Research Journal of Recent Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 368-370 (2012)
Res.J.Recent Sci.

Short Communication

Igniting Students’ Potential through Viable Instructional StrategiesA Roadmap for Excellence in Education
Varghese George Mary1 and Pandya R. Shefali2
1

Pillai’s College of Education and Research, Chembur, INDIA
2
Department of Education, University of Mumbai, INDIA

Available online at: www.isca.in
(Received 24th November 2011, revised 9th January 2012, accepted 28th January 2012)

Abstract
The emerging educational horizons in the 21st century world have opened up new vistas of education especially in our country. The
global era that we are passing now has undoubtedly its own imperatives on all aspects of education. The schools and colleges are
demanding environments because so many different personalities gather together in a confined area where they are expected to
interact according to established rules of accepted emotional and social behavior. The purpose of teaching is to increase the
capacity to develop new configurations of knowledge grounds to the teacher as well as the students. Each learner has a different
process and may not proceed linearly through the teaching learning process, instead makes loops or zigzag. Only an effective
teaching methodology can create such loops in the cognitive domain of students. The teaching methodology should be strong
enough to craft numerous neural connections which can ensure learning assimilations. It is far more important that students
explain their thinking to teachers than teachers explain their thinking. In this research the investigator has used Brain-based
Learning as innovative teaching methodology. The Brain-based learning is an interdisciplinary answer to the question of, “What is
the most effective way of the brain’s learning mechanism?” Brain-based learning is an effective teaching technique that represents
abstract or complex content matter in to simple and meaningful scaffolds and it has the potential to delay the learning platue since
it provides great scope for interaction among and between students and teachers. The present research focuses on the ‘Effect of
Brain-Based Learning on Academic Achievement in Biology, Stress and Study Habits of VIII Standard Students’. The study carried
out with the following objectives; i) to develop instructional material based on the principles of brain-based learning’. ii) To
compare experimental and control groups on pre-test scores of a) Academic Achievement b) Stress c) Study Habits.iii) To compare
experimental and control groups on post-test scores of a) Academic Achievement b) Stress c) Study Habits. The present study has
formulated the following null hypotheses: 1). There is no significant difference between experimental and control groups on pretest scores of a) Academic Achievement b) Stress c) Study Habits of students .2) There is no significant difference between the
experimental and control groups on post-test scores of a) Academic Achievement b) Stress c) Study Habits of students. The study
reveals that brain-based learning is a constructive, domain specific strategy to holistic education. It has the potential to stimulate
the optimal learning among students in very relaxed and enriched learning environment. The article discusses on the major effects
of Brain-based Learning on the academic achievement, stress and study habits of students and the implications of these research
outcomes to the benefits of students and teachers as major stakeholders.
Keywords: Brain-based Learning, academic achievement, stress, study habits.

Introduction

configurations of knowledge grounds to the teacher as well
as the students.

The emerging educational horizons in the 21st century world
have opened up new vistas of education especially in our
country. The impact of ICT has made visible inroads into the
processes of human life; its educational implications are
going to be far-reaching indeed. The global era that we are
passing now has undoubtedly its own imperatives on all
aspects of education. The schools and colleges are
demanding environments because so many different
personalities gather together in a confined area where they
are expected to interact according to established rules of
accepted emotional and social behaviour. The purpose of
teaching is to increase the capacity to develop new

Each learner has a different process and may not proceed
linearly through the teaching learning process, instead makes
loops or zigzag1. The responsible teacher should understand
this and leaves scope for such numerous loops. Only an
effective teaching methodology can create such loops in the
cognitive domain of students. The teaching methodology
should be strong enough to craft numerous neural
connections which can ensure learning assimilations2. It is
far more important that students explain their thinking to
teachers than teachers explain their thinking.

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 368-370 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.
Brain-Based Learning: Brain-based learning is an
interdisciplinary answer to the question of, “What is the most
effective way of the brain’s learning mechanism?” Brainbased learning is an effective3 teaching technique that
represents abstract or complex content matter in to simple
and meaningful scaffolds and it has the potential to delay the
learning platue since it provides great scope for interaction
among and between students and teachers4. This
neurobiological intervention is an answer to many of the
classroom and learner related problems. So it provides an
immense scope to the educators to revamp the classroom
transactions in a better and effective manner5.

lessons plans based on the traditional lecture method as
instructional materials.

This teaching learning methodology provides myriad ways to
approach to many of the classroom issues. This approach,
which gives attention to both breadth and depth and
moreover it is a useful antidote to the over generalized
curricula and stereotyped classrooms. It has got a dexterous
tools effect to promote classroom discussion fostering higher
order cognitive abilities and subject matter, in a very
canonical way. The innovative teaching strategies will open
forum to discover unexpected things about the subject matter
and students, makes learning more enjoyable and ongoing.

The first null hypothesis was tested using the t-test. The
obtained t-ratio for the pre-test scores on academic
achievement of experimental and control groups is 0.64
which is less than 2.58 and hence it is not significant at
0.05 level. Hence there is no significant difference in the
pre-test scores on academic achievement of experimental
group and control group. The obtained t-ratio for pre-test
scores on the stress of experimental and control groups is
0.75 which is less than 1.96 and hence is not significant.
Hence there is no significant difference in the pre-test
scores on stress of experimental group and control group.
The t-ratio found the experimental and control groups on
pre-test scores of study habits of students are 1.90 which is
less than 1.96 and hence there is no significant difference
between the experimental and control groups on pre-test
scores of study habits of students.

Title of the Study: A Study of the Effect of Brain-Based
Learning on Academic Achievement in Biology, Stress and
Study Habits of VIII Standard Students
Objectives of the Study: The present study has been
undertaken with the following specific objectives: To
develop instructional material based on the principles of
brain-based learning. To compare experimental and control
groups on pre-test scores of, Academic Achievement, Stress,
Study Habits, To compare experimental and control groups
on post-test scores of, Academic Achievement, Stress, study
habits.
Hypotheses of the Study: The present study has formulated
the following null hypotheses, there is no significant
difference between experimental and control groups on pretest scores of, Academic Achievement, Stress, study Habits
of students. There is no significant difference between the
experimental and control groups on post-test scores of,
Academic Achievement, Stress, study Habits of students
Sample: The study was carried out on a sample of 240
students from 4 schools in which two were private-aided
120 students and two were private-unaided 120 students. A
three-stage stratified random sampling technique was used
to select the sample.
Tools: The following tools were used in the study:
Achievement Test in Biology (Researcher-made), Stress
Scale, Study Habits Inventory. The researcher has
developed lesson plans based on brain-based learning and

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Material And Methods
Quasi-Experimental of the pre-test, post test quasiexperimental design type, viz. O1 X O2
O3C O4 method
was used in the study. Here, O1 and O3 are the pre-test
scores; O2 and O4 are the post-test scores. X and C denote
the experimental and control groups respectively.

Results and Discussion

The obtained t-ratio for the post-test scores of students on
academic achievement of experimental and control groups
is 29.29 which is greater than 2.58 and hence is significant
at 0.01 levels. Hence the Mean post-test score on Academic
Achievement of students of the experimental group is
significantly greater than that of the control group. The
effect size was calculated using Wolf’s formula and was
found to be 3.8 which may be termed as very high as it is
above 0.8. The t-ratio obtained for the post-test scores of
students on stress of experimental and control groups is
greater than 2.58 (t= 20.61) and hence is significant at 0.01
levels. Hence the Mean post-test score on Stress of the
experimental group is significantly differs from that of the
control group.
The mean score of the experimental group is significantly
less than that of the control group. The effect size was
found out which is 2.8 which may be termed as a very high
as it is above 0.8, hence it is clear that the experimental
treatment has got a significant effect on the stress of the
same group. The t-ratio obtained for the post- test scores of
study habits of students from the experimental and control
groups are 27.42 which are greater than 2.58 and hence it is
significant at 0.01 level. Hence there is a significant
difference between the experimental and control groups on
post-test scores of study habits of students. The Mean

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 368-370 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.
Study Habits Score on the post-test of the experimental
group is significantly greater than the control group. The
effect size was calculated using Wolf’s formula and was
found to be 32.31 which may be termed as very high as it is
above 0.8.
Educational Implications of the Study: The study reveals
that brain-based learning is a constructive, domain specific
strategy to holistic education. It has the potential to
stimulate the optimal learning among students in very
relaxed and enriched learning environment. It also caters to
the diverse learning needs of the students and provides a
better landscape to the education system.
Brain-based learning as an instructional strategy is found to
be very effective, hence the teachers and the prospective
teachers should be oriented about the theory and practice
related to this, and should get assistance for its
implementation in the classrooms. The curriculum
developers should design the content according to the latest
brain research outcomes and leave a scope for the teachers
to impart the curriculum according to the principles of
Brain-based learning. In-service training and workshops
should be organized in order to acquaint the teachers with
the new research outcomes of brain-based learning.
The study found that the brain-based learning has got a
significant effect in fostering better study habits among the
students. It provides scope for students to involve actively
in the teaching-learning process, and so learning becomes
more meaningful and enjoyable activity.
Moreover, it shows the therapeutic effect of brain-based
learning on many classroom discipline and behavioural
problems and paving a counselling approach within the
classroom itself. Thus, the learning sprit and curiosity
which initiates inside the class continues and extends
beyond the class room also. Educator should be able to
support the use of a particular classroom strategy with a
scientific reasoning or studies.

Conclusion
This research study encompasses many implications for
educators and curriculum developers. It advocates a shift in
the curricular approach. Right from the primary education
to higher education strata a strategic approach should be
adopted and a caution should be taken while translating the
research outcomes in to classrooms. The Educational
researches have opened up many pathways to revamp the
education system as per the demands of the environment.
The outcomes of brain research provide many feasible tools
for the academic as well as personal problems of the
learners at all levels. So it is a promising approach which

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can bring very constructive changes in the academic sector
itself.

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