- HTML
Translated Version -
Author: Avilner Rafael Páez
Pereira
Universidad Nacional Experimental “Rafael
María Baralt”, UNERMB
Zulia, Venezuela
Constructive Strategies
Applied for the Teacher to the Learning of the Physic in the Superior Level
Abstract
The objective of this study
consisted in to determinate the constructive strategies applied for the teacher
to the learning of the physic in the course Education mathematic and physic in
the Experimental National University “Rafael María Baralt”. The investigation
was descriptive with design of camp, documental, prospective and transversal.
It was used as instruments a questionnaire of several answers of 34 items for the teachers as soon as an objective test
with closed questions of simple selection with 21 items for the students. The
resulting gotten show that the teachers don’t apply, in the main, the
constructive strategies most adapted to obtain in their students significant
learning, since in a 60% the pupils haven’t reached an ideal formation in the
discipline, also the facilitators frequently don’t consider strategies to the
information processing, the context where it goes to development this and the
stiles of construction of the knowledge of the learner.
Keywords: educational
strategies; learning; physics.
|
Date Received: 27-06-2017 |
Date Acceptance: 31-10-2017 |
Estrategias
Constructivistas Aplicadas por el Docente para el Aprendizaje de la Física en el
Nivel Superior
Resumen
El objetivo de este estudio consistió en
determinar las estrategias constructivistas aplicadas por el docente para el
aprendizaje de la física en la carrera Educación Matemática y Física en la
Universidad Nacional Experimental “Rafael María Baralt”. La investigación fue
de tipo descriptiva, con diseño de campo, documental, prospectiva y
transversal. Se utilizaron como instrumentos un cuestionario de respuestas
policotómicas de 34 ítems dirigido a los docentes, así como una prueba objetiva
de preguntas cerradas de selección simple con 21 ítems, destinada a los
estudiantes. Los resultados obtenidos evidencian que los profesores, no aplican
en su mayoría, las estrategias constructivistas más adecuadas para lograr en
sus estudiantes aprendizajes significativos, puesto que en un 60% los educandos
no han alcanzado una formación idónea sobre la disciplina, además que los
facilitadores frecuentemente no consideran, estrategias para el procesamiento
de la información, el contexto donde se van a desarrollar las mismas y los
estilos de construcción del conocimiento del aprendiz.
Palabras
clave: estrategias educativas; aprendizaje; física.
|
Fecha de Recepción: 27-06-2017 |
Fecha de Aceptación: 31-10-2017 |
1. Introduction
The new trends for the teaching of
physics in the country demand the application of innovative strategies focused
on currents such as constructivism. This current offers alternatives to the
traditional method of teaching, looking for interactivity with the process that
is to be analyzed and taking into account other factors related to the social
environment and the way in which it is learned, being in the learning of
physics, training relevant what the teacher who gives the subject requires.
In accordance with the above, the
present research work, has as a general objective to determine the
constructivist strategies applied by the teacher for the learning of physics in
the Mathematics and Physics Education course, at the National Experimental
University "Rafael María Baralt", pointing out in the teaching
methods of the subject at the undergraduate level, and therefore describing the
aspects to take into account to achieve better performance in this, as well as
the training methods and existing learning styles, to later propose various
alternatives for the solution of possible problems.
On the other hand, it is important to
highlight that the teaching-learning process of sciences such as physics is
always a matter of concern and great significance in any of the educational
levels, from the basic to the more advanced courses where it is taught, either
in its pure essence or as a complement to other careers. This is because this
science in addition to developing conceptual principles through the process of
experimentation, also takes as a basis many of the concepts, signs and
representations of mathematics, which have to be more related to the student to
use or transfer them to the situations studied in this subject, as well as
general notions of science and even common language, which in most cases must
attribute different meaning to the one known up to that moment.
In this sense, considering the
approaches of Llamas (2008a: 14), for the learning of physics requires a
didactic procedure which can not be the classic rote and among the demands for
the study of the subject should be given great importance to the steps that
must be followed for the formation and development of theoretical thinking, on
the basis of which scientific concepts are constructed, obliging the teacher to
prepare himself in order to satisfy the knowledge needs requested by his
students and applying the different teaching techniques and strategies
according to the prevailing social context.
2. The problem
The teaching of
science and the professionalization of teachers in these areas, at all levels
of the educational system, from the university to the teacher, according to
Soussan (2009: 5), is a topic of great significance at world level, generating
concern even in the countries of greater development. This, because sciences
such as mathematics or physics have certain degrees of abstractness or
experimentation which hinder their learning, being their essential domain in
many fields of higher education.
In this order of ideas, Braga, Gallardo, Calderón,
Morales, and Kling (2011a: 5), state that when studying physics, the learner
must be able to apply representations of their reality among which they name
the necessary use of symbols, models, diagrams, verbal affirmations, as well as
formulas and graphs. However, according to the authors, more than 40% of the
participants who enter the University have problems when establishing a
connection between reality and its various forms of representation, not to
mention that it exists in more than 70% of These, a predisposition to the
constant memorization of certain phenomena or events, without devoting a space
to the understanding of them, this situation persisting for most of the
training process.
In this way, the aforementioned author raises, in General
Physics courses at university level, the assumption is that learners have
developed a range of prior knowledge from everyday situations, however, reality
seems to be another position that most of those entered in the career denote a
low level of connection between theory and practice, which is reflected in the
inability to abstract real phenomena, and consequently work is difficult when
manipulating abstract concepts, which turn out to be necessary for the proper
development of the teaching-learning process in an area of science with
certain levels of complexity such as physics.
Then, perhaps the students in the superior level
present some deficiencies or another type of knowledge not in agreement with
the programs in the university scope, and for that reason the mentioned authors
propose that the paper of the investigation in didactic of the physics can be
the one to initiate new and better teaching strategies in theory and problem
classes, as well as in laboratory practices, to control their effects both in
the learning or understanding of physics and in the motivation towards it.
In accordance
with the foregoing, the preparation of highly qualified people who assume their
role as men of science is required, however, as Rodriguez (2004: 4), mentioned,
in Venezuela, there has been an educational crisis for a long time, where In
many cases, a decontextualized teaching of local and global reality is applied,
with many factors including the need for teacher training and awareness of
their responsibilities to society.
Also, there is in the student at the university level,
the possibility of presence of some deficiencies in the basic knowledge
necessary to begin a higher study of physics, which could cause, in one way or
another in this, difficulties to assimilate and process new information at
deeper levels of knowledge, coupled with the fact that, perhaps the teacher is
not interested in diagnosing the present situation in the classroom environment
leading the teaching-learning process by the least appropriate route, to the
formative failure of the student.
In reference to what has been described, the National
Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt", located in the state
of Zulia, does not escape the problems posed, since according to the comparison
of its index of entrance and graduation in the Mathematics and Physics
Education in the last periods, the low level of graduates is shown, according
to information provided by the control of studies of the same University, which
is represented by 134 students when in the same time there was an income of 236
people, deducting from this the existence of deficiencies of the participants
in the study area, where the competencies required in their training may not be
being achieved for different reasons, resulting in low academic performance.
Similarly, according to the foregoing, a large part of
the students participating in the mathematics and physics course at the named
university present difficulties in the first levels in the area of physics,
as well as perhaps they are manifesting in these, problems for relate the
different contents of the subjects with the experiences of reality. Such
deficiencies seem to persist due to the graduation rates presented, which may
be causing problems of repetition or desertion of the participants in the race,
or leading to a low quality in the professionals who achieve graduation, who
may not get the right rhythm in the studies and therefore limit the learning
process.
Depending on what has been raised, it is worth asking:
Do teachers apply constructivist strategies in the
process of learning physics in the Mathematics and Physics Education career?
2. Objective of the investigation
Determine the
constructivist strategies applied by the teacher for the learning of physics in
the Mathematics and Physics Education.
3. Referential framework
3.1. Teaching Strategies based on a Constructivist
Approach
For Álviarez and others (2005:
12), strategies from a constructivist approach involve launching the phrase
"Learning to Learn" which means teaching students to become
autonomous, independent and self-regulating learners, capable of improving
their learning process , which implies the ability to reflect on the ways of
understanding learning, where the individual must move towards an intrinsic
process that allows him to efficiently apply a set of procedures with the
necessary flexibility to adapt to different problematic situations and be
transferred to other scenarios with similar characteristics.
Likewise, for the aforementioned
authors to talk about strategies is to refer to a set of procedures where the
execution of them occurs associated with other types of resources and cognitive
processes available for any learning and therefore, they constitute a specific
way of organizing the available resources of the teacher to obtain consistent
results when performing a certain task and tend to be of different types and
each one uses different elements to achieve its ends.
In this sense, it is understood
that these strategies will be the tools, procedures, thoughts, set of
activities and mental operations used by both the teacher and the student
taking into account what they know or master to achieve the joint construction
of meaningful learning.
In reference to what has been
described, the student of a subject with levels of abstraction such as physics
requires to learn in a strategic way, which implies that this:
a)
Controle sus procesos de aprendizaje. b) Se dé cuenta de lo que hace. c) Capte
las exigencias de la tarea y responda consecuentemente. d) Planifique y examine
sus propias realizaciones, pudiendo identificar aciertos y dificultades. e)
Emplee estrategias de estudios pertinentes para cada situación. f) Valore los
logros obtenidos y corrija sus errores. (Díaz y Hernández, 2010a: 19).
Similarly,
with regard to learning strategies in general terms, Díaz and Hernández (2010b:
20), state that it is necessary for the teacher to be fully defined in the
following points:
a) They are procedures. b)
They may include several specific techniques, operations or activities. c) They
pursue a specific purpose: learning and solving academic problems and / or
those other aspects related to them. d) They are more than "study habits"
because they are carried out flexibly. e) They can be open (public) or reserved
(private). d) They are sociocultural instruments learned in contexts of
interaction with someone who knows more.
On the other hand, according to Carretero,
(2009: 12), didactic strategies from a constructivist perspective must have at
least thought about situations such as the context in which they will be
developed, the skills or competences of the participants in the creation of
knowledge, knowledge processing styles of the participants, their learning
styles, the needs and motivations regarding the content to be learned and the
effectiveness of the strategy compared to other strategic alternatives.
3.2. Learning Physics
Physics as an academic discipline is a combination
of elements of the conceptual, experimental and abstract types that try to
respond to the study of the fundamental components of the universe summarized
in matter and energy, so that the learning of this science will always present
important challenges in all instructional levels.
Now, for this study learning is reduced to the
construction of knowledge by students by incorporating the elements offered by
the environment in close relationship with those developed within the academic
environment, so that, associated with physics, the learning will be framed in
the scope of competences, from a conceptual, experimental and abstract
perspective, during the passage of the learners by the discipline, which are
required to satisfactorily graduate from it.
In accordance with the above, Braga et al.
(2011b: 2), state that students entering the area of physics must achieve a
set of skills and abilities which must be possessed to guarantee an effective
teaching-learning process during the development of the university career and
between which mention: general abilities in the cognitive area, thinking and
reasoning ability, laboratory work, problem solving, as well as the development
of affective skills that allow the student to receive adequate training in the
aforementioned discipline.
On the other hand, Llamas (2008b: 16), states
that one of the main aspects to take into account in the learning of physics is
the conceptual construction, since among the current problems in the teaching
of the subject is the simplification and modification of concepts that lead to
the development of conceptual errors, which happens because content is often
structured without taking into account the level of student development.
In that sense, Braga et al. (2011c: 12), state
that the vast majority of the study material to be consulted by a physics
student corresponds to written materials, which is why it is necessary that
this student has a certain capacity for reading comprehension, since they can
maintain learning deficiencies during the study period.
In the same order of ideas, the previous authors emphasize
that a student of the physical discipline, must have the sufficient ability to
represent reality either through models, diagrams, graphics, the use of verbal
affirmations as well as various symbols and formulas, in addition to achieving
a necessary understanding of theorems, laws, algorithms, properties and
concepts, which goes far beyond a simple memorization of actions and theories,
because these difficulties will be present not only throughout their training
process but also when they wish to be trainers.
Also, for Braga et al. (2011d: 15), in the development of any
course of Physics as of Science in general, one should make frequent use of
logical reasoning and proportionality reasoning; the first to acquire the
ability to pass from one proposition to another, starting from what is already
known or what is believed to know the unknown or less studied, where the
student can realize when his conclusions are in total contradiction with
reality; and the second to establish some type of relationship considering
certain common patterns between one event and another, being essential when
creating links between variables in which a constant of proportionality is obtained,
applied to express the relationship between quantities.
4.
Methodological framework.
The study
developed corresponds to the descriptive type because it seeks to describe a
variable as it is presented at the time of its measurement. Descriptive research
according to Hernández and others (2010: 282), seeks to specify the important
properties of people, groups, communities or any other phenomenon that is
subject to analysis. The descriptive study measures or evaluates various
aspects, dimensions or components of the phenomenon or phenomena to be
investigated.
Also, in terms of design corresponds to the field and
documentary. The documentary research is done on the basis of documents or
bibliographic review, including in this category, among others, the designs of
models or proposals. According to Chávez (2012: 137), the purpose of
documentary studies is to collect information from written and unwritten
documents that can be analyzed and classified as qualitative or quantitative
research.
Field research is the type of research that relies on
information that comes, among others, from interviews, questionnaires, surveys
and observations. This research is field because it was developed in the place
where the object of study was located and it is documentary, because for its
realization it was necessary to review the bibliography related to the
research.
For the collection of information in this study, a
questionnaire of polycotomic responses is used, directed to the teachers who
teach the physical subject within the Mathematics and Physics career at the
National Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt", located in
the city of Cabimas, urbanization Los Laureles, Carretera H, Cabimas
Municipality, Zulia State in order to identify the constructivist strategies
applied by them in the process of learning physics in the Mathematics and
Physics Education course, as well as an Objective Test which was intended for
the students of the eighth semester of the Chair Physics and Laboratory V, of
the night shift, Headquarters Cabimas of the Education Program, Mathematical
Education and Physics Project in the UNERMB, to characterize the learning
process of the Physics developed by the same in the aforementioned career.
For Camerano and Soubirón (2010: 18), objective or
multiple choice tests consist of a set of clear and precise questions that
require a brief response from the student, generally limited to the choice of
an option already provided. The objective test that is applied in this
investigation consists of closed questions of simple selection, taking into
account for the statistical analysis the answers; correct or incorrect, valued
with points 1 and 0 respectively.
Likewise, the questionnaires according to
Arribas, (2009: 12), are instruments used for the collection of information,
designed to quantify and universalize it and standardize the interview
procedure. Its purpose is to achieve the comparability of this information. As
for the questionnaire, it consists of a set of items qualified by the Lickert
scaling method where the external subject is requested to react by choosing one
of the five points on the scale. Each point is assigned a numerical value,
considering for this instrument the alternatives: (Always), (Almost always),
(rarely), (Almost never), (Never), valued from 5 to 1 point in the respective
order.
5. Analysis of the results
The statistical analysis
of the data was made from the results of the application of a Questionnaire
with a reliability rtt = 0.97 for the Constructivist Strategies variable and an
Objective Test for the variable Learning of Physics reached a reliability of
KR20 = 0.69
In this sense, a distribution table of frequencies and general percentages
is presented where the constructivist strategies applied by the teacher in the
learning process of Physics are determined, in the Mathematics and Physics
Education career, considering as criteria for the alternatives the following:
(5.- Many constructivist strategies 4.- Many constructivist strategies 3.- Some
constructivist strategies 2.- Few constructivist strategies 1.- No
constructivist strategy.
Table 1: Constructivist
strategies applied by the teacher.
|
ALTERNATIVE |
fi |
fi % |
|
5 |
92 |
33,82% |
|
4 |
66 |
24,27% |
|
3 |
50 |
18,38% |
|
2 |
36 |
13,24% |
|
1 |
28 |
10,29% |
Source:
The Author (2017).
Graph 1: Constructivist
strategies applied by the teacher.
SEE IN THE
ORIGINAL VERSION
Source: The
Author (2017).
Referring to the general answers obtained for the variable Constructivist
Strategies, it is shown that in total a total of 58.09% of the teachers who
teach the subject Physics at the National Experimental University "Rafael
María Baralt" are trained and use strategies especially for promote the
link between the previous knowledge and the new information that the student
has to process, as well as apply them with high frequency in the learning
process of the subject.
However, there is a significant percentage of the population studied that
use a very low range and even never apply special strategies for processing
information, in addition to not having adequate training in the context where
they will be developed and they do not consider the knowledge processing styles
of the participants at the time of proposing any strategy and this is
represented by a total of 41.91%.
With regard to the learning variable of Physics, the following table
presents a distribution of frequencies and general percentages to characterize
the knowledge process achieved by the student in the Mathematics and Physics
Education career, considering as criteria for the alternatives the following:
(1.- Significant
Learning, 0.- Non-Significant Learning).
Table 2: Learning of Physics achieved by the student.
|
ALTERNATIVE |
fi |
fi % |
|
1 |
146 |
34,76% |
|
0 |
274 |
65,24% |
Source:
The Author (2017).
Graph 2: Learning
of Physics achieved by the student.
SEE IN THE
ORIGINAL VERSION
Source: The
Author (2017).
Based
on the general results obtained for the learning variable of physics, it is
observed in a majority percentage of 65.24% that the students of the subject
Physics and Laboratory V, in the Mathematics and Physics Education career have
not reached an apprenticeship Significant physics in the course of his studies
at the National Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt",
presenting deficiencies in the general abilities in the cognitive area, which
involve understanding written material, connection between reality and
representation, understanding and training concepts and description of events
from different reference systems; as well as in the development of
proportionality, logical and hypothetical deductive reasoning, in addition to
laboratory work, since they do not clearly distinguish between observations and
interpretations, among other things, in contrast to 34.76% of the study
population that has studied it. accomplished.
6. Research conclusions
In relation to
the objectives proposed in the study, the statistical results obtained,
considering also the analysis of results thrown by the instruments and the
theoretical aspects that underlie it, can be stated in general terms the
following conclusions about the constructivist strategies applied by the teacher
for the learning of physics in the career Education mention Mathematics and
Physics.
First, it is
evident that the teachers who teach the physical subject at the National
Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt", apply mostly
constructivist strategies in the teaching-learning process of the discipline,
varying them at the time of use , which is reflected in a total of 58.09% of
the population studied, however there is a high percentage of educators in the
institution who do not use strategies under this approach or do so very
infrequently, and this is represented in a total of 41.91% of the generality
investigated.
In the second
place, it was observed that the teachers who teach the physical subject at the
National Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt" use, in a
majority represented by an average of 75%, strategies to promote the link
between the previous knowledge and the new information that the student has to
process, his didactic training is mainly based on the skills or competences of
the participants for the creation of knowledge and the effectiveness of the
strategy used against other strategic alternatives, as well as applying them
from a practical perspective.
In third place,
it was evidenced in a majority percentage of 65.24% that the students of the
subject Physics and Laboratory V, in the Mathematics and Physics Education
career have not reached a significant learning of physics in the course of
their studies in the National Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt",
showing deficiencies both in the general capacities in the cognitive area, in
the thinking and reasoning capacity and above all in the laboratory work.
Fourth, it was
shown that the teachers who teach the physical subject at the National
Experimental University "Rafael María Baralt", do not apply most
constructivist strategies most appropriate in the teaching of physics in order
to achieve in their students significant learning, in the same way that they do
not take into account the context where they are going to develop and the
knowledge construction styles of the aforementioned learners.
7. Final thoughts
Encourage
teachers towards the study of new educational theories such as accelerated
learning, psychoneurolinguistic programming and emotional intelligence, which
can be applied in the development of innovative educational strategies used in
the learning of physics.
To improve the equipment and equipping
capacity of the Physics Laboratory, of the Education Program of the UNERMB, in
order to achieve the optimization in terms of the application of the strategies
by the teachers, the following is shown:
· The
experimentation in the laboratory is the instance that forces the student to
face situations that require the elaboration of particular models of the experiment
that must be framed in a more general physical model.
· Many
students take the laboratory as a place of study. It is often there that
students come with different concerns, such as things they want to try, that
are not necessarily part of curricular courses, for example, questions of
relativity, sound study of musical instruments and others.
·
There are few teaching
and research vocations that have found in the laboratory an environment that
encourages and motivates them.
·
For teachers, the laboratory
is the place of a "permanent room" where information exchange,
coordination of courses, written work and exams, discussion of didactic topics
and discipline are generated.
·
It is important that the
University has a group of tools and instruments that encourage the development
of research projects in the area of physical sciences, where the student is
also encouraged to establish connections between the theory learned and
practical knowledge that can build through experimentation.
·
Likewise, the University
must constantly establish agreements with the companies in charge of providing
adequate instrumentation to the institution in the area of physical sciences.
· On
the other hand, it is necessary to establish a quality control of the
instruments and the type used, as well as the teacher's preparation in the
handling of the same..
8.
References
Álviarez,
L, Guerreiro, Y, & Sánchez, A. (2005). El uso de estrategias
constructivistas por docentes de inglés con fines específicos. Revista Venezolana
de Ciencias de Sociales, 21 (47). Recuperado de: http://www.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1012-15872005000200006
Arribas, M. (2009). Diseño y
Validación de Cuestionarios. (2da ed.). Madrid. Matronas Profesión; vol.
5(17): págs. 23-29.
Braga, L., Gallardo R., Calderón M., Morales J., & Kling N.
(2011a,b,c,d). Espectro de dificultades que presentan los alumnos que
ingresan a la Universidad de Concepción en las carreras de ingeniería y
licenciatura en física. Concepción, España. Recuperado de: http://fisicaparalavida.webnode.com.ar/news/espectro-de-dificultades-que-presentan-los-alumnos-que-ingresan-a-la-universidad-de-concepcion-en-las-carreras-de-ingenieria-y-licenciatura-en-fisica-/
Camerano S. & Soubirón E. (2010). Diseño
de Pruebas Objetivas. Unidad Académica de Educación Química. Monte Video,
Uruguay.
Carretero,
M. (2009). Constructivismo y Educación. (3ra. ed.). Buenos Aires,
Argentina: Paidós.
Chávez, N. (2012). Introducción a la
Investigación Educativa. (6ta de.) Maracaibo, Editorial Universal.
Díaz, F.
& Hernández, G. (2010a,b). Estrategias docentes para un aprendizaje
significativo. Una interpretación constructivista. (3ra. ed.). México, D.F.: McGraw-Hill.
Hernández
S, Fernández C. & Batista P. (2010). Metodología de la Investigación.
(5ta ed.). Editorial McGraw-Hill.
Llamas A. (2008a,b). Una visión
estudiantil de la enseñanza de la física en el nivel superior. UAZ. México.
Unidad Académica de Física.
Rodríguez,
T. (2004). Retos de la formación de docentes en Venezuela. Revista
Pedagógica, vol. 25, No. 73, págs. 03-12. ISSN: 0798-9792.
Soussan G.
(2009). Enseñar las ciencias experimentales Didáctica y Formación. Santiago de Chile. Publicado
por la Oficina Regional de Educación de la UNESCO para América Latina y el
Caribe.
Avilner
Rafael Páez Pereira
e-mail: profavilnerp@gmail.com
Born in Carora, Lara State, Venezuela, on March 24, 1984. He attended
undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional Experimental “Rafael María
Baralt” (UNERMB), obtaining at 23 years the title of Lic. Educación Mención
Integral graduated with the distinction CUM LAUDE, but his passion for
mathematics led him to pursue undergraduate studies in this area in the same
house of studies in parallel with the master's degree in Teaching for Higher
Education in different venues, to obtain the 28 years the titles of Lcdo. in
Education Mathematical and Physical Education and Magister Scientiarum in
Teaching for Higher Education being the first place in both careers. Later he
completed a Doctorate in Education at the Universidad Nacional Experimental
“Rafael María Baralt” (UNERMB), Zulia State, awaiting the title to date. He is
currently working as a classroom teacher for hours at the Liceo Bolivariano
"José Véliz" and educational training link N° 17 of the municipality
of Torres, Lara state with 11 years of service in the Ministry of Popular Power
for Education.
The content of this manuscript is
disseminated under a Creative Commons License
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
- Original Version in
Spanish -
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29394/Scientific.issn.2542-2987.2018.3.7.2.37-56