EFFECT OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON STUDENTS' METACOGNITION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY LEVEL CHEMISTRY

Abstract

This research aims to examine the impact that learning through problem-solving has on secondary students' academic performance and metacognition when they study chemistry. To enhance the students learning different kinds of problems were assigned to the students’ according to the topic. Pretest and posttest nonequivalent control group design was used in this Quasi-experiment research. This study comprised 70 students, conveniently selected from public sector secondary school 9th grade. Two intact groups were selected, and two groups were assigned: thirty-five students in the experimental group and thirty-five students in the control group. The research organization was exposed to different problems while the control group was taught traditionally. The researcher asked some questions related to the topic to check the students' prior knowledge. Each group was given 1-2 problems, and a chapter test was taken at the end. The experiment was conducted for 12 weeks. An accomplishment test and a metacognition awareness inventory questionnaire were the two research tools used to gather data. Acceptable reliability coefficients for the achievement test were 0.8 and the questionnaire's 0.7. Descriptive and statistical inference, such as paired but individual sample t-tests, were accustomed to analyzing the required data. This study shows that students' academic performance and metacognition in secondary-level chemistry are more significantly impacted by the use of learning for the solution of various problems.