Effects of Cooperative Learning on Achievement and Attitude Among Students of Color

Abstract

The author examined the effects of cooperative learning on the achievement in and attitudes toward mathematics of a group of 5th-grade students of color in a culture different from the United States (i.e., Bermuda). Students participated in 12 weeks of R. Slavin's (1978) Student Teams Achievement Division method of cooperative learning in mathematics during the fall semester. Students completed 2 measures: the computation and application sections of the California Achievement Test (1985) Form E (Level 14) and Penelope Peterson's Attitude Toward Mathematics Scale for Grades 4-6 Students at 4 different intervals. The measures were completed as pretests at the beginning of the semester (before students were exposed to cooperative learning) and as posttests at the end of Weeks 5, 9, and 13. Data were analyzed with a 1-factor (4 levels) repeated measures analysis of variance design to ascertain whether there were significant differences among the pre- and posttest scores. Results suggest that there were positive gains in attitudes and achievement.     

Designing Intervention Studies: Selected Populations,Range Restrictions,and Statistical Power

ABSTRACT

An appropriate estimate of statistical power is critical for the design of intervention studies. Although the inclusion of a pretest covariate in the test of the primary outcome can increase statistical power, samples selected on the basis of pretest performance may demonstrate range restriction on the selection measure and other correlated measures. This can result in attenuated pretest–posttest correlations, reducing the variance explained by the pretest covariate. We investigated the implications of two potential range restriction scenarios: direct truncation on a selection measure and indirect range restriction on correlated measures. Empirical and simulated data indicated that direct range restriction on the pretest covariate greatly reduced statistical power and necessitated sample size increases of 82%–155% (dependent on selection criteria) to achieve equivalent statistical power to parameters with unrestricted samples. However, measures demonstrating indirect range restriction required much smaller sample size increases (32%–71%) under equivalent scenarios. Additional analyses manipulated the correlations between measures and pretest–posttest correlations to guide planning experiments. Results highlight the need to differentiate between selection measures and potential covariates and to investigate range restriction as a factor impacting statistical power.     

Promoting Pre-service Elementary Students' Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium through Discussions in Small Groups

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of small group discussion on students' conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. Students' understanding of chemical equilibrium concepts was measured using the Misconception Identification Test. The test consisted of 30 items and administered as pre-posttests to a total of 81 pre-service elementary students in two intact classes of the same university. One of the classes was randomly assigned as experimental group (n = 40) which was instructed with discussion propositions related to chemical equilibrium concepts in small group and the other class was assigned as control group (n = 41) which was instructed through traditionally designed chemistry instruction. Analysis of covariate (ANCOVA) was used to determine treatment effects on students' conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium when pre-test result was used a covariate. The analysis of results showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups' posttest mean scores in favor of the experimental group after treatment (F(1,78) = 47,77; P < 0.05). The results indicated that while the average percentage of students in the experimental group holding a scientifically correct concept had risen from 35.0% to 59.1%, a gain of 24.1%, the percentage of correct responses of the students in the control group had increased from 32.5% to 43.82%, a gain of 11.32% after treatment. In addition, the percentages of students' correct responses and keyed misconceptions on posttest results were discussed for six areas related to: (1) the mass vs. concentration, (2) rate vs. extent, (3) constancy of the equilibrium constant, (4) misuse of Le Chatelier's principle, (5) constant concentration, and (6) competing equilibria related to chemical equilibrium concepts in experimental and control groups.     

Summer Professional Development in Chemistry for Inservice Teachers Using OWL Quick Prep

Secondary teachers participating in summer professional development chemistry workshops in Texas used an online chemistry tutoring program, OWL Quick Prep (Day et al. in OWL: Online Web-based Learning, Brooks-Cole Cengage Learning, Florence, KY, 1997) as a part of the inservice training. Self-reported demographic data were used to identify factors in preparation and practice that affected pretest and posttest scores. Data from the pretests and posttests indicate that nomenclature and problems requiring calculations were the most challenging topics for the cohort. The participants who correctly completed 90% of the questions in the tutoring modules showed significant improvement in content mastery.     

The effects of computer use in science and mathematics education upon the computer literacy of preservice elementary teachers

This study investigated the effects of computer use upon the computer literacy of preservice elementary teachers using two methods of instruction: computer assisted instruction in an earth science course and computer programming in a mathematics education course. Computer literacy was measured by the Minnesota Computer Literacy and Awareness Assessment (MCLAA). For each component of computer literacy, differences in group posttest scores were compared using an analysis of covariance with pretest scores used as the covariate. Pre- to posttest increases in scores for each group were also examined. The results indicated that the treatment given to the computer programming group had little or no effect upon the students' computer literacy, while the treatment given to the computer assisted instruction group had a significant effect upon the affective subscale of the MCLAA. A positive effect was also indicated on the cognitive subscale of the MCLAA. Thus, it appears that an effective method for improving preservice elementary teachers' computer literacy is to involve them in computer assisted instruction, possibly through a science course.     

Exploring the Value Added of a Guided,Silent Reading Intervention: Effects on Struggling Third-Grade Readers’ Achievement

ABSTRACT

The authors’ purpose was to explore the effects of a supplementary, guided, silent reading intervention with 80 struggling third-grade readers who were retained at grade level as a result of poor performance on the reading portion of a criterion referenced state assessment. The students were distributed in 11 elementary schools in a large, urban school district in the state of Florida. A matched, quasi-experimental design was constructed using propensity scores for this study. Students in the guided, silent reading intervention, Reading Plus, evidenced higher, statistically significant mean scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test criterion assessment measure of reading at posttest. The effect size, favoring the guided, silent reading intervention group was large, 1 full standard deviation, when comparing the 2 comparison groups’ mean posttest scores. As such, the results indicate a large advantage for providing struggling third-grade readers guided silent reading fluency practice in a computer-based practice environment. No significant difference was found between the treatment and control group on the Stanford Achievement Test–10 (SAT-10) posttest scores, although posttest scores for the treatment group trended higher than the control. After conducting a power analysis, it was determined that the sample size (n = 80) was too small to provide sufficient statistical power to detect a difference in third-grade students’ SAT-10 scores.     

社会科学现场实验的不等同对照组问题的解决方法

介绍了现场实验中“不等同对照组”问题对实验处理效应分析和推论准确性的影响,提出以“不等同对照组准实验设计”模式和协方差分析(ANCOVA)模型解决教育实验中的“不等同对照组”问题。ANCOVA模型使用一个或多个前测作为实验处理变量的“协变量”,可以校正由于“选择—成熟”因素带来的实验前各组之间固有的差异,提高实验结果推论的效度。     

What Los Angeles is Doing with the Results of Testing

Abstract

Seventy-eight white lower-middle class 11th and 12th grade males participated in an experiment designed to assess the effects of variations in locus of control on the efficiency of three types of reinforcement on linear programmed instruction performance: (l) no confirmations, (2) confirmations, (3) feedback from the experimenter to be exchanged for a monetary rein forcer. Dependent measures were gains from pre- to posttest and number of correct responses on the program. Although no significant differences were found for gain scores. Internals made more correct responses when no confirmations or money were available than did Externals, and Externals who were paid for their performance made as many correct responses as did Internals. Results are discussed in terms of the different motivational bases from which Internals and Externals operate.     

Argumentation in a Socioscientific Context and its Influence on Fundamental and Derived Science Literacies

This study explored the effects of arguing to learn in a socioscientific context on the fundamental and derived components of reading, writing, and science understanding as integral parts of science literacy. We adopted mixed-methods in which the 1-group pretest–posttest design with supplemental interviews and questionnaires. The pretest evaluated the dependent variables (reading and writing scores), the treatment was arguing to learn about the global climate change issue, the posttest evaluated the dependent variables, and follow-up questionnaires and interviews informed the quantitative results. An intact grade six class (N = 28) at an urban elementary school located in central Taiwan was the participants. Analyses of the pretest–posttest gain scores and correlations between these outcomes revealed significant (p < 0.05) improvements in writing and associations among reading, writing, and arguing to learn. Interpretation of the qualitative data (interview and questionnaire responses) supported that argumentation as an instructional treatment focused on fundamental literacy could play a positive role in facilitating students’ enhanced science understanding (derived literacy).     

A Simulation Study on the Performance of the Simple Difference and Covariance‐Adjusted Scores in Randomized Experimental Designs

Research by Huck and McLean (1975) demonstrated that the covariance‐adjusted score is more powerful than the simple difference score, yet recent reviews indicate researchers are equally likely to use either score type in two‐wave randomized experimental designs. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to examine the conditions under which the simple difference and covariance‐adjusted scores were more or less powerful to detect treatment effects when relaxing certain assumptions made by Huck and McLean (1975) . Four factors were manipulated in the design including sample size, normality of the pretest and posttest distributions, the correlation between pretest and posttest, and posttest variance. A 5 × 5 × 4 × 3 mostly crossed design was run with 1,000 replications per condition, resulting in 226,000 unique samples. The gain score was nearly as powerful as the covariance‐adjusted score when pretest and posttest variances were equal, and as powerful in fan‐spread growth conditions; thus, under certain circumstances the gain score could be used in two‐wave randomized experimental designs.     

Experimental problem solving: An instructional improvement field experiment

An instructional program based on expert-novice differences in experimental problem-solving performance was taught to grade 6 students (N = 265). Classes of students were randomly assigned to conditions in a delayed treatment design. Performance was assessed with multiple-choice and open-ended measures of specific transfer. Between group comparisons using pretest scores as a covariate showed that treatment condition students consistently outperformed controls; similar results were revealed in the within group comparisons. The achievement of the early treatment group did not decline in tests administered one month after the posttest.     

Assessment of the Impact of an Animal Welfare Educational Course with First Grade Children in Rural Schools in the State of Morelos, Mexico

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if an educational package used for animal welfare teaching would have significant effects on the knowledge of first grade children in a rural area of Mexico. The research was conducted with 276 students in six public schools. In the experimental group, 177 children participated in a 10 week-long animal welfare education program that covered ten one-hour animal welfare topics. The control group, consisting of 99 children, did not receive the course. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between pretests of the experimental and control schools (ANOVA). However, a significant effect of the program on the children’s knowledge was found when the results of the posttest were analyzed using the pretest as a covariate (ANCOVA). Furthermore, the correct responses of the children exposed to the Animal Welfare program were on average 78% richer in concepts compared to responses from children in the control group. These results contribute to the growing body of research literature on the relationship between children and animals in humane education, suggesting that first grade children living in moderate economic conditions can assimilate animal welfare concepts.     

Testing the Immediate and Long-Term Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention

ABSTRACT

This study examined the efficacy of a kindergarten mathematics intervention program, ROOTS, focused on developing whole-number understanding in the areas of counting and cardinality and operations and algebraic thinking for students at risk in mathematics. The study utilized a randomized block design with students within classrooms randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions. Measures of mathematics achievement were collected in the fall (pretest) and spring (posttest) in kindergarten and in the winter of first grade (delayed posttest). Significant differences between conditions favoring treatment students were found on four of six measures at posttest. Treatment students reduced the achievement gap with their not-at-risk peers. No effect was found on follow-up first-grade achievement scores. Implications for Tier 2 mathematics instruction in a Response to Intervention model are discussed.     

History of Science as an Instructional Context: Student Learning in Genetics and Nature of Science

This study (1) explores the effectiveness of the contextualized history of science on student learning of nature of science (NOS) and genetics content knowledge (GCK), especially interrelationships among various genetics concepts, in high school biology classrooms; (2) provides an exemplar for teachers on how to utilize history of science in genetics instruction; and (3) suggests a modified concept mapping assessment tool for both NOS and GCK. A quasi-experimental control group research design was utilized with pretests, posttests, and delayed posttests, combining qualitative data and quantitative data. The experimental group was taught with historical curricular lessons, while the control group was taught with non-historical curricular lessons. The results indicated that students in the experimental group developed better understanding in targeted aspects of NOS immediately after the intervention and retained their learning 2 months after the intervention. Both groups developed similar genetics knowledge in the posttest, and revealed a slight decay in their understanding in the delayed posttest.     

Effects of Early Field Experience on Student Teachers’ Self-Concepts and Performance

This research was designed to determine whether (1) selecting a pre-student teaching field-based experience brought about significant differences in secondary student teachers’ self-concepts and performance; and (2) whether self-concept scores were predictors of performance ratings. Student teachers who had selected Project Interaction (PI) and those who had no early field experience (NF) were pre-and posttested on four self-concept variables, and rated on performance by cooperating teachers, supervisors, and by self-ratings. Pretest self-concept scores were correlated with performance ratings. Results indicated the PI group had significantly more conflict on the pretest, which was reversed on the posttest to produce a trend toward significantly less conflict. The PI group had significantly higher self-esteem than the NF group on the posttest. No significant differences were found on performance ratings, but cooperating teachers’ ratings did correlate with pretest self-concept scores. It was concluded that early field experience appeared to have latent positive effects on self-concept.     

The effects of advance organizer and prerequisite knowledge passages on the learning and retention of science concepts

Fifty-five ninth-grade science students participated in this study which compared the effects of two pretreatments, an advance organizer and a prerequisite knowledge passage, on learning and retention measured at low (knowledge and comprehension) and high (application and analysis) levels of the cognitive domain. The effectiveness of the pretreatments was measured by a framework test and a prerequisite knowledge test prior to the beginning of instruction. An analysis of covariance, with IQ as the covariate, was performed on the framework test and the prerequisite knowledge test. It was found that the advance organizer group performed significantly better than the prerequisite knowledge group (p < 0.001) on the first framework test, and the prerequisite knowledge group performed significantly better (p < 0.001) than the advance organizer group on the prerequisite knowledge test. These results provide evidence that both passages were read and understood by the students and that the passages had their intended effects as preinstructional treatments. An analysis of covariance, with IQ as the covariate, was performed on the low-level questions, high-level questions, and total score for the posttest and retention test. The group means for the two question levels and the total score were not found to be significantly different (p > 0.05) for either the posttest or retention test. The results of this study do not provide evidence that an advance organizer facilitates learning and retention more than a preinstructional treatment that concentrates on developing prerequisite knowledge.     

Covariate Balance in Bayesian Propensity Score Approaches for Observational Studies

Abstract

Bayesian alternatives to frequentist propensity score approaches have recently been proposed. However, few studies have investigated their covariate balancing properties. This article compares a recently developed two-step Bayesian propensity score approach to the frequentist approach with respect to covariate balance. The effects of different priors on covariate balance are evaluated and the differences between frequentist and Bayesian covariate balance are discussed. Results of the case study reveal that both the Bayesian and frequentist propensity score approaches achieve good covariate balance. The frequentist propensity score approach performs slightly better on covariate balance for stratification and weighting methods, whereas the two-step Bayesian approach offers slightly better covariate balance in the optimal full matching method. Results of a comprehensive simulation study reveal that accuracy and precision of prior information on propensity score model parameters do not greatly influence balance performance. Results of the simulation study also show that overall, the optimal full matching method provides the best covariate balance and treatment effect estimates compared to the stratification and weighting methods. A unique feature of covariate balance within Bayesian propensity score analysis is that we can obtain a distribution of balance indices in addition to the point estimates so that the variation in balance indices can be naturally captured to assist in covariate balance checking.     

Cooperative versus competitive educational psychology classrooms: A comparative study

Four introductory educational psychology classrooms were differentially taught, three with a cooperative (ns = 30, 36, and 31) and the other an individually competitive (n = 40) goal structure. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA design was used to examine pre- and posttest (time) learning by treatments within subjects. The four groups were not found to be significantly different from each other on the pretest. All four groups obtained significant (p < 0.001) gains on their posttest scores as contrasted with their pretest scores. While a statistically significant interaction between treatment groups and time was obtained, no significant differences were encountered among the four groups' posttest scores. Affective differences were obtained among the four groups indicating significantly more negative perceptions being associated with the individually competitive as contrasted with the three cooperative groups. The data suggest that while significant achievement gains were obtained by all three goal structures, students have a much more negative experience with the individually competitive and prefer a cooperative goal structure.     

Validity of a Residualized Dependent Variable After Pretest Covariance Adjustments: Still the Same Variable?

The authors empirically examined whether the validity of a residualized dependent variable after covariance adjustment is comparable to that of the original variable of interest. When variance of a dependent variable is removed as a result of one or more covariates, the residual variance may not reflect the same meaning. Using the pretest–posttest design as a general framework, the authors compared the nomological validity network for the (a) original dependent variable scores and (b) residualized dependent variable scores after having covaried-out variance explainable by a pretest. Heuristic and empirical examples are provided that demonstrate potential variation in construct validity of residualized dependent variables is a function of correlations among dependent, covariate, and validity variables.     

Investigations of a complex,realistic task: Intentional,unsystematic, and exhaustive experimenters

This study examines how students' experimentation with a virtual environment contributes to their understanding of a complex, realistic inquiry problem. We designed a week‐long, technology‐enhanced inquiry unit on car collisions. The unit uses new technologies to log students' experimentation choices. Physics students (n = 148) in six diverse high schools studied the unit and responded to pretests, posttests, and embedded assessments. We scored students' experimentation using four methods: total number of trials, variability of variable choices, propensity to vary one variable at a time, and coherence between investigation goals and experimentation methods. Students made moderate, significant overall pretest to posttest gains on physics understanding. Coherence was a strong predictor of learning, controlling for pretest scores and the other experimentation measures. We identify three categories of experimenters (intentional, unsystematic, and exhaustive) and illustrate these categories with examples. The findings suggest that students must combine disciplinary knowledge of the investigation with intentional investigation of the inquiry questions in order to understand the nature of the variables. Mechanically executing well‐established experimentation procedures (such as varying one variable at a time or comprehensively exploring the experimentation space) is less likely to lead students to valuable insights about complex tasks. Our proposed categories extend and refine previous efforts to categorize experimenters by linking scientific procedures with understanding of the science discipline. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 745–770, 2011