Aplicación del aprendizaje basado en problemas (ABP) en la resolución de ecuaciones lineales y el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de octavo grado de Educación General Básica (EGB)

Abstract

Abstract: This research analyzed the impact of a pedagogical approach based on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on the solving of linear equations and the academic performance of eighth-grade students in General Basic Education. A quantitative approach and a single-group pre-experimental design incorporating pre-test and post-test measurements were employed. The sample consisted of 76 students. Following the initial assessment, an intervention was implemented over two weeks, centered on contextualized problems involving shopping, saving, movie tickets, and balancing scales. The mean score increased from 5.91 (standard deviation = 1.68) on the pre-test to 8.36 (standard deviation = 1.42) on the post-test. The mean difference in individual scores was 2.46 points (95% confidence interval [2.08; 2.83]); 73 out of the 76 students (96.1%) improved their grades. A Student s t-test for related samples confirmed a statistically significant difference t(75) = 13.093; p < 0.001 with a very large effect size (dz = 1.50). As the study did not include a control group, the results are interpreted as a favorable association between the intervention and the observed change, rather than establishing definitive causality. It is concluded that the PBL-based approach was associated with a significant improvement in performance regarding the solving of linear equations.