PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

 

e-ISSN 2231-8534
ISSN 0128-7702

Home / Regular Issue / JSSH Vol. 30 (3) Sep. 2022 / JSSH-8248-2021

 

Students’ Experience of Empowerment from Multiple Scaffolders in PBL on Facebook

Aznur Hajar Hajar Abdullah, Tse Kian Neo and Jing Hong Low

Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, Volume 30, Issue 3, September 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.30.3.01

Keywords: Management education, problem-based learning (PBL), scaffolding, social media, structural empowerment

Published on: 6 September 2022

Scholars propose that students should be empowered when using social media in problem-based learning (PBL) as it is expected to provide positive learning experiences. Nonetheless, even though the use of social media has been described as empowering in PBL, not much research has measured students' experiences of the empowerment offered by multiple scaffolders through social media. In this study, 84 final-year undergraduate management students from a private university in Malaysia participated in a simultaneous within-subject experimental design to solve a business decision-making problem on Facebook. For eight weeks, multiple scaffolders, including an instructor, two business experts, and three to four peers, were present in each closed Facebook group. The students then answered a questionnaire following the PBL activity. Anchored on the Structural Empowerment (SE) Theory, this study evaluated the students’ perceptions of the SE provided by these scaffolders. Subsequently, the relationships among the scaffolders were measured. The results were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Overall, the students reported positive learning experiences but perceived that the instructor and peers provided more SE than the business experts. However, the business experts’ comments on the students' work and discussion points accelerated their problem-solving tasks. Furthermore, the SE provided by peers, instructors, and business experts correlated significantly, suggesting each scaffolder relied on each other when scaffolding. The findings indicate that all scaffolders, including the more experienced ones, should depend on the SE provided by other scaffolders to enable students to complete the complex business problem-solving tasks in PBL.

  • Abdullah, A. H., & Neo, T. K. (2019). Modeling factors for industry experts’ intention to participate in online scaffolding. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3.35), 118-191.

  • Abdullah, A. H., Wasiuzzaman, S., & Musa, R. (2015). University quality and emotional attachment of undergraduate students in a private higher education in Malaysia: The mediating role of total experience. International Journal of Social Economics, 42(7), 644-665. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-03-2014-0050

  • Abel, S. E., Hall, M., Swartz, M. J., & Madigan, E. A. (2020). Empowerment of front-line leaders in online learning, certificate programme. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(2), 359-367. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12933

  • Alt, D., Alt, N., & Hadar-Frumer, M. (2020). Measuring Halliwick Foundation course students’ perceptions of case-based learning, assessment and transfer of learning. Learning Environments Research, 23(1), 59-85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-019-09286-x

  • Asik-Dizdar, O. (2015). To be or not to be… a profession: Management education and its discontents. Journal of Education for Business, 90(8), 443-450. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2015.1087370

  • Barrett, T. (2005). Lecturers’ experience as problem-based learners: Learning as hard fun. In T. Barrett, I. Mac Labhrainn, & H. Fallon (Eds.), Handbook of Inquiry & Problem-based Learning. CELT.

  • Barrows, H. S. (1986). A taxonomy of problem‐based learning methods. Medical Education, 20(6), 481-486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1986.tb01386.x

  • Bist, S. S., Mehta, D., Mehta, D. H., & Meghrajani, D. (2020). Employers’ perception regarding employability skills of management students undergoing internship. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 21(2), 145-161.

  • Boshuizen, H. P., Gruber, H., & Strasser, J. (2020). Knowledge restructuring through case processing: The key to generalise expertise development theory across domains? Educational Research Review, 29, 100310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100310

  • Bradbury‐Jones, C., Irvine, F., & Sambrook, S. (2010). Empowerment of nursing students in clinical practice: spheres of influence. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(9), 2061-2070.

  • Bruna, C. E., Valenzuela, N. A., Bruna, D. V., Lozano‐Rodríguez, A., & Márquez, C. G. (2019). Learning metabolism by problem‐based learning through the analysis of health or nutrition articles from the web in biochemistry. Journal of Food Science Education, 18(2), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4329.12156

  • Carvalho, A. (2016). The impact of PBL on transferable skills development in management education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 53(1), 35-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2015.1020327

  • Cho, M. H., & Cho, Y. (2014). Instructor scaffolding for interaction and students’ academic engagement in online learning: Mediating role of perceived online class goal structures. The Internet and Higher Education, 21, 25-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2013.10.008

  • Creswell, J. W. (2014). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. SAGE publications.

  • Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

  • Dorwal, P., Sachdev, R., Gautam, D., Jain, D., Sharma, P., Tiwari, A. K., & Raina, V. (2016). Role of WhatsApp messenger in the laboratory management system: A boon to communication. Journal of Medical Systems, 40(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-015-0384-2

  • English, M., & Kitsantas, A. (2019). PBL capstone experience in Conservation Biology: A self-regulated learning approach. In The Wiley handbook of problem-based learning. Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119173243.ch22

  • Ertmer, P. A., & Koehler, A. A. (2015). Facilitated versus non-facilitated online case discussions: Comparing differences in problem space coverage. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 27(2), 69-93. httpss://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-015-9094-5

  • Gamal, M. A., Adam, S., & El Azim, H. A. (2020). Effect of application of Kanter’s empowerment theory on nurse intern’s assertiveness. Egyptian Journal of Health Care, 11(2), 113-127. httpss://doi.org/10.21608/EJHC.2020.94348

  • García-Merino, J. D., Urionabarrenetxea, S., & Fernández-Sainz, A. (2020). Does PBL improve student performance in a multidimensional way? A proposal for a moderated mediation model. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(7), 1454-1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1732878

  • Ge, X., & Land, S. M. (2003). Scaffolding students’ problem-solving processes in an ill-structured task using question prompts and peer interactions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(1), 21-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504515

  • Ge, X., Law, V., & Huang, K. (2016). Detangling the interrelationships between self-regulation and ill-structured problem-solving in problem-based learning. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 10(2), 11. https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1622

  • Glazewski, K. D., & Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2019). Scaffolding and supporting use of information for ambitious learning practices. Information and Learning Sciences, 120(1), 39-58.https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-08-2018-0087

  • Grover, S., Garg, B., & Sood, N. (2020). Introduction of case-based learning aided by WhatsApp messenger in pathology teaching for medical students. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, 66(1), 17-22. https://doi.org/10.4103/jpgm.JPGM_2_19

  • Gwee, M. C. E. (2008). Globalization of Problem-based Learning (PBL): Cross-cultural Implications. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences, 24(3), S14-S22. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1607-551X(08)70089-5

  • Hallinger, P., Lu, J., & Showanasai, P. (2019). Seeing and hearing is believing, but eating is knowing: A case study of implementing PBL in a Master of Educational Management Program. In The Wiley handbook of problem-based learning. Wiley Blackwell.

  • Hinton, P., McMurray, I., & Brownlow, C. (2014). SPSS explained. Routledge.

  • Holton, D., & Clarke, D. (2006). Scaffolding and metacognition. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 37(2), 127-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207390500285818

  • Hossain, M. M., Alam, M., Alamgir, M., & Salat, A. (2020). Factors affecting business graduates’ employability–empirical evidence using partial least squares (PLS). Education+ Training, 62(3), 292-310. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2018-0258

  • Huang, R., Spector, J. M., & Yang, J. (2019). Linking learning objectives, pedagogies, and technologies. In Educational technology: A primer for the 21st century (pp. 49-62), Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6643-7_3

  • Hung, W., Moallem, M., & Dabbagh, N. (2019). Social foundations of problem‐based learning. The Wiley Handbook of problem‐based learning (pp. 51-79). Wiley Blackwell.

  • Jamiat, N. (2018). The design of problem based learning and effects on college students’ critical thinking: A preliminary review. In Proceedings of the 2018 2nd International Conference on Education and E-Learning (pp. 176-180). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3291078.3291081

  • Kaminishi, H., Sakata, N., & Yamashita, M. (2013). A practice of PBL training “communications in disaster” for premedical students with Twitter. In IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference (pp. 100-105). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/R10-HTC.2013.6669022

  • Kanter, R. M. (1977). Men and women of the corporation. Basic Books.

  • Kek, M. Y. C. A., & Huijser, H. (2017). Agile PBL and the next generation of learners. In Problem-based learning into the future (pp. 31-48). Springer.

  • Kim, N. J., Belland, B. R., & Walker, A. E. (2018). Effectiveness of computer-based scaffolding in the context of problem-based learning for STEM education: Bayesian meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(2), 397-429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9419-1

  • Knijnenburg, B. P., & Willemsen, M. C. (2015). Evaluating recommender systems with user experiments. In Recommender systems handbook (pp. 309-352). Springer.

  • Kumar, M., & Kogut, G. (2006). Students’ perceptions of problem‐based learning. Teacher Development, 10(1), 105-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530600587295

  • Laschinger, H. K. S., Finegan, J., & Shamian, J. (2002). The impact of workplace empowerment, organizational trust on staff nurses’ work satisfaction and organizational commitment. In Advances in health care management. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-8231(02)03006-9

  • Laschinger, H. K. S., Finegan, J., Shamian, J., & Wilk, P. (2001). Impact of structural and psychological empowerment on job strain in nursing work settings: Expanding Kanter’s model. Journal of Nursing Administration, 31(5), 260-272.https://doi.org/10.1097/00005110-200105000-00006

  • Ledwell, E., Andrusyszyn, M. A., & Iwasiw, C. (2006). Nursing students’ empowerment in distance education: Testing Kanter’s Theory. Journal of Distance Education, 21(2), 78-95. https://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/62

  • Lee, H. W., & Kim, E. (2020). Workforce diversity and firm performance: Relational coordination as a mediator and structural empowerment and multisource feedback as moderators. Human Resource Management, 59(1), 5-23. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21970

  • Lee, C. B., Leppink, J., & Hanham, J. (2019). On the design of instruction and assessment. In Instructional design principles for high-stakes problem-solving environments (pp. 135-153). Springer.

  • Ledbetter, A. M., & Finn, A. N. (2013). Teacher technology policies and online communication apprehension as predictors of learner empowerment. Communication Education, 62(3), 301-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2013.794386

  • Lethbridge, K., Andrusyszyn, M. A., Iwasiw, C., Laschinger, H. K., & Fernando, R. (2011). Structural and psychological empowerment and reflective thinking: Is there a link? Journal of Nursing Education, 50(11), 636-645. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20110817-02

  • Liao, R. X., & Liu, Y. H. (2016). The impact of structural empowerment and psychological capital on competence among Chinese baccalaureate nursing students: A questionnaire survey. Nurse Education Today, 36, 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2015.07.003

  • Loannou, A., Vasiliou, C., & Zaphiris, P. (2016). Problem-based learning in multimodal learning environments: Learners’ technology adoption experiences. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 54(7), 1022-1040. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633116636755

  • Magana, A. J. (2014). Learning strategies and multimedia techniques for scaffolding size and scale cognition. Computers & Education, 72, 367-377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.11.012

  • Ministry of Higher Education. (2020). Graduates tracer study 2020. https://www.mohe.gov.my/muat-turun/statistik/2020/498-statistik-pendidikan-tinggi-2020-09-bab-7-graduate-tracer-studies/file

  • Moallem, M. (2019). Effects of PBL on learning outcomes, knowledge acquisition, and higher-order thinking skills. In The Wiley handbook of problem-based learning (pp. 107-133). Wiley Blackwell.

  • Moallem, M., Hung, W., & Dabbagh, N. (Eds.). (2019). The Wiley handbook of problem-based learning. Wiley Blackwell.

  • Mohamad, N. A. (2013). Problem-based learning as a teaching tool in legal education: An Islamic perspective. In PBL Across Cultures, The 4th International Research Symposium on Problem-Based Learning (IRSPBL) (pp.410-415). Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/60533221.pdf#page=418

  • Munro, B. H. (2005). Statistical methods for health care research (Vol. 1). Lippincott Williamss &Wilkins.

  • Moore, S. C. (2018). Exploring the relationship of structural empowerment and critical thinking in student nurses’ learning environment. Journal of Nursing and Health Care, 1(1), 1-7.

  • Morgan, M., Brickell, G., & Harper, B. (2008). Applying distributed cognition theory to the redesign of the ‘copy and paste’ function in order to promote appropriate learning outcomes. Computers & Education, 50(1), 125-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2006.04.006

  • Musa, R., Putit, L., & Yusof J. M. (2011). Assessment and revitalization of UiTM’s Malaysia corporate image: Repositioning strategy towards becoming a world-class university (Unpublished technical report). Research Management Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA.

  • Nelson, R., Marone, V., Garcia, S. A., Yuen, T. T., Bonner, E. P., & Browning, J. (2020). Transformative practices in engineering education: The embedded expert model. IEEE Transactions on Education, 64(2), 187-194.

  • Oktavia, R., Mentari, M., & Mulia, I. S. (2018). Assessing the validity and reliability of questionnaires on the implementation of Indonesian curriculum K-13 in STEM education. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1088(1), 012014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1088/1/012014

  • Parnell, G. S., Driscoll, P. J., & Henderson, D. L. (2011). Decision making in systems engineering and management (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

  • Pimmer, C., Brühlmann, F., Odetola, T. D., Dipeolu, O., Gröhbiel, U., & Ajuwon, A. J. (2018). Instant messaging and nursing students’ clinical learning experience. Nurse Education Today, 64, 119-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.01.034

  • Raiman, L., Antbring, R., & Mahmood, A. (2017). WhatsApp messenger as a tool to supplement medical education for medical students on clinical attachment. BMC Medical Education, 17(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-0855-x

  • Raisolsadat, M. A., Sanjar Moussavi, N., Farajpour, A., & Meshkinyazd, A. (2020). Investigating the effects of problem-based learning in a virtual group on collaborative learning, social presence and student satisfaction in surgery department. Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences, 11(2), 102-111. https://doi.org/10.30476/ijvlms.2020.85422.1020

  • Rienties, B., Giesbers, B., Tempelaar, D., Lygo-Baker, S., Segers, M., & Gijselaers, W. (2012). The role of scaffolding and motivation in CSCL. Computers & Education, 59(3), 893-906. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.010

  • Ryberg, T. (2019). PBL and networked learning: Potentials and challenges in the age of mass collaboration and personalization. In The Wiley handbook of problem-based learning, (pp. 593-615). Wiley Blackwell.

  • Saibon, R. A., & Kamis, A. (2019). employability skills in business management graduate and role of Malaysian vocational college. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(2), 1175-1192. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v9-i2/5674

  • Savery, J. R. (2019). Comparative pedagogical models of problem‐based learning. The Wiley Handbook of problem‐based learning (pp. 81-104). Wiley Blackwell.

  • Savin-Baden, M. (2020). What is problem-based pedagogies? Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 7(1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.24313/jpbl.2020.00199

  • Savin‐Baden, M., & Bhakta, R. (2019). Problem‐based learning in digital spaces. In The Wiley handbook of problem-based learning (pp. 645-666). Wiley Blackwell.

  • Seibert, S. A. (2021). Problem-based learning: A strategy to foster generation Z’s critical thinking and perseverance. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 16(1), 85-88. https://10.1016/j.teln.2020.09.002

  • Shin, S., Brush, T. A., & Glazewski, K. D. (2020). Patterns of peer scaffolding in technology-enhanced inquiry classrooms: Application of social network analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68, 2321-2350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09779-0

  • Singh, M., & Sarkar, A. (2019). Role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between structural empowerment and innovative behavior. Management Research Review, 42(4), 521-538. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-04-2018-0158

  • Siu, H. M., Laschinger, H. K. S., & Vingilis, E. (2005). The effect of problem-based learning on nursing students’ perceptions of empowerment. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(10), 459-469. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20051001-04

  • Sunar, M. S. M., & Shaari, A. J. (2017). The effectiveness of the chemistry PBL method via Facebook on the soft skills of college students. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 3(2), 97-104. https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.522.2017.32.97.104

  • Ta’an, W. A. F., Al‐Hammouri, M. M., Aldalaykeh, M. K., Suliman, M. M., & Almutti, R. (2021). The role of structural empowerment in predicting computer use among Jordanian nurses: A cross‐sectional study. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(4), 759-766. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13216

  • Tanius, E., Johari, H., Yulia, A., Siong, H. C., & Pazim, K. H. (2019). the employability skills performance of business graduates in Malaysia: Do employers, graduates and academicians speak the same language? International Journal of Asian Social Science, 9(1), 11-17. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1.2019.91.11.17

  • Tawfik, A. A., Law, V., Ge, X., Xing, W., & Kim, K. (2018). The effect of sustained vs. faded scaffolding on students’ argumentation in ill-structured problem-solving. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 436-449. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-04-2018-0158

  • Wachira, W., Ochieng, V., Muasya, G., Musyoka, W., Odek, A., & Sang, W. (2019). Social media, learner engagement, empowerment and academic performance among university students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary and Current Research, 7, 50-56. https://doi.org/10.14741/ijmcr/v.7.1.11

  • Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 89-100. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x

  • World Economic Forum. (2020). The Future of Jobs Report 2020. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2020.pdf

  • Zabit, M. N. M., Karagiannidou, E., & Zachariah, T. Z. (2017). Teaching business in Malaysia and the use of PBL to nurture students’ critical thinking: A case study of Sultan Idris Education University. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 12(6), 1-11.

  • Zeng, F., Deng, G., Wang, Z., & Liu, L. (2016). WeChat: A new clinical teaching tool for problem-based learning. International Journal of Medical Education, 7, 119-121.https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5708.e5c4

  • Zhang, W., Li, Z. R., & Li, Z. (2019). WeChat as a platform for problem-based learning in a dental practical clerkship: Feasibility study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(3), e12127. https://doi.org/10.2196/12127

ISSN 0128-7702

e-ISSN 2231-8534

Article ID

JSSH-8248-2021

Download Full Article PDF

Share this article

Recent Articles