respondents and that there were only five students identified as
Newtonian thinkers and the rest are non-Newtonian thinkers even if they have been taught of
In 2007, Rodriguez has investigated the common conceptions of 130 Fourth Year
students of City of Mandaluyong Science High School on Newtonian Mechanics. The revised 30
-item version of Force and Concept Inventory (FCI) was used as an instrument and descriptive
statistics were utilized in the analysis of students’ scores. Students’ FCI scores were found to be
highly heterogeneous and are far below the FCI entry threshold. Generally, scores revealed that
students have conceptions outside the Newtonian Mechanics viewpoint. The respondents were
also found to manifest the following notions that (a) there is another force that keep things
moving, (b) the object moved because the force applied overcome the resistance of the object, (c)
20
the longer the distance the greater the acceleration, (e) an object moved when the force applied is
greater than the weight of an object. Similarly, the respondents’ displayed failures in making use
of the words energy, force, speed, velocity, mass, and weight, which are related with certain
force concepts.
Relevant information pertaining to the present study was gathered from different sources.
The review of related literature and studies has afforded the researcher rich background on the
The related literature reviewed presented definitions of learning module and its essential
characteristics to affect learning. The integration of modules and its use in instruction should
define the purpose and use and the underlying principles in the use of learning modules should
be based on instructional principles and model presented in the literature. Most literature and
studies agreed on the benefits of using modules, such as good transfer of learning and more
efficient learning.
The reviewed foreign literatures are found relevant to the present study since they deal
with the improvement of the curriculum through the use of the comprehensive instructional
Gowin placed great emphasis on empowering the learners and characterized the shared
meanings of curricular materials between students and teachers as “cracking down the code”.
Collete and Chiapetta have the same line of thinking, saying that there is a good match between
the students’ developmental stage and the cognitive complexity of the instructional materials.
Ornstein further stated that in selecting the type of instructional material to be used, a teacher
21
must consider it in the light of purpose of the learning activity. The needs of each learning
situation determine the materials and media which the teacher will use.
The local literatures reviewed in this study are relevant since they dealt with the
usefulness of instructional materials in the teaching-learning process geared towards making the
Very much closely related to the present study is the study of Merca since both deal with
the development and validation of learning modules in Physics, but still they differ since the
former focused on enhancing the conceptual understanding, cooperative and inquiry skills of the
students while the present study deals with the effectiveness of the modules in enhancing the
Related local studies along other learning areas were also conducted. The studies of
Binayung, Acelajado and Mapula covered module development in math and algebra while the
study of Tataro was on Humanities. The aim of the studies was to enrich teaching by responding
to the needs of the students, which is similar to the present research. However, the current
research differs from the previous researches because the latter deals with the preparation and
Furthermore, related studies about the alternative concepts of students about forces were
included to support the researcher’s choice of topic for the modules. This has been the foci of
many classroom based researches be it in the foreign and local setting which are generally aimed
towards providing a clear picture of the gaps in physics education as well as the proposed means
Based from the studies reviewed, none of them made a study on the use of modules to
enhance the conceptual understanding, attitude and interest of the students in learning Physics.
22
Gap Bridged by the Study
The present study, therefore, shall be a modest attempt to fill the gap, which is the need
for effective and innovative instructional materials noted in the previous studies. Although there
had been a number of literature and studies presented about the development and validation of
instructional materials in Science, it is noteworthy to mention that not a single study focused on
the development and validation of learning modules to enhance the conceptual understanding,
Theoretical Framework
construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and
reflecting on those experiences. When students encounter something new, they have to reconcile
it with previous ideas and experiences, maybe changing what they believe, or discarding the new
information as irrelevant. In these cases, they become active creators of their own knowledge. To
do this, students must ask questions, explore and assess what they know
(http:/www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html).
The constructivist view of learning encourages students to use active techniques, for
instance, experiments and real-world problem solving, to create more knowledge. Students can
then reflect and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing.
relevance to students; (2) structuring learning around primary concepts; (3) seeking and valuing
students’ point of view; (4) adapting curriculum to students’ suppositions; and (5) assessing
23
A major theme in the theoretical framework of Bruner is that learning is an active process
in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge. The
learner selects and transforms information, constructs hypotheses, and makes decisions, relying
experiences and allows the individual to “go beyond the information given.”
/bruner/html).
Further, Bruner states that a theory of instruction should address four major aspects: (1)
predisposition towards learning, (2) the ways in which a body of knowledge can be structured so
that it can be most readily grasped by the learner, (3) the most effective sequences in which to
present material, and (4) the nature and pacing of rewards and punishments. Good methods for
structuring knowledge should result in simplifying, generating new propositions, and increasing
the manipulation of information. He points four basic concerns to any learning situation: (1)
understanding, (2) readiness, (3) independence, and (4) motivation (Calderon 1998). This study
is guided by the third basic concern – to develop independence among learners. He stated that it
The sensory stimulation theory, on the other hand, urged that learning is achieved in
greater variety of colors and volume labels, statement, facts presented visually and use of variety
of media and techniques. Learning is most effective at greater number of sense involved in the
process. The key to directing and guiding learning is to understand the needs, interest and
attitudes of the learners. It is generally accepted that the best learning takes place when the
greates number of senses are stimulated. Laird quotes researchers found that 75% of vast
24
majority of adult learners is learned through seeing. Hearing (13%) and touch and smell
accounted for what is known. The more the material in multi-sense stimulated the greater
nature of the stimulation stimulates the senses of the students that lead to liking to engage in the
Figure 1 illustrates the theoretical paradigm of the study. Through the modules, students
with prior knowledge will integrate new experiences and interpretations to construct their own
personal meaning with this previous knowledge, thus learning is constructed. The modules will
guide knowledge and allow students to participate actively to experiment, manipulate objects,
ask questions, and try things that don’t work to discover the concepts behind. The nature of the
modules will arouse the students’ interest by stimulation of the senses. All these ingredients will
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Students actively construct their
knowledge EFFECTIVE
and
SENSORY STIMULATION MODULES
Learning is most effective at MEANINGFUL
greater number of sense involved in
the process LEARNING
25
Conceptual Framework
Teachers opt to use any form of instructional materials they deem effective to enhance
the teaching-learning process and for students to be active in the learning activity. This study is
anchored on the concept of how self-learning modules affect the students’ conceptual
understanding, interest in, and attitude towards Physics as it is used as a supplement material.
The researcher shall develop the modules about force, which will be evaluated by expert
jurors in Physics to ensure their validity. These modules will be used by the fourth year high
school students. Before using the modules, the researcher shall give a pretest to the students to
measure their conceptual understanding of the subject. After using the modules, a posttest shall
also be administered to determine whether there had been an enhanced conceptual understanding
among students who used the modules. The students will then answer the attitude checklist to
determine their attitude towards physics, and another checklist to measure their interest in
physics. The ultimate output of the study are the modules on Force intended for high school
Physics.
Modules on
Force
Jurors’
Evaluation of
the Modules
Enhanced Students’
Interest
Conceptual
Understanding
Attitude
Figure 2. Conceptual Paradigm
26
Definition of Terms
The following terms are conceptually and operationally defined for the clarity and
learning needs of the students and designed to enhance the conceptual understanding, attitude
something else. In this study, it shall refer to the significant difference in the students’ attitude,
interest and conceptual understanding that may occur after using the modules.
understanding of different facts, concepts, theories, and general ideas which are formed from
learning experiences. In this study, it shall refer to the scores of the students on a 30-item
modified multiple choice test on conceptual understanding to measure their grasp on concepts of
force.
evaluating a particular entity or event or objects with some degree of favor or disfavor. It
includes learners’ values, beliefs, biases, emotions and role expectation that may be influenced
It refers to the positive opinion or general feeling of students towards Physics (Encarta
Dictionary). In this study, it shall refer to the scores of the students on the Students’ Attitude
Checklist.
Interest. This is a feeling or emotion that causes attention to focus on an object, an event
27
curiosity in doing something. In this study, it shall refer to the responses of the students in the
not experimental evidence obtained from applying an instrument fits the “construct” or theory of
which the instrument was designed, i.e. to determine how well an instrument shows function or
set of functions. In this study, this refers to the experts’ evaluation of the modules using the
Jurors’ Evaluation. In this study, it refers to the experts’ evaluation of the research
instrument.
Content. This refers to the criteria pertaining to the force concepts used in the modules
such as suitability to the learner’s cognitive level, the accuracy and up-to-datedness of facts,
concretized abstract concepts, emphasis on the scientific principles, and appropriateness of the
Lessons on Force. These are the selected module topics which are most often
28
NOTES
A.E. Lawson (1994). Science Teaching and the Development of Thinking. California,
USA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Allan C. Ornstein (1990). Strategies for Effective Teaching. New York: Kippler Collin
Publisher. 319-320.
A.T. Collete and E.L. Chiapetta (1994). Science Instruction in the Middle and
Secondary Scool. New York, USA: McMillan Publishing Company.
Brookes and Etkina (2009). Force: Ontology and Language. Published on 25 June 2009
at www.aps.org
George Ellis (2005). Physics and the Real World. American Association of Physics
Teacher Journal. p.36.
http://tip.psychology.org/bruner/html.
29
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35583621/Bruner-Theory-of-Learning
Jose F. Calderon. Foundations of Education. Manila. Rex Book Store, Inc. Manila,
Philippines. 1998.
L. Toh Pei et al. (2006). Redesigning Lower Secondary Design & Technolody
Curriculum and Assessment…A Modular Approach At Beatty. IAEA 2006 SINGAPORE
Assessment in an Era of Rapid Change: Innovations and Best Practices.
30
Maritta Almonte Tataro (2000). Modular Instruction on Humanities Utilizing Local
Materials: It’s Effect on Students’ Performance. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Camarines Sur
Polytechnic Colleges, Camarines Sur.
Teresita Ordillas (1993). The Prospect of Quality Education. The Modern Teacher. 15.
Vic Emerson Danao and Lydia S. Roleda (2005). Force Concepts of Filipino Students.
De La Salle University, Manila.
Theories of Learning. Oxford Center for Staff and Learning Development. Oxford
Brookes University. Retrieved from http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/
theories.html
31
Victoria O. Asero et.al (2000). Principles and Treategies of Teaching, First Edition.
Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc.
32
Chapter III
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
This chapter is a discussion of the methodology, design, sources of data, preparation and
development of instructional module, the data gathering procedure, the research instrument and
Methodology
The researcher will utilize the One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design which is a pre-
experimental design to assess the effectiveness of the developed learning modules. In this design,
a single group is measured or observed before and after being exposed to a treatment of some
Time
O1 X O2
Where O1 = pretest
O2 = posttest
The study shall utilize one intact class as the subject exposed to the researcher-developed
modules. A pretest will be given before the modules are administered. After which, the same
class will be give a posttest. The difference between the pretest and posttest (O2 - O1) will be
used to indicate whether there is a change or gain due to the developed modules (treatment, X).
developmental type of study in which the resulting output will be assessed and revised based on
the feedback after the validation (Corral, 2000). The procedures to be followed in the
33
instructional material development are: Planning and Design Phase, Development Phase,
The mixed method approach will also be utilized, particularly the concurrent
triangulation. According to Creswell et al., (in Tashakkori et al., 2003) a concurrent mixed model
design is classified on the basis of the purpose of the study. In this design, qualitative and
single study.” The quantitative methods using the pretest and posttest instruments shall focus on
the enhanced conceptual understanding of the students. Qualitative methods shall involve the
Based from the mentioned descriptions, the researcher considers the methods above
Sources of Data
The primary sources of data in this study are the following: the learning modules,
responses of experts in the evaluation of the content of the modules, responses of the students in
the pretest and posttests on conceptual understanding, and responses of the students in the
The respondents for this study are the Physics experts who will evaluate the modules and
Purposive sampling will be used in the selection of the expert-respondents, which will
34
The study will involve one section of fourth year of Deogracias P. Princesa Memorial
High School (DPPMHS) for the SY 2013-2014. Said class is composed of 40 students.
Instrumentation
The study shall use developed modules on Force, the teacher-made pretest and posttest to
Learning Modules. The modules shall be patterned from the manual of Stewart and
Wilkerson (1999) entitled Chemconnections: A Guide to Teaching with Modules. It shall contain
the following main parts: Objectives, Topic/Content (includes the First Session, Middle Session
and Final Session), Resources and Evaluation. Below is the instrument for evaluating the content
Jurors’ Evaluation Checklist. The developed modules will be evaluated using the
35
questionnaire/checklist contains the following criteria: (1) General Characteristics, (2) First
Students’ Attitude Towards Physics. This instrument will be used to measure the
attitude of the students towards Physics. The Students’ Attitude Checklist contains thirty
statements and a modified five-point Likert Scale (Asagra, 2009). For every statement in the
checklist, the student will select one of the five scales to reflect their attitude towards the subject.
Table 2 shows the Scale, Range, Symbol and Description of the Students’ Attitude Checklist.
Table 2
Measurement Scale for Students’ Attitude Towards Physics
Students’ Interest Towards Physics. This instrument will measure the interest of students
towards Physics. The Students’ Interest Checklist contains fourteen (14) statements and a
modified five-point Likert scale (Lea, 2009), which is described I Table 3. For every statement in
the checklist, the students will select one of the five scales to reflect their interest towards the
subject. Table 3 shows the Scale, Range, Symbol and Description of the Students’ Interest
Checklist.
Table 3
Measurement Scale for Students’ Interest Towards Physics
36
Written Examination on Conceptual Understanding. A multiple choice type of pretest
understanding based on the objectives of the modules. The tests will be validated by experts of
the subject. To interpret the results of the test, the researcher shall use the performance level to
The study will be divided into three phases, namely: Phase 1-Planning, Design and First
Planning, Design and First Step Evaluation. This phase includes the development of
the learning modules; preparation of the test on conceptual understanding, and students’ attitude
Implementation Phase. This phase will involve the pretest, use of the learning modules
Final Evaluation. This phase involves establishing the effectiveness of the learning
modules in enhancing the conceptual understanding, attitudes and interest of the students
towards Physics.
Statistical Treatment
The researcher shall make use of the following statistical tools to analyze and interpret
the data:
Weighted Mean. The weighted mean will be used to determine the average of the
responses of the jurors on the Jurors’ Evaluation Questionnaire/Checklist, and the responses of
the students in the Students’ Interest Checklist and Students’ Attitude Checklist.
37
Performance Level. Percentage will be computed to determine the proficiency level of
Mean Gain. This tool will be used to determine the difference between the pretest mean
Mean. The mean will be used to determine the average score of students in the pretest
Standard Deviation. This will be used to determine the degree of variability of the
Effect Size. The effect size will determine the strength of the relationship between the
38
NOTES
Analyn N. Lea (2009). The Effect of the Use of Computer Simulation on the
Students’ Conceptual Understanding, Interest and Attitude Toward Chemistry.
Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Bicol University Graduate School, Legazpi City.
Jack Fraenkel and Norman Wallen (2006). How to Design and Evaluate Research in
Education, 6th edition. Boston: McGraw Hill Company.
39