Effectiveness of goal free problems for students with learning experience

Abstract

Goal Free is a problem presentation technique that does not include a specific question, in contrast to goal-given problems. Research on goal-free problems typically shows that this technique is more effective for novice students who have no prior experience with the topic. However, this study aims to explore the effectiveness of goal-free problems for students with prior learning experience, focusing on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and cognitive load. This quasi-experimental study used a factorial design of two problem presentation techniques that were compared: goal free vs goal given, in circle material. This study consisted of four phases, namely (1) Initial test; (2) Prior knowledge activation phase; (3) Learning phase (Acquisition phase), and (4) Final test (HOTS test). A total of 58 students (average age 19.6 years) were actively involved in this study. HOTS data were collected using a descriptive test (Cronbach's alpha = 0.669), while cognitive load was measured using a 9-point Likert scale. The results of the study concluded that students who studied circle material through goal free problems had better HOTS scores compared to students who studied goal given problems but this did not occur significantly. Likewise, the average cognitive load of students, it was found that students who studied using the goal free problems in the learning phase (acquisition phase) and the final test phase were lower when compared to the average cognitive load of students who studied through the goal given problems but this difference was not significant.