The Effectiveness of Using Acrostic Mnemonic Device

in Genetic Chapter of Biologys Students in Fakulti

Pendidikan UiTM Puncak Alam

EDU 540: Research Methodology

Prepared by: Siti Farah Wahida binti Ismail (2014773321)
INTRODUCTION
Students difficulties in learning biology concept has being investigated by
many researchers.
In this modern era, it has become obvious that science has become the
backbone for the prosperities in each and every field of life

BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The existing knowledge of an individual was stored in the brain and
encoded as construct. New learning is not understood unless it is
connected to existing concepts, knowledge and experiences. Hence new
knowledge is linked with the existing knowledge which we called as
constructivism (Petty,2009)
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Johnstone Mahmoud (1980), stated that genetic and water transport in
plants were among the most difficult Biologys topic to be learn by
secondary school and universities students
The students of third level learning science subjects in English which is not
their mother tongue gives the a hard time to memorizes the facts especially
in Bio subjects (Miranda, 2015)

RESEARCH GAP
Most of the previous study stated that method of loci, acronyms, keyword
method and musical mnemonic helps in learning and memory retention
but they are lack on mentioning about Acrostic mnemonic devices
(Ayisha, Farwa, Anjum, Aqueel & Hana, 2014)
The previous study stated about using mnemonic devices on Krebs's cycle
topic, photosynthesis topic but no in genetic topic (Miranda,2015)
 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
To determine weather acrostic device can helps the students of Fakulti
Pendidikan UiTM majoring Biology learning and remembering Genetic
subjects based on their performance and how they perceived the uses of
acrostic device in the teaching and learning process

RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
To determine weather acrostic device
helps the students in learning and
remembering Genetic subjects
To examine the students perception in
using the acrostic device in their study
To examine the lecturers perception in
using the acrostic device in teaching
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
Do acrostic device helps the students
in learning and remembering Genetic
subjects?
What are the students perception in
using the acrostic device in their study?
What are the lecturers perception in
using the acrostic device in teaching?
 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will help to determine the new method in learning and
remembering Genetic subject which can help reducing the failure of
students in this subject
Gives a new approach to the lecturers to convey their knowledge to the
students in Genetic subject

LIMITATION
The samples are 24 student majoring Biology from Faculty of Education UiTM
Puncak Alam and 2 lecturer teaching Genetic subject
Limits its coverage on part 6 students only which make the data cannot be
generalized
The time constrain of the students to involve in this research until the end of the
research
DEFINATION OF TERMS
Mnemonic device
- Mnemonic are strategies for encoding information with sole purpose of
making it more memorable (Ayisha et.al,2014)
- The new learning and remembering technique that being introduced to
learn Genetic subject for part 6 majoring Biology students
Acrostic Mnemonic Device
- A sentence that is developed to help the person retrieve letters and the
letters represent something that the person needs to remember.
(Jeffrey,2011)
- Students will be given the terms that present in Genetic subject together
with the developed sentence during their learning of the Genetic subject
Effectiveness
-Students remember the facts the order in which the steps of the reaction
occurs (Miranda, 2015)
- The students get better results for the post test
Genetic Subject
- Genetic is the study of the genes at all levels from molecules to
populations (Introduction of Genetic Fifth version)
-The topics of genetic subject for the first half of the semester
LITERATURE REVIEW
Mnemonic Strategies: Success for The Young Adult Learner
- The mnemonic (memory-enhancing) technique used to increase the initial
learning and retention of facts and facts system which young adults often
encounter in school.(Mastropieri,1988 as cited in Jeffrey, 2011)
Musical Mnemonics to Facilitate Learning of Matriculation Biology:
Light-dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis
- According to Miranda, 2011 Biology can be teach in English without
having any problem in understanding and memorizing as long as the
teacher is creative
The Method of Loci as a Mnemonic Device to Facilitate Learning in
Endocrinology Leads to Improvement in Students Performance as Measured
by Assessment
- Any intervention that can facilitate the students skill for better recall and
transfer of knowledge to the resolution of a problem should be explore and
one of the intervention is by using the mnemonic device. (Ayisha et.al,2014)
LITERATURE REVIEW
Biology Concepts Perceived as Difficult by Turkish High School Students
- As the researcher keep on doing the research, genetic and transportation
of water in plants was considered as one of the most difficult Biology
chapter to study (Tekkaya,2001)
The Effect of Visual Mnemonic Support Practice on The Reading
Comprehension of Psychology Texts
- The use of mnemonics can be a great help to the learners when it comes
to the integration of new material in the existing cognitive units or the
retrieval of the acquired via special cues (Thomson,1987 as cited in
Zahra,2014)
RESEARCH DESIGN
Design: Experimental Research
Method: Mixed method approach
Sampling: Cluster sampling (24 Biologys students of Part 6)
Population: All Faculty of Education students majoring in Biology

INSTRUMENTS
Pre test & Post test
Consist of two sections:
Section A: 30 MCQ
Section B: 5 Structured Questions
Interview session
Semi structured interview
(the addition question can be added during the interview session)
Acrostic mnemonic device
2 subtopic of one of the chapter in Genetic will be teach to the treatment
group by using the sentence develop as the mnemonic device
VALIDITY & RELIABILITY
Pre & Post Test
Pilot the test questions by testing them to other Biologys students that not
involve in this experiment
Interview session
Get the experts to evaluate the data
Acrostic mnemonic device
Get the lecturers to evaluate the strategies (the develop sentences) that
had being construct to get the suitability and the right content to be
deliver to the students
 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES
Constant Teach
Pre test Post test
group (12 ) using
normal
method
Get permission letter from
the dean to do the test to
the students Collect data
(24 students)

Treatment Teach
Pre test using Post test
group (12 )
acrostic
mnemonic
device
DATA ANALYSIS
Using software called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
Using percentages to present the graft
The connection between the research questions and the data gathered
will be compared in order to achieve the research objective
For interviewed data, the data will be coded into specific theme and will
be compare in order to achieve the research objectives