Electro-Constructivism: Effects on Mathematical Problem Solving, Visual-Spatial Representation

and Perceived Self-Efficacy

Background of the Study

Current research reveals that teachers need to teach and assess students’ mathematical
knowledge in ways that will allow them to show or perform what they really understand. Jackson (2003)
reveals that the students with learning disabilities rapidly acquire the problem-solving-skills, maintains
these skills over a two-month period, and transferred these skills to a paper and pencil problem-solving
format. Problem solving is fostered when learners experience concrete visual representations that
connect to their prior knowledge and are enabled to use abstract visual representations (Moreno,
Ozogul & Reisslein, 2011). Prior study by Hegarty (1999) found that the use of schematic spatial
representations is associated with success in mathematical problem solving, whereas use of pictorial
representations is negatively correlated with success.

Meanwhile, people’s beliefs and perceptions about their own capabilities can be significantly
related to motivation, achievement, and performance (Bandura, 1993). Students’ beliefs in their efficacy
to regulate their own learning and to master academic activities determine their aspirations, level of
motivation, and academic accomplishments. Furthermore, the nature of feedback given to students
working in an academic setting has been shown to influence their beliefs in their abilities and
subsequent performance (Schunk & Rice, 1993; Zimmerman, 2000).

In this study, the researcher examines whether students’ performance directly affects their
perceived efficacy when electro-constructivism is used as an instructional approach. Its effectiveness to
mathematical problem solving and visual-spatial representation is also investigated.

Statement of the Problem

This research aims to investigate the effects of electro-constructivism on students mathematical

problem solving, visual-spatial representation and perceived self-efficacy.

Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. Is the gain score in mathematical problem solving test of the students’ exposed to electro-
constructivism higher than those exposed to abstract instruction?
2. Is the gain score in visual-spatial representation test of the students’ exposed to electro-
constructivism higher than those exposed to abstract instruction?
3. Is the gain score in perceived self-efficacy of the students’ exposed to electro-constructivism
higher than those exposed to abstract instruction?
4. How does problem solving correlate with perceived self-efficacy of the group exposed to
electro-constructivism?
5. Is there correlation between visual-spatial representation of the students’ and mathematical
problem solving after the treatment?
6. What is the correlation between perceived self-efficacy and mathematical representation of the
group after the intervention?

Significance of the Study

Results of the study are beneficial for teachers, teacher trainers and educators: that they may
emphasize hands-on, real-world experiences in teaching and promote self-efficacy to students in order
to enhance achievement in mathematics; create new understanding to teachers via coaching,
moderating, and suggesting; and encourage teachers and teacher trainers to use constructivist approach
in teaching mathematics and science.
Moreover, for curriculum developers and textbook writers that they may seek and value
students’ points of view; provide multiple modes of representations or perspectives on content; develop
books in mathematics whose content is more on manipulatives and self-efficacy. For officials of school,
division, region, and central office that they may provide technical assistance in sending teachers to
seminars and trainings in teaching mathematics with the use of manipulative materials and training
teachers how to develop or improve self-efficacy to students’.
Finally, for policy makers that they may give incentives to teachers who can innovate teaching
and learning process; provide financial support for mass production on manipulative and training
teachers to update new trends and researches in effective mathematics education.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This research is a classroom-based and a 4-week period for data collection is projected on school
year, 2014-2015 at Siquijor State College, Larena, Siquijor. Sixty second year college level students will
be involved and the topics to be covered will be propositional logic, truth table, Boolean expressions,
and Boolean algebra. One topic per week will be tackled and experimented.

Conceptual Framework

Mathematical Problem Solving

Score

Instructional Approach Visual-Spatial

Abstract Representation
Electro-constructivism
Pictorial
Schematic

Perceived Self-Efficacy
Score
Outlook
Research Hypotheses

The research hypotheses of the study are:

1. The gain score in mathematical problem solving of the group exposed to electro-constructivist
approach is significantly higher than that of the abstract group.
2. The gain score in visual-spatial representation of the group exposed to electro-constructivist
approach is significantly higher than that of the abstract group.
3. The gain score in perceived self-efficacy of the group exposed to electro-constructivist approach
is significantly higher than that of the abstract group.
4. The mathematical problem solving of the students significantly correlates with perceived self-
efficacy of the group exposed to electro-constructivism.
5. There is a significant correlation between visual-spatial representation and mathematical
problem solving of the students’ after the treatment.
6. The correlation is significant between perceived self-efficacy and visual-spatial representation of
the group after the intervention.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined as used in the study:

Instructional Approach – teaching method used

Abstract Instruction – teaching method that is traditional or direct

Electro-constructivism - teaching method that uses magnetic contactor as manipulative

Mathematical Problem Solving – cognitive skill in analyzing and answering problems

Visual- Spatial Representation – ability to represent abstract concept schematically and pictorially

Schematic Representation – encode the spatial relations described in a problem

Pictorial Representation – encode the visual appearance of the objects described in a problem

Perceived Self-Efficacy - student beliefs and perceptions about their own capabilities

Outlook – disposition in life and closely associated to self-efficacy

Student Performance – score in the problem solving and circuit transfer test

Gain Score – posttest score minus the pretest score

Research Design

A pretest-posttest control group research design will be used in this study wherein sixty college
students are randomly selected from among those who will enroll in Discrete Mathematics and Logical
Structure. Thirty students are assigned to the experimental group while the other thirty students are
assigned to the control group. The experimental group will be taught using an electro-constructivist
instructional approach and the control group will be taught using abstract approach. Before the
treatment, all the students are pretested; shortly after the treatment is over, the students are
posttested. The dependent variable in the experiment is the gain score between the pretest score and
posttest score. Analysis of covariance will be used to analyze the data with pretest score as the
covariate.

The Sample

Sixty second year BS in Information Technology students from Siquijor State College, Larena,
Siquijor will be the subjects of this research. They will be divided into two groups with thirty students in
each group selected randomly. One group will be assigned as the experimental group while the other
will be assigned as the control group. A total of four classes will be conducted.

The Instruments

In measuring the level of visual-spatial skill, the Mathematical Processing Instrument (MPI) by
Lean and Clements, in 1981, with reliability coefficient of 0.78 will be used but with modification by the
researcher to have content validity. A Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) survey instrument made
by Nancy Betz and Gail Hackett, in 2000, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93 to measure students’ perceived
self-efficacy will also be modified. An instrument for mathematical problem solving in Boolean algebra
will be done by the researcher.

Pilot testing of the instruments mentioned will be administered to the instructors and students
in information technology who had undergone the subjects on Boolean algebra. The researcher-made
instruments will be content-validated through logical analysis of the content by experts in research and
instructors with a graduate degree of MS in computer science.

Electro-constructivism

Electro-constructivism is a constructivist approach that uses magnetic contactor as manipulative

and visual representation of the abstract concept in Boolean algebra. There are two experiments to be
done; one for the experimental group and one for the control group. The experimental group will be
taught the abstract concept of Boolean algebra and that concept will be represented by an electrical
circuit using magnetic contactors, switches, light bulbs and electric motor. Logic 1 in a Boolean
expression is equivalent to lights ON or motor RUNS while logic 0 stands for lights OFF or motor STOPS.

In simplifying and finding the value of a Boolean expression, variables like x and x will be
interpreted in the circuit as switch ON and Switch OFF, respectively. The experimental group will then
practice transferring the Boolean expression into its circuit equivalent.

On the other hand, the control group will be taught using the abstract approach of teaching
which is the chalk and talk method. They will perform simplification and finding of values in a Boolean
expression but without manipulation of the magnetic contactor in a circuit. The same pretest and
posttest will be given for both groups.

Data Analysis Procedure

In order to get the gain score in mathematical problem solving, visual-spatial representation,
and perceived self-efficacy; the posttest mean score minus the pretest mean score for each group are
computed and compared. If the gain score of the experimental group is significantly higher than that of
the control group, then this difference is attributed to the effect of the treatment, electro-
constructivism. Tests of hypotheses are done because the researcher wants to find out if there is
significant effect of the intervention on the three dependent variables using analysis of covariance
(ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance.
 To determine whether mathematical problem solving, visual-spatial representation and
perceived self-efficacy correlates with each other, multiple regression analysis is used and multiple
analysis of variance (MANOVA) is employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Test of
hypotheses are done to know how significant is its correlation.

Data Collection Procedure

A letter address to the dean of the technology department asking permission to conduct an
experiment to their students and teachers will be sought. Another letter of consent and arrangements
address to the teachers’ concerned asking permission to administer the instruments will also be made.
In addition, a letter informing the students about the purpose of the study and its confidentiality will
also be given.

Instruments will be administered by the researcher on June 2014 within a 4-week period. Each
week will have one topic covering all the four topics. Every start and end of the treatment, an
instrument for pretest and posttest will be given, respectively and data will be collected right after and
then analyzed.