Efficacy of Using Problem-Solving Method on the Teaching of Social Studies in Public Primary Schools in Busiki County Namutumba District
Abstract
The study sought to establish the efficacy of using a problem-solving approach in teaching social studies in Busiki County, Namutumba District, responding to three questions; (1) how a problem-solving method is used in the teaching of social studies? (2) What are the implications of using the problem-solving method in the teaching of social studies? (3) What are the hindrances to the use of problem-solving methods in the teaching of social studies? The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design and targeted public primary schools in Busiki County. The study population mainly comprised teachers who are the direct implementers of the approach. Questionnaires were used to obtain findings from 99 respondents purposively selected. According to the findings, the problem-solving method can be used to teach social studies in five main ways: critical thinking, historical studies, multiple analyses of events, using secondary sources of information, and using logical examples. The implications are: promoting critical thinking; developing skills for learners to face the real world; developing the ability to make evaluations; making learning more engaging; and promoting the sharing of ideas. The hindrances include; No platform for professional development, scepticism, no teaching aids, and No integration into the curriculum. Conclusively, the problem-solving method is an effective approach for teaching social studies in primary schools. It is therefore recommended that educational leaders try to consider the significance of incorporating critical thinking into social studies instruction, despite challenges like a lack of professional knowledge and scepticism
Downloads
References
Mohd Hawari, A. D., & Mohd Noor, A. I. (2020, October 19). Project Based Learning Pedagogical Design in STEAM Art Education. Asian Journal of University Education, 16(3), 102. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v16i3.11072
Drigas, A., & Karyotaki, M. (2016, June 27). Online and other ICT-based Training Tools for Problem-solving Skills. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET), 11(06), 35. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v11i06.5340
Widodo, A., Indraswati, D., Sutisna, D., Nursaptini, N., & Anar, A. P. (2020, December 28). Pendidikan IPS Menjawab Tantangan Abad 21: Sebuah Kritik Atas Praktik Pembelajaran IPS di Sekolah Dasar. ENTITA: Jurnal Pendidikan Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial Dan Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial, 2(2), 185– 198. https://doi.org/10.19105/ejpis.v2i2.3868
Zulaeha, I. (2013, November). Innovation Models of Indonesian Learning in Multicultural Society. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 103, 506– 514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.367
Christina, L. V., & Kristin, F. (2016, September 28). Efektivitas model pembelajaran tipe group investigation (gi) dan cooperative integrated reading and composition (circ) dalam meningkatkan kreativitas berpikir kritis dan hasil belajar ips siswa kelas 4. Scholaria : Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kebudayaan, 6(3), 217. https://doi.org/10.24246/j.scholaria.2016.v6.i3.p217-230
Fitriyani, F., & Nugroho, A. T. (2022, July 29). Literasi Digital di Era Pembelajaran Abad 21. El-Mujtama: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 2(2), 201– 208. https://doi.org/10.47467/elmujtama.v2i2.1088
Razak, A. A. (2022, February 28). Improving Critical Thinking Skills in Teaching through Problem-Based Learning for Learners: A Scoping Review. http://www.ijlter.net/index.php/ijlter/article/view/1263
Herawati, I., Widodo, S., Herawati, H., & Nurwahidin, M. (2023, September 1). Development of Steam Innovation Learning Against Conventional Methods of Teachers in Islamic Boarding Schools. https://doi.org/10.57235/jetish.v2i2.636
Yuan, R., & Stapleton, P. (2019, December 3). Learner teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and its teaching. ELT Journal, 74(1), 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccz044
Zembylas, P. M. (2021, September 8). Post-truth as difficult knowledge: fostering affective solidarity in anti-racist education. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 30(3), 295–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.1977984
Nganga, L., Roberts, A., & James, J. (2020, January 1). Examining pre-service teachers’ preparedness and perceptions about teaching controversial issues in social studies. The Journal of Social Studies Research; Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssr.2019.08.001
Dekker, T. J. (2020, September). Teaching critical thinking through engagement with multiplicity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100701
Mutiani, M., & Faisal, M. R. (2019, September 1). Urgency of The 21st Century Skills and Social Capital in Social Studies. The Innovation of Social Studies Journal. https://doi.org/10.20527/iis.v1i1.1256
Szabo, Z. K., Körtesi, P., Guncaga, J., Szabo, D., & Neag, R. (2020, December 3). Examples of Problem-Solving Strategies in Mathematics Education Supporting the Sustainability of 21st-Century Skills. Sustainability, 12(23), 10113. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310113
Issa, H. B. (n.d.). The Effect of Using Project Based Learning on Improving the Critical Thinking among Upper Basic Learners from Teachers’ Perspectives. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1302127
ŽivkoviĿ, S. (2016, October). A Model of Critical Thinking as an Important Attribute for Success in the 21st Century. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 232, 102–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.034
Bhatti, S. S., Gao, X., & Chen, G. (2020, September). General framework, opportunities and challenges for crowdsourcing techniques: A Comprehensive survey. Journal of Systems and Software, 167, 110611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2020.110611
Fairley, N., Fernandez, V., Richard‐Plouet, M., Guillot-Deudon, C., Walton, J., Smith, E., Flahaut, D., Greiner, M., Biesinger, M., Tougaard, S., Morgan, D., & Baltrusaitis, J. (2021, September). Systematic and collaborative approach to problem solving using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Applied Surface Science Advances, 5, 100112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsadv.2021.100112
Nagarajan, S., & Overton, T. (2019, November 5). Promoting Systems Thinking Using Project- and Problem-Based Learning. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(12), 2901–2909. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00358
Copyright (c) 2024 Mark Micheal Waiswa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
