Designing Lessons Using TPack Framework for Developing Secondary Science Students’ Conceptions and Higher-Order Thinking
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
ABSTRACT
This study addressed science teachers’ concern about the English as Second Language (ESL) students’ difficulty in understanding the concept of measurements and their applications, which are the basic concepts in learning science. The purpose of this design-based research is to assess the impact of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, (TPACK)-integrated lessons on students’ understanding the concepts of measurements and their applications that require higher-order thinking skills. The research is designed for a constructivist learning environment where English is the medium of instruction. This study hypothesized that the TPACK-integrated lessons with technology- enriched instruction can overcome the language barrier and enhance students’ understanding of science conceptions of measurement and develop higher order thinking skills. This study sought to answer two research questions: (1) How do Year 7 students’ conceptions of measurement improved after each cycles of lessons designed with TPACK framework; (2) How do the TPACK-integrated lessons develop students’ higher order thinking skills in the science classroom? Four cycles of intervention classes designed and planned for the respective knowledge dimensions of (viz. declarative, procedural, schematics and strategic) of the TPACK framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2006) were mounted. Data were collected from two sources: pre- and post-tests scores, and students’ interviews. Data from the test scores were analysed using SPSS one-way repeated measures ANOVA, whereas students’ interviews were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis by identifying themes that support results from the students’ written tests. The results of this study demonstrated how the TPACK framework could be used to design lessons that integrate content knowledge (concepts of measurement), pedagogy (inquiry based learning) and technology (to reduce language barrier) to impact understanding and higher order thinking skills.
KEYWORDS
TPACK Framework, Concept Of Measurements, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Curriculum Design