GSCI 325 Reviewer (G2)
In this age, complex problem
MODULE 2: Integrating Active Learning
Approaches in Mathematics and Science
Learning
Integrating Active Learning Approaches in
Mathematics and Science Learning
Active Learning Approach
- are characterized through learners’
engagement in activities that are geared
towards the generation/creation of new
knowledge or making meaning of existing
knowledge while developing other 21 st
century skills in the process.
- In mathematics and science are utilized
to realize the development of the
necessary and needed knowledge and
skills.
Inquiry-Based Learning, Research-Based
Learning, Problem-Based Learning, and
Project-Based Learning
- Are introduced to enhance the teaching
and learning process. These approaches
are designed to give more depth and
breadth in the learning contents in the K-
12 Curriculum.
Construction of Framing Questions
- Is considered to be the central to active
learning approaches as it guided the
learners in their investigation either on a
specific topic/unit.
Technology (Digital or non-digital)
- Plays an important role in the utilization
of these active learning approaches as
the learners become active participants
in the process of generating new
knowledge.
Teachers’ role
- Is to ensure the appropriateness and
relevance of technological tools in the
development of learning competencies,
since the students are more exposed to a
wide array of technological tools.
LESSON 1: Inquiry-Based Learning and
Research-Based Learning
Nature of Inquiry-Based Learning
• Inquiry – is a process of asking
questions. It brings various
developments that we continue to enjoy
in our society today. In the classroom,
the process of inquiry is a basic learning
activity that every teacher is expected to
facilitate.
solving, critical thinking, and creativity
are three of the ten skills that are needed
in this age. These skills start from the
process of asking questions.
• Inquiry-based learning is an approach
that essentially involves task requiring
learners’ active participation in finding
answers to curricular questions. Learners
are given opportunities to engage in self-
regulated activities as they pursue their
investigation.
• Utilizing it to science and mathematics
classrooms develops learners’
communication skills, deliberating on the
ways in finding answers to curricular
questions, and presenting outputs as
evidences of inquiry among others.
• The process of inquiry starts from
positing a question aligned to content
standard in the K-12 curriculum for
mathematics and science. Investigation
proceeds using various sources of
information and presentation of outputs
of the students using a productivity tool.
The assessment tool depends on the
required output and should be given to
the students before the inquiry
commences.
When to use?
- In science, inquiry-based learning
provides students with the opportunities
to investigate and learn practical skills
through hands-on activities. As for
mathematics, inquiry-based learning
approach can help students to focus on
how to solve problems in different but
logical ways.
Types of Inquiry
1. Structure Inquiry – this lets the
students follow the lead of the teacher as
the entire class engages in one inquiry
together.
2. Controlled Inquiry – the teacher
chooses topics and identifies the
resources the students will use to answer
the questions.
3. Guided Inquiry – the teacher chooses
topics or questions and students design
the product or solution.
4. Free Inquiry – students are allowed to
choose their own topics without any
reference to a prescribed outcome.
Role of the Teacher
• Teacher must look into the learning
competencies that can be satisfied by a
simply inquiry or more complex inquiry.
• The teacher control and prepares the
topic for investigation and guides the
learners by setting questions to be
explored.
• Learners are allowed to design their own
way of investigation and present their
outputs using technology tools that are
afforded to them.
• When designing an Inquiry-Based
Learning, the teacher has to consider the
following fields (Avsec and Kocijncic,
2016):
1. Prior Knowledge and capacity
2. Context – learners require
meaning from experience
3. Content and learning materials
4. Process
5. Strategy of reactions and
behaviors
6. Course outcomes
The Role of Technology
• The internet or the World Wide Web
offers many platforms for mining
information. It has become the most
sought out source of information due to
the variety of tools that bound.
• In the mathematics and science
curriculum, there are many free
educational websites depending on the
unit of the study are available for
mathematics and science teachers and
learners.
• The use of technology in IBL is just one
of the many other sources of information
in the process of inquiry. However,
learners are undeniably familiar and
probably more adept in exploring the
internet.
• As a teacher, guiding them in locating
online resources that are relevant in
developing their research and
communication skills will really help them
in learning the importance of using
education resources in an explicit and
implicit way.
Nature of Research-Based Learning
• The term “research,” which often
conjures up a picture of students writing
research reports, is here defined as a way
of thinking about teaching and learning,
a perspective, a paradigm. It is a specific
approach to classroom teaching that
places less emphasis on teacher-
centered learning of content and facts
and greater emphasis on students as
active researchers.
• In a research-based learning approach,
students actively search for and then use
multiple resources, materials, and texts
in order to explore important, relevant,
and interesting questions and challenges.
• Students find, process, organize, and
evaluate information and ideas as they
build reading skills and vocabulary. They
learn how to read for understanding,
form interpretations, develop and
evaluate hypotheses, and think critically
and creatively. They learn how to solve
problems, challenges, and dilemmas.
Finally, they develop communication
skills through writing and discussion.
LESSON 2: Problem-Based Learning and
Project-Based Learning
Nature of Problem-Based Learning
• Learners are engaged in a collaborative
task as they work towards the solution to
the problem, learning activity is done in
small groups with each member are
assigned to complete a certain task.
• In this approach, the students will learn
several skills including; problem-solving,
communicating, research, among others
which are essential in the workplace. The
end goal of problem-based learning
approach is to ensure that the target
learning competencies are achieved in
the process.
Five Principles of Problem-Based Learning
• Independent and self-directed learning
• Learning happens in a groups and
teacher is a facilitator
• All groups have to participate equally
• Students learn about motivation,
teamwork, problem-solving, and
engagement with the task
• Materials such as data, photographs,
articles, can be used to solve the
problem.
Six-Stage Process in Adoption of the
Online Problem-Based Learning
1. Identifying the Problem – current
issues that do not have just one answer
or one definite solution;
2. Brainstorming – generate ideas; tackle
the problem through self-directed
questioning; arouse student’s intrinsic
motivation;
 3. Collecting and analyzing the
information – assigning group
members to collect information; posting
what they found and what they learned;
collaborative collection of useful
information.
4. Synthesizing information – solving
the problem through relevant data
synthesized; knowledge building;
5. Co-building knowledge – presentation
of the solution to the learning
problem/issue; and
6. Refining the outcomes – giving
feedback and suggestions by the
instructor to help students improve;
learning from other group’s presentation.
Benefits of Problem-Based Learning
Schettino (2016)
- Group works values all voices and that a
mathematics classroom environment
becomes open and safe. This research
prompts the importance of PBL in
checking students’ communication
through feedback on their presentation,
questioning skills, metacognitive
journaling to reflect their errors, and
though process.
O’Brien, Wallach, & Mash-Duncan (2011)
- Teaching Mathematic/Science should not
only be limited in solving word problem
but also to solve problems outside the
classroom – essence of PBL. The heart of
the PBL is collaborative work that will
help students devise and solve problems
involving conceptually complex
materials. PBL promotes personal
construction knowledge where students
engage in interesting tasks, problems,
and investigations.
Kim, Belland, & Walker (2018)
- PBL is a learner-centered approach that
aims to improve student’s content
knowledge and problems-solving skills
using authentic problems. Students are
able to do a self-reflection by identifying
the needed skills and knowledge in
solving problems they encounter.
Inel & Balim (2010)
- PBL allow students to construct their own
learning through group activities to solve
real-life problems presented as scenario-
based problems. It has proven also that
this approach effectively teaches science
and technology and to improve student’s
level of concept construction for them to
adopt to the changing world.
Role of Technology
• The WWW or World Wide Web can be
utilized by the learners to accomplish
their task.
• Web 2.0 technologies are characterized
by collaboration, sharing, and networking
that can facilitate and enhance PBL
activities in its different stages. It is
effective in helping students in health
science to bridge the gap between theory
and practice (Tarrant, 2018). It also
facilitates creativity, collaboration, and
sharing of research result among users
(Holmes & Dubinsky, 2009).
• Productivity Tools – are those for
writing, presentations, spreadsheets,
calendars, organizers, citation, and
others that are also available to assist
learners and teachers in accomplishing
required task and outputs for PBL
activities.
• In the Problem-Based Learning
approach, learning competencies must
be the primary consideration together
with the content and performance
standards before the technology
integration.
• The statement of your learning outcomes
in the learning plan or lesson plan must
be stated in behavioral and measurable
terms because the PBL is about
developing high order thinking skills
(HOTS).
The Nature of Project-Based Learning
• Project-based Learning – is an
approach but has evolved as a teaching
method that engages learners in a series
of planned task resulting to the
generation of solutions to real-world
problems. It is a student-center approach
as it takes into account the realm of
experiences and interest of students.
• This teaching method is based on John
Dewey’s principle of learning by
doing and Vygotsky’s constructivist
theory of learning that advocates
social construction of knowledge.
Past and Present Researches have proven
PrBL to be Beneficial in the Development
of various Skills such as:
1. Research Methodology Skills (Tiwari,
Arya, & Basal, 2017) – it was revealed
that students were enhance in their
 knowledge of the topic taken, searching
review for the topic, improved
communication skills, data collection
skills, and analytical and presentation
skills when PrBL was used as a
component in research methodology.

2. Critical Thinking Skills (Nargundkar,

Sumaddar, & Mukhopadhyay, 2019) –
The researchers investigated how PrBL
advances the critical thinking skills of the
students. To solve real-life problems,
students are expected to use the
knowledge they had constructed, to think
deeply about the issue, consider
evidence for or against a proposed
solution, and apply reasoning skills and
logical inquiry to come up with the best
solution or conclusions.

3. Development of Life Skills

(Wurdinger & Qureshi, 2015) – Revealed
that after taking the PrBL course, there
was a significant difference in the mean
scores for the following life skills:
responsibility, problem-solving, self-
direction, communication, and creativity
skills. It was concluded that PrBL indeed
promotes further development of life
skills.