Effects of Problem-solving Strategies in the Teaching and Learning of Engineering Drawing Subject

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to discuss the effects of teaching problem-solving strategies in the Engineering Drawing (ED) subject on student achievement, students’ knowledge of problem-solving and students’ problem-solving skills. The study was conducted on Form Four students (16 year old) from two Technical Secondary Schools in Peninsular Malaysia using two research instruments: the ED performance test and a questionnaire on problem-solving strategies. The quasi-experimental research design was employed on a sample of 209 students. The experimental group of 110 student utilized ED module which incorporated problem-solving strategies, while the control group of 109 student went through a conventional teaching and learning method. Research results showed that there were significant differences in terms of student achievement and student knowledge of problem-solving: the mean score of the experimental group was higher compared to that of the control group. On the other hand, research results showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of students’ problem-solving skills, but the mean score of the experimental group was higher compared to that of the control group. This proves that the implementation of problem-solving strategies in teaching and learning successfully increases student achievement and students’ knowledge of problem-solving besides positively affecting students’ problem-solving skills. Therefore, teachers are advised to incorporate problem-solving strategies in their teaching and learning, especially in the Engineering Drawing subject.