Contextualized self-regulated learning materials in life science anchored on students' funds of knowledge

• Main Author: Lapada, Aris A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Funds of knowledge; Life sciences; Action research in education; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdd_scied/13; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdd_scied/article/1012/viewcontent/Contextualized_Self_Regulated_Learning_Materials_in_Life_Science.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This action research employed the Plan-Do-Study-Act model to develop a self-regulated module based on students' funds of knowledge, called Contextualized Self-Regulated Learning Materials in Life Science. In the first cycle of this study, a preliminary study on the determination of contextualization using funds of knowledge among Life Science teachers, students' online distance learning preferences, and challenges inventory were conducted as the bases of this study. Moreover, explorations of students' funds of knowledge on Biodiversity, Genetic Engineering, and Climate Change were done. The students' funds of knowledge gained from the investigations were contextualized in the Life Science concepts. The module's design focused on the three essential theories: contextualization using funds of knowledge, self-regulated learning, and constructivist learning. The research process was subdivided into three, namely: pre-implementation phase, implementation phase, and post-implementation phase. In the Pre-implementation phase, the Contextualized Self-Regulated Learning Materials in Life Science were created using the researcher-made steps on integrating students' funds of knowledge into Life Science concepts. Afterward, expert validators validated the modules based on the objective, content, format and language, presentation, and usefulness. At the same time, students’ perceptions on the modules’ format and content were also obtained from freshman students. In the Implementation phase, the three topics were taught using the modules. From the activities and learning gain scores from pretest to posttest, the 81 first-year college students included in the study had good scores; moreover, their science attitudes were significantly improved. In the post-implementation phase, teachers' and students' affordances and challenges in using the modules as a teaching tool and a learning tool, respectively, were determined through focus group discussions. Among the teachers' affordances of the modules were accessibility of teaching materials, connectedness to the lesson, and improvements in teaching efficiency, while the students' affordances in using the modules were modules help students to think critically, learners' autonomy, helps motivate students to learn and promotes patriotism among them. On the other hand, the challenges faced by the teachers were scarcity of localized teaching materials and experiences, not all topics are applicable in the contextualization of students' funds of knowledge, and feedback session problems. Furthermore, students experienced connectivity problems downloading the modules and accomplishing Google forms and limited resources, especially in the genetic engineering lesson. For the next cycle, this study recommends conducting microtraining on how contextualization of community funds of knowledge can be done in various disciplines. Moreover, this microtraining aims to produce some lesson exemplars on this pursuit that can be used in face-to-face classes since most academes have started offering limited face-to-face classes.