Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century

1.0 Definition for a 21st Century of Education Technology broadly understood has been transforming human life in one way or another for thousands of years. The mechanization of agriculture transformed the American labor market in the first half of the 20th century. But in the computer age, the pace of technological change is very rapid. And when essential daily tools can change in just five years, the impact over longer stretches can be profound. Many experts say that since the 1970s, new technologies, combined with demographic, political, and economic trends, have altered worlds work and social lives in ways that have significant consequences for todays young people. Those trends have prompted some education reformers to argue that the traditional curriculum is not enough: schools must provide students with a broader set of 21st century skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-saturated world.

The term "21st-century skills" is generally used to refer to certain core competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that advocates believe schools need to teach to help students thrive in today's world. In a broader sense, however, the idea of what learning in the 21st century should look like is open to interpretation and controversy. Thus, to get the real view of 21st century, a research has been done by Education Week (2010) webpage on their site by asking some expert in this area.

1. Richard Allington (Professor of Education, University of Tennessee; Early-Reading Expert) He said; "Im an old guy. Ive never Tweeted, Skyped, Facebooked, or YouTubed. Oddly, I dont feel the least bit disenfranchised by technology. I am preparing this response on my laptop, I use (though not much) my Blackberry every day, and I will e-mail this response. But Im still stuck on fostering 18th-century literacy in citizens. As far as I can tell, illiterates rarely use 21st-century literacies if only because they never developed the 18th-century kind of literacy. I think we actually could teach everyone to read (the old way) and for the life of me I cannot understand why schools would spend funds on computers when their libraries are almost empty of things students might want to read. I cannot understand why classrooms have whiteboards but no classroom libraries. The research, to date, has provided no evidence that having either computers or whiteboards in schools has any positive effect on students

Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
reading and writing proficiencies. But school and classroom libraries are well established as essential if we plan to develop a literate citizenry. However, there is no buzz about books."

2. Barnett Berry (Founder and CEO, Center for Teaching Quality) He said; "Twenty-first-century learning means that students master content while producing, synthesizing, and evaluating information from a wide variety of subjects and sources with an understanding of and respect for diverse cultures. Students demonstrate the three Rs, but also the three Cs: creativity, communication, and collaboration. They demonstrate digital literacy as well as civic responsibility. Virtual tools and open-source software create borderless learning territories for students of all ages, anytime and anywhere. Powerful learning of this nature demands well-prepared teachers who draw on advances in cognitive science and are strategically organized in teams, in and out of cyberspace. Many will emerge as teacherpreneurs who work closely with students in their local communities while also serving as learning concierges, virtual network guide, gaming experts, community organizers, and policy researchers."

3. Sarah Brown Wessling (2010 National Teacher of the Year) She said; "Twenty-first-century learning embodies an approach to teaching that marries content to skill. Without skills, students are left to memorize facts, recall details for worksheets, and relegate their educational experience to passivity. Without content, students may engage in problem-solving or team-working experiences that fall into triviality, into relevance without rigor. Instead, the 21st-century learning paradigm offers an opportunity to synergize the margins of the content vs. skills debate and bring it into a framework that dispels these dichotomies. Twenty-first-century learning means hearkening to cornerstones of the past to help us navigate our future. Embracing a 21st-century learning model requires consideration of those elements that could comprise such a shift: creating learners who take intellectual risks, fostering learning dispositions, and nurturing school communities where everyone is a learner."

4. Lynne Munson (President and Executive Director, Common Core) She said; "I define 21st-century learning as 20th- (or even 19th!-) century learning but with better tools. Todays students are fortunate to have powerful learning tools at their disposal that
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
allow them to locate, acquire, and even create knowledge much more quickly than their predecessors. But being able to Google is no substitute for true understanding. Students still need to know and deeply understand the history that brought them and our nation to where we are today. They need to be able to enjoy mans greatest artistic and scientific achievements and to speak a language besides their mother tongue. According to most 21stcentury skills advocates, students neednt actually walk around with such knowledge in their heads, they need only to have the skills to find it. I disagree. Twenty-first-century technology should be seen as an opportunity to acquire more knowledge, not an excuse to know less."

Thus, we can conclude that 21st century education and curriculum has certain critical attributes. It is interdisciplinary, project-based, and research-driven. It is connected to the community - local, state, national and global. Sometimes students are collaborating with people around the world in various projects. The curriculum incorporates higher order

thinking skills, multiple intelligences, technology and multimedia, the multiple literacies of the 21st century, and authentic assessments. Service learning is an important component. The classroom is expanded to include the greater community. Students are self-directed, and work both independently and interdependently.

The curriculum and instruction are designed to challenge all students, and provides for differentiation. The curriculum is not textbook-driven or fragmented, but is thematic, projectbased and integrated. Skills and content are not taught as an end in themselves, but students learn them through their research and application in their projects. Textbooks, if they have them, are just one of many resources. Knowledge is not memorization of facts and figures, but is constructed through research and application, and connected to previous knowledge, personal experience, interests, talents and passions.

The skills and content become relevant and needed as students require this information to complete their projects. The content and basic skills are applied within the context of the curriculum, and are not ends in themselves. Assessment moves from regurgitation of

memorized facts and disconnected processes to demonstration of understanding through application in a variety of contexts. Real-world audiences are an important part of the assessment process, as is self-assessment.
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
2.0 Skills for 21st Century Education

21st Century Schools, LLC recognizes the critical need for developing 21st century skills. However, we believe that authentic education addresses the whole child, the whole person, and does not limit our professional development and curriculum design to workplace readiness. Toward 21st century education, we need to produce students with 21st century skills. 21st century skills learned through our curriculum, which is interdisciplinary, integrated, project-based, and more, include and are learned within a project-based curriculum by utilizing the seven survival skills advocated by Tony Wagner (2008) in his book, The Global Achievement Gap:

a) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving b) Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence c) Agility and Adaptability d) Initiative and Entrepreneurialism e) Effective Oral and Written Communication f) Accessing and Analyzing Information g) Curiosity and Imagination

a) Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Critical thinking involves logical thinking and reasoning including skills such as comparison, classification, sequencing, cause/effect, patterning, webbing, analogies, deductive and inductive reasoning, forecasting, planning, hypothesizing, and critiquing.

Reason Effectively Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation

Use Systems Thinking Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Make Judgments and Decisions Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

Solve Problems Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

b) Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence Collaboration is an essential skill for us, Command and control leadership style is becoming less and less valued in organizations. People have to understand the importance of working fluidly and across boundaries. As organizations become more global, the ability to work fluidly around the world is a competitive advantage: understanding how to leverage the globe, time zones, where the work can best be done, where there are skills that best match the task, either because of the culture or the training. (-Annmarie Neal, VP Cisco Systems) We have to have more of a global consciousness today we have to interact around the globe with people from diverse cultures and religions. People who have grown up in the US have to go through more steps to better understand what is going on in the world. (-Retired Colonel USMA Robert Gordon) Global Awareness refers to the ability of students to: Use 21st Century Skills (like critical thinking and problem solving) to understand and address global issues. Learn from and work collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue in personal, work, and community contexts.
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Understand other nations and cultures, including the use of non-English languages. (The Partnership for 21st Century Skills) (from The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, 22-30)

c) Agility and Adaptability Anyone who comes to work at BOC Edwards today has to think, be flexible, change and be adaptive, and use a variety of tools to solve new problems. We change what we do all the time. Ive been here four years, and weve done fundamental reorganization every year because of changes in the business. People have to learn to adapt. I can guarantee that the job I hire someone to do will change or may not exist in the future, so this is why adaptability and learning skills are more important than technical skills. (Clay Parker, BOC Edwards) Peoples jobs change very rapidly. Ive been at Dell a long time in similar sales and marketing functions but what I do today versus what I did five or six years ago is completely different. To survive you have to be flexible and adaptable and a lifelong learnerAnd so some of the key competencies we hold employees accountable for include the ability to deal with ambiguity, the ability to learn on the fly, and strategic agility. What goes on in classrooms today is the same stuff as fifty years ago, and thats just not going to cut it. (Karen Bruett, Dell) You have to be able to take in all sorts of new information, new situations, and be able to operate in ambiguous and unpredictable ways, you have to thrive in this environment and deliver results. Our system of schooling promotes the idea that there are right answers, and that you get rewarded if you get the right answer. But to be comfortable with this new economy and environment, you have to understand that you live in a world where there isnt one right answer, or if there is, its right for only a nanosecond. (Ellen Kumata, Cambria Associates, consultant to Fortune 200 Cos.) (from The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, 30-32)

d) Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Leaders today want to see individuals take more initiative and even be entrepreneurial in terms of the ways they seek out new opportunities, ideas, and strategies for improvement. We need self-directed people who can find creative solutions to some very tough, challenging problems. (Mark Maddox, Unilever) Businesses have become much more clear about the skills theyre looking for: an achievement orientation and a drive for results, individuals who are self-starters, who take initiative, and who are entrepreneurial. And now theyve decided to make finding, growing, and retaining this kind of talent a part of the performance management system for executives. (Ellen Kumata, Cambria Assoc. / consultant to Fortune 200 Cos.) Leadership is the capacity to take initiative and trust yourself to be creative, I say to my employees if you try five things and get all five of them right, you may be failing. If you try ten things, and get eight of them right, youre a hero. If you set stretch goals, youll never be blamed for failing to reach a stretch goal, but you will be blamed for not trying. (Mark Chandler, Cisco Systems) (from The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, 32-34)

e) Effective Oral and Written Communication Communication skills are a major factor highlighted in dozens of studies over the years that focus on students lack of preparation for both college and the workplace, and these skills are only going to become more important as teams are increasingly composed of individuals from diverse cultures. The ability to express ones views clearly in a democracy and to communicate effectively across cultures is an important citizenship skill as well. The biggest skill people are missing is the ability to communicate: both written and oral presentations. Its a huge issue for us. (Annmarie Neal, VP for Talent Management for Cisco Systems) We are routinely surprised at the difficulty some young people have in communicating: verbal skills, written skills, presentation skills. They have difficulty being clear and concise; its hard for them to create focus, energy, and passion around the points they want to make.
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Youre talking to an exec, and the first thing youll get asked if you havent made it perfectly clear in the first sixty seconds of your presentation is, What do you want me to take away from this meeting? (Mike Summers, VP for Talent Management at Dell Computers) While its obviously important to write and speak correctly, the complaints I heard most frequently were more about fuzzy thinking and the lack of writing with a real voice. What business leaders dont understand, however, is that most teachers arent trained or encouraged to teach this kind of writing. Instead, they are often asked to teach 120 or more students a day a simplistic formula style of writing that will enable the students to pass standardized tests. (Tony Wagner, author, former HS English Teacher, Harvard Professor) (from The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, 34-36)

f) Accessing and Analyzing Information There is so much information available that it is almost too much, and if people arent prepared to process the information effectively it almost freezes them in their steps. (Mike Summers, VP for Talent Management at Dell Computers) Theres so much more data that people have to synthesize. And they cant just produce a bunch of reports. They have to find the important details and then say heres what we should do about it. (Retail Industry Worker) Obviously, this information revolution has profound implications not just for work but also for citizenship and lifelong learning. To be active and informed citizens today, knowing how to read the newspaper is no longer enough. We have to be able to access and evaluate information from many different sources. Indeed, all this access to information is of little use and may even be dangerous if we dont know how to evaluate it. Thus the immediate availability of information places an even greater premium on critical thinking skills. (Tony Wagner) (from The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, 36-38)

g) Curiosity and Imagination

Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Creativity and innovation are key factors not only in solving problems but also in developing new or improved products or services. And so todays employees need to master both left-brain skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, accessing and evaluating information, and so on and right-brain skills such as curiosity, imagination, and creativity. It is not enough to just be trained in the technique of how to ask questions as lawyers and MBAs often are, for example. Employees must also know how to use analytical skills in ways that are often more out-of-the-box than in the past, come up with creative solutions to problems, and be able to design products and services that stand out from the competition. In other words, they have to be new and improved knowledge workers those who can think in disciplined ways, but also those who have a burning curiosity, a lively imagination, and can engage others empathetically. (Tony Wagner) (from The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, 38-42)

3.0

Changes From 20th Century To 21 Century

In education towards the 21st century, many changes must be made, especially the role of teachers and students. This matter can be summarized by reference to the diagram below.

Diagram 1

Diagram 2

Diagram 1 show that the process of education in the 20th century is centered on content alone. in the learning process, teachers can only act as a provider of information on topics and content to students only act passively receiving information from teachers. The
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
learning process works only on one side. Teachers and students about a two-way communication and learning processes become inactive.

Meanwhile, Diagram 2 shows a substantial change of the role of teachers and students. The learning process is no longer only about the content of the class alone. The learning process began to be applied to real problems that occur in the real world. The students will go through the process of learning to solve real problems given the skills, the learning process in the 21st century. While the teacher acts as the active initiator of the problem environment. From the changes of the 20th century into the 21st century in education, we can see how the education process more emphasis on student-centered learning process. The learning process emphasizes what students get from learning against syllabus subjects spent alone.

4.0

Difference between 20th Century Classroom and 21st Century Classroom The difference between the 20 th century classrooms and classrooms of the 21st

century was written by reference to the 21st Century School's website (2008).

20th Century Classroom

21st Century Classroom

A classroom at the School of Environmental USA 1960s typical classroom teachercentered, fragmented curriculum, students working in isolation, memorizing facts. Time-based Focus: memorization of discrete facts. Studies, aka the Zoo School, in Minneapolis. A perfect example of real-life, relevant, problem-based 21st century education. Outcome-based Focus: what students Know, Can Do and Are Like after all the details are forgotten.

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Lessons focus on the lower level of Blooms Learning is designed on upper levels of Taxonomy knowledge, comprehension and Blooms synthesis, analysis and evaluation application. (and include lower levels as curriculum is designed down from the top.) Textbook-driven Research-driven

Passive learning

Active Learning

Learners work in isolation classroom within Learners 4 walls

work

collaboratively

with

classmates and others around the world the Global Classroom

Teacher-centered:

teacher

is

center

of Student-centered: teacher is facilitator/coach

attention and provider of information

Little to no student freedom

Great deal of student freedom

Discipline problems" educators do not No discipline problems students and trust students and vice versa. No student teachers have mutually respectful relationship motivation. as co-learners; students are highly motivated.

Integrated and Interdisciplinary curriculum Fragmented curriculum

Grades averaged

Grades based on what was learned

Low expectations

High expectations If it isnt good it isnt done. We expect, and ensure, that all students succeed in learning at high levels. Some may go higher we get out of their way to let them do that.

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Teacher is judge. No one else sees student Self, Peer and Other assessments. Public work. audience, authentic assessments. and Curriculum is connected to students

Curriculum/School

is

irrelevant

meaningless to the students.

interests, experiences, talents and the real world.

Print is the primary vehicle of learning and Performances, projects and multiple forms of assessment. Diversity in students is ignored. media are used for learning and assessment Curriculum and instruction address student Multiple literacies of the 21st century aligned to living and working in a globalized new millennium. Factory model, based upon the needs of Global model, based upon the needs of a employers for the Industrial Age of the 19th globalized, high-tech society. century. Scientific management. Driven by the NCLB and standardized testing Standardized testing has its place. Education mania. is not driven by the NCLB and standardized testing mania.

Literacy is the 3 Rs reading, writing and diversity math

1.0

What is Problem Based Learning?

According to Woei Hung et al. (n.d) problem based learning is an instructional method initiates students learning by creating a need to solve an authentic problem. During the problem solving process, students construct content knowledge and develop problem-solving skills as well as self-directed learning skills while working toward a solution to the problem. Beringer (2007) states that problem based learning (PBL) is a student-centered educational method that uses problem solving as the starting point for learning. PBL is designed to develop problem-solving strategies, disciplinary knowledge bases and skills simultaneously by placing students in the active role of problem-solvers. This is achieved by confronting students with problems typical of the real world.
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
According to Dolmans et al., 2001 as cited in Beringer (2007), in PBL, the problem solving process is central and involves the following steps: 1. Observation or information gathering. 2. Questions, ideas and hypothesis formulation. 3. Learning issues/inquiry strategy. 4. Action plan 5. Reflection Hallinger and Bridges (n.d) conclude that PBL is an instructional strategy that has the following characteristics: 1. The starting point for learning is a problem (that is, a stimulus for which an individual lacks a ready response). 2. The problem is one that students are apt to face as future professionals. 3. The knowledge that students are expected to acquire during their professional training is organized around problems rather than the disciplines. 4. Students, individually and collectively, assume a major responsibility for their own instruction and learning. 5. Most learning occurs in the context of small groups rather than lectures.

2.0

History of Problem Based Learning

PBL is originated in medical schools at Case Western Reserve University in the United States in the 1950s and McMaster University in Canada in the 1960s. Originally, it was developed to enhance medical education quality. In 1969, McMaster University replaced its traditional lectures in first year basec courses by an integrated curriculum structured with authentic peoblems stemming from patient cases (McKeachie and Svinicki, 2006 as cited in Kaunert, 2009). PBL is now used worldwide in higher education in many different areas, in particular through the use of case studies in business schools, as well as international relations simulations.

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
3.0 Characteristics of Problem Based Learning

Woei Hung et al. (n.d) states that the aims of PBL is to improve learning by requiring students to solve problems. PBL has the following characteristics: It is problem focused, and students begin their learning by addressing simulations of an authentic, ill-structured problem. The content and skills to be learned are organized around problems and the knowledge building is stimulated by the problem and applied back to the problem. It is student centered, and the teachers role is only as a facilitator who creates the learning environment, facilitate group processes, and never interject content or provide direct answer to questions. It is self-directed, such that students individually and collaboratively assume responsibility for generating learning issues and processes through self-assessment and peer assessment and access their own learning materials. It is self-reflective. Students monitor their understanding and learn to adjust strategies for learning.

To fulfill the aims of PBL, according to Woei Hung et al. (n.d) the PBL learning process normally involves the following steps: Students always work in groups of 5 to 8 persons discuss about the problem. They will set learning goals by identifying what they already know, what hypotheses they can think of, what they need to learn to better understand the dimension of the problem, and what learning activities are required and who will perform them. During self-directed study, individual students collect and study resources and prepare reports to the group. Students share their learning with the group and revisit the problem, generating additional hypotheses and rejecting others based on their learning. At the end of the learning period, students will summarize and integrate their learning.

4.0

Model for Problem Based Learning

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
One of the Problem Based Learning model that is frequently used is FILA model. The FILA model is as follows:

Figure 1 shows a FILA chart

To explain more about the model, we use topic electrochemistry for an example. Below is the example of FILA model implementation for Problem Based Learning in pedagogic process. Example: Learning Area: Electrochemistry Learning Objectives: Develop awareness and responsible practices when handling chemicals used in electrochemical industries. Learning Outcomes: A student is able to: 1. Justify the fact that electrochemical industries can improve the quality of life. 2. Describe the problem of pollution caused by the industrial processes involving electrolysis. Situation: One day, Bee, Hananey, Akmal and Ain were planning for a picnic. They decided to go to Sungai Skudai which are beautiful and famous place to visit and spend their time together. When they arrive, they feel so disappointed and surprised because the surrounding was totally different. While they walked along the river, they saw floating materials such as plastics tins, human waste and oils. The water also looks cloudy and dirty.
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Problem: As a chemistry students, we feel responsible to investigate and find the causes of those pollution problems. We were thinking, what are the sources that had causes the river to become pollute? How to treat the river so that it will become clean and free from pollution? To solve the problem, students have to use the FILA chart. The FILA chart is as follows: Fact 1. Bee, Hananey, Akmal and Ain saw floating materials such as plastics, tins, human waste and oils. 2. Water looking cloudy and dirty. 2. Is there an industrial factory near the river? Ideas 1. Where are the floating materials came from? Learning Issues 1. Find out the sources where the floating material came from. 2. Find out whether the pollution comes from industry or not. 3. Is there residential area near the river? 3. Find out which house channel discard waste into the river. 4. How to treat the water to make it clean and can be used by humans? 4. Find out the best way to treat the water. 1. Do the waste water treatment by constructed wetland. 1. Do survey 2. Report to government 1. Take water sample of river and do lab test Action Plan 1. Do survey

5.0

Advantages of Problem Based Learning

Numerous studies had been done to investigate the effectiveness of Problem Based Learning. The common result that researches report are retention of content, problem-solving skills,

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
higher order thinking, self-directed learning/life-long learning, and self-perception and confidence.

Retention of Content Norman and Schmidt (1992) found that after 6 months the course was completed, PBL students recall was up to five times greater on the concepts studied than traditional students. The study by Martenson et al. (1985) showed that there is no difference found in the shortterm retention of the content between PBL students and traditional students. However, the PBL students long-term retention rate was 60% higher than the traditional students, 2- 4 years after the course was completed. In addition, the PBL students tended to remember more about principles, compared to the traditional students who retained more rote-memorization types of knowledge. On the other hands, Eisensteadt et al. (1990) discovered that PBL students retained less than traditional students in immediate recall test. However, 2 years later, PBL students retention rate remained consistent while the traditional students retention had declined significantly. Therefore we can conclude that PBL mignt not improve students initial acquisition of knowledge, but the deeper processing of information in PBL classes helps to foster better retention of knowledge over a longer period of time.

Problem Solving Skills Gallagher et al. (1992) found that PBL students showed a significant increase in the use of the problem-finding step from pretest to post-test, which was a critical problem-solving technique. In contrast, the comparison group tended to skip the problem-finding step and move directly from the fact-finding step to the implementation step. Several studies have shown that PBL has very positive effects on students transfer of problem-solving skills to workplaces. For example,Woods (1996) reported that employers praised McMaster Universitys PBL chemical engineering graduates outstanding problem-solving skills and job performance. Compared to other new employees who typically required 1 to 1-1/2 years of on-the job training to be able to solve problems independently.

Higher Order Thinking

Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
To be an effective problem solver, ones need to possess analytical, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills. A critical thinking skill helps to evaluate information and reflecting on ones own problem-solving process needs metacognitive skills. Shepherd (1998) reported that fourth-and fifth-grades students shows a higher increase in critical thinking skills measured by the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) than the traditional students after completing a PBL course.

Self-Directed Learning/Life-Long Learning The ultimate goal of PBL is to educate students to be self-directed, independent, life-long learners. Through actively executing problem-solving processes and observing tutors modeling problem-solving, reasoning, and metacognitive processes, PBL students learn how to think and learn independently. Blumberg and Michael (1992), as cited in Woei Hung et.al, (n.d) used students self-reports and library circulation statistics as measures of students selfdirected learning behaviors between a PBL class (partially teacher-directed) and a lecturebased class. They concurred that PBL promoted self-directed learning behaviors in students.

Self-Perception And Confidence. The impact of PBL have been positively perceived by the students. Numerous studies have shown that students consider PBL to be effective in promoting their learning in dealing with complex problems, improve their confidence in judging alternatives for solving problems, acquiring social studies content, developing thinking and problem solving skills, higher level thinking, and information management skills (Woei Hung et.al, n.d). 6.0 Challenges of Problem Based Learning Research by Sikoyo (2010) have shown that the main challenge in implementing Problem Based Learning are time constraint, medium of instruction, school instructional cultures, inadequate instructional resources, and minimal learner involvement in pedagogic processes. The details of the study are discussed below:

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
Time Constraint A lot of researches had reported that time constraint is the main challenges in implementing Problem Based Learning. Problem-solving approach stressing on giving students the opportunity to actively engage in learning activities, as well as providing individual attention to each student. However, many teachers complaint that it is difficult to actively engaging all the students in the learning activities as well as providing them with individual attention in the limited time scheduled, especially when they are dealing with large classes. Furthermore, the teachers reported that they needed substantial time to prepare instructional materials, pre-plan experiments, organize and supervise group work sessions and also attend to individual learning needs, particularly in the large classes. However, the overcrowded school curriculum did not provide adequate time for all these activities. The forty minute lessons are insufficient for learners to actively engage in the learning processes as required by the official curriculum.

Medium of Instruction Language barriers give a significant impact to the pedagogic process. Teachers at the low achieving research school reported that their students low proficiency in English language withdrawn their confidence to actively engage in learning activities. As an alternative for the teachers, they frequently switched between English and Luganda, the dominant local language in Uganda to assist the students grasp the concepts and understand the instructions in English. Therefore, the teachers reported how they were obliged to pace instruction slowly to match the low academic abilities of the students. School Instructional Cultures From the study that had been conducted by Sikoyo (2010), there is a significant different of instructional cultures between high achieving school and the low achieving school. Teachers accounts showed that the instructional environment in the high performing schools constrained their efforts to provide flexibility in their pedagogic contexts.

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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
High performing schools were characterized by structured and hierarchical organizational frameworks, with centralized curriculum planning and monitoring systems. Teachers in these schools explained that their work was monitored regularly by head teachers, deputy head teachers, subject department heads and academic committees. Therefore, the frequent supervision constrained teachers spontaneity and decision making. As a result, the teachers have little flexibility in learning processes. Flexibility in instruction allows teachers to adjust the learning activities in ways that appropriate with individual learners needs, abilities and progress. In addition, these teachers reported that they were under tremendous pressure from their school administrations to complete syllabus in order to prepare their students for national examinations. On the other hands, the low performing schools which had fewer structure organizational systems, less centralized planning and fewer instructional monitoring systems than the high performing school, have more room for flexibility in their pedagogic processes. The teachers have more flexibility in terms of sequencing and pacing rules which was key to providing remedial learning approaches that is necessary in this school context.

Inadequate Instructional Resources Instructional material and teaching aids are very important in teaching in order to enhance students understanding. Especially for science subject, Activity based science instruction relies heavily on supplies and equipment for hands-on activities. Provision of necessary instructional material such as specialized apparatus and materials are vital for effective implementation of the problem-solving approach. Moreover, due to the lack of required material and facilities for practical science activities, teachers usually omit such activities or handle the topics theoretically.

Minimal Students Involvement in Pedagogic Processes Problem based learning requires the students to actively participate in learning processes and take control of their own learning. This type of students engagement activities requires a good relation between the teacher and the learners as well as amongst the learners themselves. However, from classroom observations, it can be seen that the hierarchical social
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Problem Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching: Using Problems to Power Learning In 21st Century
relations between the teacher and the students constrain active participation of students in pedagogic processes.

Preference Education Week. 2010. How Do You Define 21st-Century Learning?. Retrieve on 4March2012 from http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01panel.h04.html Tony Wagner. 2008. The Global Achievement Gap. New York. Basic Books. 21st Century School. 2008. What is 21st Century Education?. Retrieve on 4March2012 from http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm

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