A comparative study of problem based learning (PBL) on students' intrinsic motivation in polytechnic

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effects of Problem Based Learning (PBL) on students' intrinsic motivation compared with that of a conventional approach, in a procedural-based and number-oriented subject. A quasi-experimental study was conducted for five weeks on 81 first-semester Diploma students, who were attending the subject of Fundamental Accounting (DPA1013). An experimental, pre-test and post-test design was implemented along with a control group, whereby the PBL teaching method was carried out for an experimental group as a treatment, while the existing teaching method was maintained in the control group. The measurement was carried out when students answered the pre-test and post-test motivation questionnaires, and the data were analysed using ANCOVA. The results show that the students' intrinsic motivation in the experimental group is higher than that of the control group. Therefore, it can be concluded that the PBL approach enhances the intrinsic motivation of students in the accounting course compared with the conventional approach. The implication is that PBL can be applied to attract students' interest in accounting to improve learning and to prepare students for their future roles in the workplace.