New Perspectives in Science Education
The Effects of A Dual-Approach Instruction on Students’ Science Achievement and Motivation
Munirah S. Kadir, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University (Australia)
Alexander S. Yeung, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University (Australia)
Thierno M. O. Diallo, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University (Australia)
Richard M. Ryan, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University (Australia)
Anne Forbes, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University (Australia)
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a dual-approach instruction on students’ science achievement and motivation. The instruction was designed using the framework of cognitive load theory and self-determination theory, to facilitate both the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of students’ learning. The effects were assessed through an experimental study with a pretest-intervention-posttest design. A total of seven teachers and 427 Grade 7 students participated in this study. Four teachers were assigned to the intervention condition and participated in a series of workshops on the dual-approach instruction. These teachers then applied the intervention in the delivery of two science topics, Speed and Density, on 231 students. Multiple regression analyses of students’ achievement and motivation pre-test and post-test scores indicated that the intervention had a significant effect on students’ achievement in complex problem solving, as well as in the following six motivational attributes: self-regulation, task goal orientation, inquiry, sense of competence, education, and career aspirations in science. The results suggest that the dual-approach instruction benefits students in terms of dual outcomes: achievement and motivation.
