Arithmetic Sequence Study

Teaching The Arithmetic Sequence through Guided Discovery Learning: A Pedagogical Experiment in Viet Nam

Nguyen Van Hong Ph.D.

Can Tho Department Education and Training, Can Tho City, Viet Nam

Nguyen Thi Thuy An, M.sc.

Tay Do University, Can Tho City, Vietnam

Le Viet Minh Triet, M.sc.

Pacific College, Can Tho City, Viet Nam

Abstract

“Let the student learn by discovery” has become the slogan of our country for recent years. Learning by discovery that has used by Vietnamese teacher is a term have appeared in Viet Naminthe past few years.This study proposes Guided Discovery Learning to teach arithmetic sequence topic in Viet Nam high school. It is hypothesized that student. Student’s outcomes of teaching arithmetic sequence topic with

Furthermore, it is common, assumed that discovery learning allows for errorful learning, that it is guided to some extent, and that is the outcome of inductive methods of instruction. It demonstrates the ability to meet the requirements innovation of teaching methods that is based on the learner-oriented perspective, helping students self-seek and discover new knowledge on previous experience and his life experiences. In Viet Nam, Guided Discovery Learning is an active method teaching which not only was studied by many researchers but also applied by teachers In recent years (Nguyen Phu Loc, 2010 [4]);Le Vo Binh, 2007 [1]).

This paper presents an experiment was to confirm that teaching the arithmetic sequence topic by guided discovery learning is more efficient than the traditional method in Viet Nam.

Discovery learning

Discovery learning is an action-based learning approach that stresses experimentation and hypothesis testing. It is a type of learning where learners construct their knowledge by experimenting with a domain and inferring rules from the results of these experiments (van Joolingen, 1999 [10]). Discovery learning is based on the assumption that education is a process, not a set of

He gives four reasons for using discovery learning as follow: (i) To make an impulse of thought, (ii) to develop inner motivation than external motivation, (iii) to learn the way of discovery and (iv) to develop thought (Bruner, 1961 [2]).

Bruner believed that the process of discovery contributes significantly to the intellectual development and that the heuristics of discovery can only be learned through the exercise of problem-solving. He proposed discovery learning as a pedagogic strategy with such important human implications that it must have applied in schools.

Several types of discovery learning are recognized as given below (Kersh, 1962A, 1964 [5-7]; Kersh and Wittrock, 1962 [8]; Kittell, 1957 [9]; Wittrock, 1963 [11]):

Pure discovery: techniques involving no direct assistance, other than encouragement, by a teacher.

Guided discovery: techniques involving minimal to moderate aid by a