Using Brain Targeted Teaching Model in Teaching Psychology to Develop Systemic Thinking Skills of Secondary Stage Students with Different Mental Capacities,2019

Master Thesis Submitted byEbtesam Rady Mohamed Kassem
Supervised by:
Prof. Ali Said Mohammed Abdel-Galel
Prof. Osama Arabi Mohammed Ammar

With the complexity of life, most of the problems facing us have become complex and complicated problems, usually related to several effective factors, and as a result of these previous actions and attempts by some of these parties to modify them. So, learning to think had a great importance in general and the development of systemic thinking skills in particular for its importance in present and future life.

Systemic thinking requires develop higher thinking skills such analyzing the situation and then re-assembling its components flexibly with the multiplicity of methods of recombination and organization in the light of the required access; because the fundamental and important role of systemic thinking is to enable the mind to work efficiently enough to adapt with the changing conditions and complexity of the distinctive human age, which requires teaching thinking curriculum.

Therefore, systemic thinking has become a basic demand of life demands and achievement of the objectives of the educational process not only teaching objectives but long-term goals to deal with the present and prepare for the future, thus the educational process subsystem within the systems of life.

Since knowledge and information are very different from learners, learning is influenced by the levels of preparing and processing of information within the human brain. We do not store information in the same way as we are sent, but we synthesis, or re-framing, generate inter-relationships or organize this information.

Therefore, the deeper treatment of the learned material requires the use of greater energy to make sense and meaning.

Mental capacity varies from person to person in an organized manner, and this capacity interacts with the information that received according to the prior information that can interact with. Whether the education aspects, including the concepts, are presented with a good and appropriate strategies, it offers the great chance for students to interact and help the individuals with low mental capacity.

So, the brain-based instruction model is very important in terms of presenting information within the context and life experience so that learners can relate vocabulary with meaningful frames in their lives and provide a rich learning environment with emotions, relationships and connections, full of real experiences and sensory data, To search for the integration of the teaching process for both students and teachers.

Problem of the study:

Despite the importance of developing the systemic thinking skills through the teaching of the psychology course, and, by conducting an exploratory study in which the thinking test was applied, the system skills consisted of (28) items and pascaleone measure of the mental capacity, which consisted of (36) items which applied on a sample of second secondary students from Almadmar secondary school in Tema Town, Sohag governorate. The results of this study clarified the low level of thinking skills in the students, as well as the inability of the students to keep the information in the course of psychology and their inability to absorb some topics of this course, and clarified through the application of the Pascaleone (%59) of students have low mental capacity.

In the light of the results of the exploratory study and the results of previous studies such as the study of Safa Ali (2007), the study of Imad Thabet (2008), Mohamed Mohamed study (2012) And the study of Hung (2008), which found that there is a decline in the level of systemic thinking skills, the study of Ali Abdul Jalil (2005), and the study of Muhammad Nuradin (2015) whose results confirmed that the mental capacity affected on the efficiency of information processing.

In light of these results and the results of previous studies, there was a decline in the level of systemic thinking skills and poor retention and assimilation of secondary stage students. Therefore, there is a need to use modern models and strategies to develop the systemic thinking skills and the ability to deal with different levels of mental capacity.

Questions of the study:

   The current study seeks to answer the following main question:

1 - What is the effectiveness of the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching of psychology to develop the systemic thinking skills in the second-grade secondary students?

2 - What is the effectiveness of the brain-based instruction model in teaching of psychology to develop the systemic thinking skills in the second-grade secondary high mental capacity in the experimental group?

3 - What is the effectiveness of the brain-based instruction model in teaching of psychology to develop the systemic thinking skills in the second-grade secondary low mental capacity in the experimental group?

Objective of the study:

    The present study aims to:

• develop some systemic thinking skills in the light of the use of the Brain-Targeted Teaching in the second-grade students with different mental capacities.

Hypothesis of the study:

    The current study aims to test the validity of the following assumptions:

• There is a statistically significant difference between the average scores of the control group and experimental in the post systematic thinking skills test for the experimental group.

• There is a statistically significant difference between the average of the experimental group scores in the pre and posttests of the systematic thinking skills for the post-test.

•There is a statistically significant difference between the average scores of the control group and the low mental capacity in the post-test of the systemic thinking skills for students with high mental capacity.

• There is a statistically significant difference between the higher and lower mental group scores in the post-test of the systemic thinking skills for high-capacity students.

• There is a statistically significant difference between the higher and lower-order levels of the control and experimental groups in the post- test of the systemic thinking skills for low-mental capacity students in the experimental group.

• There is a statistically significant difference between the control group and the higher-mental capacity experimental group in the post-test of the systemic thinking skills for the higher-mental capacity students in the experimental group.

Significance of the study:

      The study derives its importance from:

- Theoretical importance:

      The importance of this study considers is one of a few studies that interested in   Brain-Targeted Teaching in teaching of psychology course in general and the model of teaching directed to the brain in particular, and the skills of systemic thinking, thus:

- The current study may serve to provide a conceptual framework for the brain-directed teaching model and systemic thinking skills.

- Practical importance: The current study - through the program presented - can benefit both:

- Students: This program may help secondary stage students to develop some systematic thinking skills with different mental capacities.

- Teachers: Keeping pace with the new trend of modern studies that have become focused on the systematic thinking, and understanding the mechanism of the brain action, and consideration of the individual differences, and how to deal with different capacities.

- Encourage the responsible for the educational process to interest the various mental capacities and that the mental capacity of the learner is an influential factor in how to deal with knowledge and information and the learners are clearly difference; so that these variables are taken into account in the psychology course in the textbook.

- Researchers: This study is expected to open new fields for researchers to conduct many studies and researches on the use of Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching other subjects.

Delimitations of the study:

      The current study is limited to:

     The second unit (motivation and emotion in our daily lives) and the third unit (Cognitive processes) of the psychology course for the second-secondary school, in the development of systemic thinking skills (understanding the systematic relations skill, systematic analysis skill, systematic synthesis skill, systematic evaluating skill). The model was applied to a group of second-stage of secondary students at Tema Secondary School for Girls - Tema Educational Administration - Education Directorate in Sohag during the second semester of the academic year 2018/2019.

Methodology of the study:

      The current study used the experimental method based on semi-experimental design with the experimental and control groups and the pre posttest on the two research groups to find out the effectiveness of using the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching of psychology on developing of systemic thinking skills among high school students with different mental capacities.

Materials and tools of the study:

Materials of the study:

* Teacher's guide in the units of "motivation and emotions, and cognitive processes" of the psychology course formulated according to the model of Brain-Targeted Teaching (prepared by the researcher).

* A notebook of activities for students in the units of "motivation and emotions, and cognitive processes" of the psychology course formulated according to the Brain-Targeted Teaching model (prepared by the researcher).

Tools of the study:

* Test of systemic thinking skills (prepared by the researcher).

* Psychometric Capacity Scale (Pascaleone, Ba'abat and Ba'alization, 1990).

Procedures of the study:

      First, to answer the first question, which states: "What is the effectiveness of the use of the brain-directed model in the teaching of psychology to develop some systemic thinking skills in secondary school students? The researcher followed:

1- Limiting the two groups of students from the second- stage of secondary school.

2 - Preparing of the measuring tools (test of the systemic thinking skills for high school students).

3. Adjusting the measuring tools by the arbitrators, and making the necessary adjustments.

4 - Applying the measuring tool to a survey group, in order to calculate the validity, reliability, and suitability and time required to apply them.

5- Reaching to the final image of the measuring tools after the seizure in the light of the views of the arbitrators, and in the light of the exploratory experience.

6- Applying pre-application of the measurement tools on the two groups of students from the second grade of secondary.

7- Teaching the two units of study using the Brain-Targeted Teaching model of the experimental group.

8- Applying the post-application of the measuring tools for the two research groups.

9- Monitoring the results and processing them statistically, and then analyzed and interpreted to determine the effectiveness of the program on developing of systemic thinking skills.

v Second: To answer the second and third questions of the study: " What is the effectiveness of the Brain-Targeted Teaching in teaching of psychology on developing of systemic thinking skills among second-stage of secondary students with high mental capacity in the experimental group?"What is the effectiveness of the Brain-Targeted Teaching in teaching of psychology on developing of systemic thinking skills among second-stage of secondary students with low mental capacity in the experimental group?" The researcher followed:

1- Limiting the two groups of students from the second- stage of secondary school.

2- Appling the Pascaleone scale to measure the mental capacity to classify the high and low mental capacity on the two study groups.

3- Teaching the two units of study using the Brain-Targeted Teaching model of the experimental group.

4- Applying the post-test of systemic thinking on the two study groups.

5- Applying the measure of mental capacity to the two study groups.

6- Analyzing the results of the pre and post- measurements statistically, and its interpretation to determine the effectiveness of the Brain-Targeted Teaching model on developing of systemic thinking for students with different capacities, and the effectiveness of the brain- directed instruction model in teaching of psychology on developing the systemic thinking skills among secondary stage students with high and low mental capacity in the experimental group.

Results of the study:

- There is a statistically significant difference between the average scores of the control group students and the scores of the experimental group students in the post-application of the systematic skills thinking test at the level of (0.01) for the benefit of the experimental group that studied the two units of "motives, emotions and cognitive processes" by using the Brain-Targeted Teaching  model.

- There is a statistically significant difference between the scores of the experimental group students in the post-application of the systematic skills thinking test at the level of (0.01) for the benefit of the post-application.

- There wasn’t a statistically significant difference between the scores of  the control group students the average score of students with high mental capacity and the grades of students with low mental capacity at the level of (0.01) in the post-application of the systematic skills thinking test .

- There was a statistically significant difference between the scores of the experimental group students the average score of students with high mental capacity and the grades of students with low mental capacity at the level of (0.01) in the post-application of the systematic skills thinking test for the benefit of high mental capacity.

- There was a statistically significant difference between the average score of students with low mental capacity in the control group and the scores of students with low mental capacity in the experimental group for students at the level of (0.01) with low mental capacity in the experimental group.

- There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the students of the highest mental capacity in the control group and the scores of students of high mental capacity in the experimental group for students at the level of (0.01) with high mental capacity in the experimental group.

Recommendations of the study:

      In light of the results that indicated to the great impact of the use of the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in developing systemic thinking skills for students with different mental capacities that studying physiology.

Can make the following recommendations:

1- Employ the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in improving systemic thinking skills in psychology.

2- Employment of Brain-Targeted Teaching strategies in psychology.

3- Employ teaching and learning methods that can develop systemic thinking skills in different educational stages.

4- The educational studies must make more importance of the interest of differences between students, and levels of mental capacity different.

5- The teachers of psychology should train - before service and enrich them with the methods of dealing with individual differences and levels of mental capacity different.

6- Include the activities of the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in the curricula of psychology, because of their effectiveness in enriching the learning process.

7- Utilize from the tools that used in the current study while teaching students with different mental capacities and training them in systemic thinking skills.

8- Be attention to the emotional states of the students because of their importance in the learning process and raise self-confidence.

9- Interest in the physical environment because of their significant impact in the process of learning and active participation.

10- Encourage to the challenge and constructive competition among students.

11- To give the attention of those who plan and teach the curriculum to the need of paying attention to mechanisms of brain work.

12- the systematic thinking test that has been prepared considers a good model for those who wish to develop these skills for students and can benefit from the preparation of similar tests.

13- Provide educational positions that encourage to the recognition of relations between things, analysis and evaluation of attitudes.

14- Provide training programs for teachers in general, and the teacher of psychology, especially on modern strategies in teaching, and the Brain-Targeted Teaching model, which helps to participate and positive interaction of the learner, and the means of modern technology, and methods of evaluation.

15- Develop a variety of programs that develop of systemic thinking skills.

16- Give more attention of those who plan and teach the curriculum to the need to pay attention to brain-based teaching and brain mechanisms.

17- Direct the attention of those who plan and teach the curriculum to the need to pay attention to individual differences and levels of mental capacity.

18- Interest of psychological counseling and educational programs within schools, especially among secondary school students.

19- Utilizing research, scientific studies that have proved effective in the development of systemic thinking skills and students with different mental capacity, and applied within educational institutions.

20- Develop and expand the types of assessment so as not only to the final test, but also include methods of self-assessment and various practical activities, and scientific research.

Suggested studies:

1- The effectiveness of a program based on Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching of psychology on developing of creative thinking skills among high school students.

2- The effect of training program based on systemic thinking in teaching of psychology on developing of visual thinking in the second-grade secondary students.

3- The effectiveness of a program based on the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in the teaching of psychology on developing psychological concepts among high school students.

4- The impact of training program based on mental capacity in teaching of psychology on developing of multiple intelligences among students of the Faculty of Education Division of Psychology.

5- The effectiveness of a proposed program based on the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching of psychology on developing of reflective thinking and reduce anxiety among high school students.

6- The effectiveness of a training program based on systemic thinking in teaching of psychology on developing of collective thinking and social skills among visually impaired students.

7- The effect of the Brain-Targeted Teaching model and mental capacity in the teaching of psychology on developing the thinking and the effectiveness of self - academic among secondary students.

8- The effectiveness of a program based on the Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching of psychology on developing of critical thinking and motivation for achievement in secondary students.

9- The effectiveness of a proposed program based on Brain-Targeted Teaching model in teaching of commercial psychology on the development of making decisions skills and readiness to work for students of commercial secondary school.

10- The effectiveness of a program based on the Brain-Targeted Teaching model on the development of psychological compatibility and job satisfaction of psychology teachers.

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