CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Scientific literacy is more than just learning Science lessons from textbooks, rather, it

requires a set of skills such as identifying scientific problems and explaining scientific

phenomena. To raise scientific literate students, not just scientific informed ones, is the goal of

every Science class. But one common barrier that every Science teacher must deal with is the

students’ difficulty in understanding scientific concepts and processes. Many students become

discouraged by the subject, specifically in Biology, because of the complex vocabulary that they

have (or what they thought they need) to memorize in order to understand the subject. Therefore,

it is the teachers’ job, as facilitators of learning, to help the students overcome this barrier by

developing other ways where students can understand the subject, such as reducing the amount

of factual information to memorize and reducing much use of passive lecture format.

In a widely-acknowledged “Cone of Experience” that was proposed by Edgar Dale and

was originally developed in 1946, it was theorized that the more senses that are involved in

learning, the more and the better the learning will be. In Dale’s viewpoint (1972), most students

in schools did not acquire skills on how to think, discover, and solve real problems. Rather,

students were forced to memorize facts and knowledge, and as an effect, any knowledge they

learned became passive in their real lives. Because of this, he argued that there should have

revolutionary approaches to improve the quality of educational learning environments.

 Educational games are proven to be effective in helping students learn, love learning and

have fun while learning. One of the significant purposes of using games in teaching science is to

reinforce basic facts and principles. Instead of assessing the students understanding of the

processes and concepts taught in Science through seatwork assignments, a teacher can employ a

game of some sort to achieve the same objectives, or much better, to achieve some distinct

educational advantage that can’t be achieved by mere traditional practices. In a research study

conducted in Bulacan State University (2014) in the Philippines wherein the effectiveness of an

educational card game in reinforcing biological concepts in comparison with traditional teaching

methods was tested, it was shown that the card game is more effective than traditional teaching

methods. Likewise in the study carried out in Turkey (2018), it was found that educational games

enhance students' achievement and are an effective tool in providing the retention of new

knowledge. Furthermore, the participants found the games informative, entertaining and

reinforcing their learning. For them, the games are effective in enabling the retention of new

knowledge, promoting collaboration with their peers, and increasing their interest and motivation

for learning.

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration are two distinct but somehow related processes

that are taught in Biology. Misconceptions about the two commonly arise from students. In a

research study conducted in Michigan (2006) where the researchers made use of multiple-choice

questions that measure students' ability and inclination to trace matter through photosynthesis

and cellular respiration, it was found that students have particular difficulties tracing matter

between systems and have a persistent tendency to interconvert matter and energy.

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration both comprise multiple scientific elements, enzymes
together with various processes, thus, learning these two scientific processes can be difficult to

understand for students if not taught in way that is simple yet profound.

Therefore, in this study aims to develop and integrate an educational card game into the

teaching of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration in junior high school settings. The

researcher assumes that if the scientific concepts of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration can

be suitably integrated into a card game format, then students might be more engaged in the game

context and will achieve better learning results than with traditional instructions. Hence, this

study will attempt to investigate the impact of the educational card game on Grade 9 students’

understanding of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration and their perceptions toward learning

through playing educational card games.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. What is the profile of the study participants in terms of:

1.1 Grade in Science

2. Does learning Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration through playing the Bio-Cards

improve students’ conceptual understanding of these scientific processes?

3. What are students’ perceptions of learning through playing the Bio-Cards?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

 Bio-cards is a type of an educational card game that is intended to enhance students’

understanding of the concept and processes of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. Thus,

the results of this study will be significant to the following:

Students. The Bio-cards are to help students in learning the processes of Photosynthesis

and Cellular Respiration in a fun and exciting way. This educational card game is designed to

minimize the difficulty in memorizing scientific terms, together with the processes they are

involved in. Upon adding more senses involved in learning, concepts that the students get to

encounter through playing Bio-cards may become meaningful learnings to them, thus, making it

easier for them to remember. Furthermore, through this educational game, students’ critical

thinking skills and strategic skills may be enhanced as the students find their way to win over

their opponents.

Science Teachers. In line with the goal of developing scientific literate students, Bio-

cards can be an effective supplemental material for achieving such. Using educational card

games can help science teachers in overcoming the barrier of the students’ difficulty in

understanding scientific concepts and processes. With the use of Bio-cards, they can introduce a

new way of learning Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration that promotes easier way of

understanding scientific terms and processes. Moreover, utilization of educational card games in

class are proven to be fun and exciting, thus, aiding science teachers in motivating the students.

Curriculum planners. The results of this study might promote new insights in the

effectiveness and experiences brought by educational card games. Thus, curriculum planners

might consider adding educational card games as part of the curriculum. Moreover, they may

create a module that comprises activities that uses card games, not only in Science, but may also
be in other subjects with topics that include processes, events and terms that students find hard to

remember.

Parents. Utilization of educational card games is not limited within the four corners of

the classroom. For parents that are interested in coming up with ways that will help their children

in learning and keep them motivated, the results of this study may serve as a guide.

Educational Researchers. The results and recommendations of this study can be used as

a guide in conducting similar researches.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study will involve a regular Grade 9 class in Orani National High School-Main SY.

2019-2020. The researcher intentionally chose Grade 9 students as research respondents because

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration are taught during their first quarter (specifically in Unit

1 Module 4 of their Learning Manual).

For the construction and development of the Bio-cards, the content, mechanics and design

are to be evaluated by specialists in Biology. The content of this educational card game is limited

only to scientific terminologies comprised in the processes of Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration such as enzymes, elements, biotic materials, cellular membranes, etc.

 NOTES IN CHAPTER 1

Dale, E. (1972). Building a learning environment. Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Gutierrez, A. F. (2014). Development and Effectiveness of an Educational Card Game as
Supplementary Material in Understanding Selected Topics in Biology. CBE—Life
Sciences Education.
Selvi, M., & Çoşan, A. Ö. (2018). The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching
Kingdoms of Living Things. Universal Journal of Educational Research .
Wilson, C. D., Anderson, C. W., Heidemann, M., Merrill, J. E., Merritt, B. W., Richmond, G., . .
. Parker, J. M. (2006). Assessing Students’ Ability to Trace Matter in Dynamic Systems
in Cell Biology. CBE—Life Sciences Education.