The WebQuest model effects on mathematics curriculum learning in elementary school students

Since its inception in 1995, the WebQuest instructional model has received substantial attention from educators who have applied it to teaching activities. However, WebQuest has seldom been applied to mathematical teaching. Therefore, exploring curriculum development and learning achievement in mathematical teaching that integrates the WebQuest model is necessary. The objective of this study is to explore using the WebQuest model for teaching the concepts of proportion in elementary school mathematics, and the subsequent effects on student learning achievements. Furthermore, this study endeavors to understand student learning attitudes and learning satisfaction regarding the WebQuest model. This study employed the quasi-experimental research method, and the participants were two sixth-grade classes with 52 students at a Taiwanese elementary school. The experimental group was taught using WebQuest, while the control group was taught by employing the traditional IT-integrated curriculum. The two groups completed a 5-week course on proportion concepts. The study results indicate the following: (a) Regarding learning achievements, students who learned with the WebQuest model demonstrated superior learning performance than students who were taught using the traditional IT-integrated curriculum; (b) no significant difference existed between the learning attitudes of students who were taught using the WebQuest model and those who learned with the traditional IT-integrated curriculum; (c) on the learning-satisfaction survey, the students who learned with the WebQuest model showed high learning satisfaction, selecting between agree and strongly agree for the 6 dimensions, including WebQuest teaching, IT capability, the assistance of mathematics curriculum, collaborative learning, learning reflection, and learning feedback. This indicates that the students were largely satisfied and identified with the task-oriented WebQuest learning curriculum that was designed in this study. Finally, specific recommendations are made based on the results, providing teachers and future researchers with a reference for integrating the WebQuest model in the mathematics field. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.