A five-phase problem-solving process enacted in heterogeneous learners' community groups structures PBL for secondary mathematics lessons

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description

The article's PBL implementation organised each lesson around a flowchart of problem processes and grouped students heterogeneously. As printed, "the PBL group process adopted consisted of five phases namely (i) identify the problem (ii) make assumptions (iii) formulate a model (iv) use the model and (v) evaluate the model." The 42 experimental students formed six groups of seven, seated semi-circularly so the teacher could walk across groups, with group members presenting solutions and peers critiquing them while the teacher acted as facilitator.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• Students grouped heterogeneously by prior performance; seating arranged so the facilitator can move between groups; ill-structured tasks with multiple solutions; teacher orientation on PBL before implementation

Constraints

• The rigid school timetable allowed only two 40-minute periods per week and no extension of classroom activities beyond closing time

Target Learners

• Senior Secondary School year one Further Mathematics students (mean age about 15 years)

Learning Goals

• Indices and logarithms, algebraic equations, sequences and series; problem solving and conceptual understanding in Further Mathematics

Claims

• Pbl Beats Traditional Method Rdt Further Mathematics [+M]
• Pbl Beats Traditional Method Tmt Further Mathematics [+M]

Related Designs

Examples

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Key Sources

• Alfred Olufemi Fatade, David Mogari, Abayomi Adelaja Arigbabu. (2013). EFFECT OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS IN FURTHER MATHEMATICS. Acta Didactica Napocensia, Volume 6, Number 3. https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2065-1430

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	pbl-five-phase-problem-solving-lcg-pattern
title	A five-phase problem-solving process enacted in heterogeneous learners' community groups structures PBL for secondary mathematics lessons
description	The article's PBL implementation organised each lesson around a flowchart of problem processes and grouped students heterogeneously.
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-02
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — alfred-olufemi-fatade-2013

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