Effect of Precise Objectives upon Student Achievement in Health Education

The purpose of this study was to determine what effect the communication of precise instructional objectives to students has on their learning. The study was designed (1) to provide data on whether student achievement can be influenced significantly by providing students, in advance of instruction, information on what is expected of them as an outcome of instruction and (2) to investigate various ways of communicating to students, in writing, that which is to be learned in class. The Ss for this study were selected from five tenth-grade health and safety classes taught by the same teacher. Of the 143 Ss, one third in each class was randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. For treatment groups one through three, the participants received precisely stated instructional objectives, vaguely stated instructional objectives, and short paragraphs of health information, respectively. Ss receiving prior to instruction precise information on what is expected of them showed greater achievement than those who received vague or related information.     

Teacher Evaluation of Student Behavior and School Dropouts

Abstract

An investigation to determine if on the basis of behavioral trait “classroom teacher” could Identify students who would later quit school. Two groups were established from Ss entering: the ninth grade during: a two-year period (N = 96). One group graduated four years later. The second group left school prematurely. Ratings were obtained from 506 teachers on Ss in seven areas of behavior. The findings Indicated that male dropouts were rated significantly less favorably on all criteria when compared with male graduates. Similar findings were obtained with female dropouts and graduates. Teacher evaluations of student behavior were reliable predictors of future school attendance and reflective of pupil adjustment.     

Using student learning and development outcomes to evaluate a first-year undergraduate group video project

Students in an interdisciplinary undergraduate introductory course were required to complete a group video project focused on nutrition and healthy eating. A mixed-methods approach to data collection involved observing and rating video footage of group work sessions and individual and focus group interviews. These data were analyzed and used to evaluate the effectiveness of the assignment in light of two student learning outcomes and two student development outcomes at the University of Minnesota. Positive results support the continued inclusion of the project within the course, and recommend the assignment to other programs as a viable means of promoting both content learning and affective behavioral objectives.     

The Facilitative Influence of Instructional Objectives

Abstract

Several studies have failed to demonstrate an advantage for Ss who receive instructional objectives. However, no test for the efficacy of instructional objectives has occurred with Ss who have had experience using them. In the present study Ss were used who had been provided with objectives for each unit of instruction throughout a semester. They were randomly given one of two sets of objectives and later quizzed both with items which corresponded and which did not correspond to their objectives. Overall, Ss performed significantly better on items which corresponded to the objectives they had been provided. An item analysis comparing both groups is presented.     

Effects of orienting activities and practice on achievement,continuing motivation,and student behaviors in a cooperative learning environment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of orienting activities and type of practice on achievement, continuing motivation, and student behaviors in a cooperative learning environment. Eighty graduate education majors were assigned to cooperative groups and required to learn instructional design principles from three instructional television lessons. Each lesson included specific orienting activities (advance organizers or objectives) and different types of practice (verbal information or intellectual skills). Results indicated that subjects who worked in groups that received intellectual skills practice performed better on the application portion of the posttest than those who received verbal information practice. Knowledge acquisition and student behaviors were affected by a combination of type of practice and orienting activity. Groups that received intellectual skills practice discussed more content, gave more help to their fellow group members, and exhibited less individual behavior than groups that received verbal information practice. Groups given objectives discussed significantly more content than groups given advance organizers. The authors wish to thank Steven Ross and the reviewers ofETR&D for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.     

Application of Adjunct Auto-Instruction to Teaching Computer Programming

An N of 105 fifth and sixth grade Ss was randomly assigned to one of three groups: high level questioning (HQ), low level questioning (LQ), or control (C). Instructionally, the geographical themes for HQ and LQ were identical. However, in implementing instruction, higher (than recall) questions were predominately employed in the HQ and low level questions prevailed for LQ. Observers monitored the number and nature of the student responses to the questions. Analyses of variance indicated that HQ and LQ outperformed C Ss in terms of low as well as high level achievement for both post- and retention test situations (p < .01). The results, when compared to a previous study by the investigator, indicate the instructional importance of considering not only the level of questions posed but also the level of student involvement with those questions, as reflected in the response patterns.     

Factors Affecting Efficiency of Inductive Reasoning

This experiment studied the separate effects on student achievement and time on-task of three components of the team learning technique, Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD): cooperative rewards, group tasks, and a focused schedule of instruction. The subjects were 336 fourth and fifth grade students in 14 classes who studied language mechanics for nine weeks in one of five treatments. The results of a curriculum-specific achievement test and behavioral observation of time on-task indicated significantly greater performance in cooperative than traditional reward structures, but significantly lower performance in group than individual task structures. The focused schedule was found to be an important component of STAD in increasing academic achievement.     

Some Effects of Promotion and Non-Promotion upon the Social and Personal Adjustment of Children

Past research on cognition has demonstrated that cognitive learning strategies used to complement instruction can have beneficial effects on memory and subsequent achievement. The utilization of microcomputer technology to deliver instructional content to students provides an optimum environment to examine the instructional effectiveness of embedded instructional strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an imagery cue and an attention directing strategy within a context of a microcomputer learning environment that provided both self-paced and externally paced instruction. Achievement was measured on five different tests designed to measure different educational objectives. One hundred eighty freshman students were randomly assigned to one of nine treatment groups. The results of the study indicate that embedding an imagery cue and an attention directing strategy in an instructional sequence increases student achievement. A combination of the two embedded strategies was also effective in improving students’ achievement; however, the combining of the two strategies did not have a cumulative effect. It was also determined that the effectiveness of the embedded strategies was dependent on whether the instruction was self-paced or externally paced.     

A comparative study of the effect of behavioral objectives on class performance and retention in physical science

This experiment was designed to assess the effects of behavioral objectives on class achievement and retention. Eight experimental classes received instruction in physical science with stated behavioral objectives and six control classes received the same instruction without knowledge of the objectives. The subject matter used in this ninth-grade investigation was the third unit of the program, Interaction of Matter and Energy. Behavioral objectives and their accompanying assessment tasks were written by the investigator for the subject matter areas of heat energy, light energy, and phases of matter. The experimental classes obtained higher mean scores than the control classes on both achievement and retention tests. The overall mean differences due to treatment was found to be significant at the 0.01 level of confidence. The results of the study support the thesis that providing classes and teachers with behavioral objectives prior to instruction can enhance the performance on achievement tests. Also, the data strongly suggest that behavioral objectives and their accompanying assessment tasks will cause a resistance to forgetting.     

Effects of Peer-Led Online Asynchronous Discussion on Undergraduate Students' Cognitive Achievement

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of peer leadership on students' cognitive achievement in online asynchronous discussions. Undergraduate students from a large online course were randomly assigned into groups for four asynchronous discussions, with each group having two to three peer leaders. Results of the mixed-method analysis revealed that the quality of student leaders' lower-order cognitive achievement in online discussion was significantly better than that of student responders. Student leaders' higher-order cognitive level achievement in online discussion had at least the same quality as that of student responders. Moreover, both students' higher-order and lower-order cognitive achievement in discussions had positive and moderate correlation with students' course achievement. Further study should focus on methods to maximize student responders' cognitive achievement in online peer-led discussions.     

A Comparison of Audio-Tutorial Lecture Methods of Teaching

Abstract

The study to determine if concepts of school law could be effectively taught, using simulated materials presented audio-tutorially, to preservice teachers. A senior class of 219 students at Iowa State University was randomly divided into two groups. One group was taught school law concepts utilizing the traditional lecture method of instruction, the other was subjected to the A-T style of instruction. A pretest and posttest was administered to each group and the growth of each group over time was determined. The experimental (A-T) group showed a significantly greater (.01 level of confidence) increase in achievement than did the traditional group. Three factors and their interactions were considered in the experiment: achievement level of the student; possible student teaching experience, and group assignment. The only significant factor was group assignment, indicating that teaching technique was responsible for the difference in the learning rate of the two groups.     

Effects of performance objectives on achievement

The purpose of this investigation was to determine (1) the effects of performance objectives on the achievement level of low achieving black inner city pupils and (2) the effects of giving the students performance objectives prior to beginning instruction The population used in this study was selected from four predominantly black inner city schools. The results of the study show that training teachers to use performance objectives had a significant effect on student cognitive achievement. Although providing students copies of the objectives prior to study did not significantly affect their cognitive achievement, performance objectives, as an instructional technique, seem as effective as traditional methods of instruction currently used with low achievers.     

Impact and dynamics of portfolio assessment and traditional assessment in a college physics course

Popular belief in alternative assessment procedures suggests that the use of student portfolios can help learners successfully organize and integrate newly acquired scientific knowledge. This two-group comparison study documents the use of student created portfolios in an algebra-based, college-level, introductory physics course. Sixteen students were assessed primarily using a portfolio-style assessment procedure. Nineteen students were assessed primarily using traditional, objective examinations. Both groups were given the same cumulative, multiple-choice final examination. All students completed a pre- and post-self-report survey of achievement in physics. There were no significant differences in learner achievement between the two groups on the final examination or on the self-report of achievement given before and after instruction. Analysis of two focus group discussions did, however, suggest that students assessed by portfolios feel less anxious about learning physics, devote considerable time to reading and studying outside of class, internalize and personalize the content material, and enjoy the learning experience. The results of this study suggest that portfolio-style assessment procedures support student achievement at least at the same level as traditional assessment procedures and appear to have additional benefits. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 255–271, 1997.     

Student Opportunity to Learn Related to Student Achievement of Objectives in a Probability Unit

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between pupil achievement of specified objectives and the opportunity to learn them. Opportunity to learn was measured by four counts of substantive teacher statements and teacher-pupil interchanges, these same counts given as percent of total interaction, a count of problems attempted per pupil, and a teacher rating of content emphasis. Twenty-three teachers taught a probability unit containing eighteen objectives to twenty-six classes. They gave a pretest, taught for three class periods, and gave a posttest. The design for the analysis was a two-way nested analysis of covariance. In general, the contention that a student’s achievement of an objective is related to the opportunity to learn the objective was supported. Other areas relating to achievement were teacher perception of emphasis, student work, and teacher information.     

The effect of A teacher questioning strategy training program on teaching behavior,student achievement,and retention

The use of questions in the classroom has been employed throughout the recorded history of teaching. One still hears the term “Socratic method” during discussions of questioning procedures. The use of teacher questions is presently viewed as a viable procedure for effective instruction. This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of training teachers in the use of a questioning technique and the resultant effect upon student learning. The Post-Test Only Control Group Design was used in randomly assigning teachers and students to experimental and control groups. A group of teachers was trained in the use of a specific questioning technique. Follow-up periodic observations were made of questioning technique behavior while teaching science units to groups of students. Post-unit achievement tests were administered to the student groups to obtain evidence of a relationship between the implementation of specific types of teacher questions and student achievement and retention. Analysis of observation data indicated a higher use of managerial and rhetorical questions by the control group than the experimental group. The experimental group employed a greater number of recall and data gathering questions as well as higher order data processing and data verification type questions. The student posttest achievement scores for both units of instruction were greater for the experimental groups than for the control groups. The retention scores for both units were Beater for the experimental groups than for the control groups.     

EFFECTS OF A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON BEHAVIORAL ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL

Student behavioral engagement is a key condition supporting academic achievement, yet student disengagement in middle and high schools is all too common. The current study used a randomized controlled design to test the efficacy of the My Teaching Partner‐Secondary program to increase behavioral engagement. The program offers teachers personalized coaching and systematic feedback on teachers’ interactions with students, based on systematic observation of videorecordings of teacher‐student interactions in the classroom. The study found that intervention teachers had significantly higher increases, albeit to a modest degree, in student behavioral engagement in their classrooms after 1 year of involvement with the program compared to the teachers in the control group (explaining 4% of variance). In exploratory analyses, two dimensions of teachers’ interactions with students—their focus on analysis and problem solving during instruction and their use of diverse instructional learning formats—acted as mediators of increased student engagement. The findings offer implications for new directions in teacher professional development and for understanding the classroom as a setting for adolescent development.     

An Experimental Analysis of Reading Performance

This experiment was designed to evaluate the validity of S s perceptions of the instructional effectiveness of four different types of black and white and colored illustrations. Each S received a pretest, participated in his respective instructional presentation, received four individual criterial tests, and completed a Visual Illustration Questionnaire. Results indicate that (a) the type of visuals that Ss themselves perceive as being most effective are not always the ones found to be most effective in facilitating their achievement, and (b) all types of visuals are not equally effective in improving Ss achievement of different learning objectives.     

Negotiating the Inquiry Question: A Comparison of Whole Class and Small Group Strategies in Grade Five Science Classrooms

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of two strategies for negotiating the question for exploration during science inquiry on student achievement and teachers' perceptions. The study is set in the context of the Science Writing Heuristic. The first strategy (small group) consisted of each group of four students negotiating a question for inquiry with the teacher while the second strategy (whole class) consisted of the entire class negotiating a single question for inquiry with the teacher. The study utilized a mixed-method approach. A quasi-experimental repeated measures design was used to determine the effect of strategy on student achievement and semi-structured teacher interviews were used to probe the question of teacher perceptions of the two strategies. Teacher observations were conducted using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to check for variation in implementation of the two strategies. Iowa Test of Basic Skills Science (ITBSS) (2005 and 2006) and teacher/researcher developed unit exams (pre and post) were used as student achievement measures. No statistically significant differences were found among students in the two treatment groups on the ITBSS or unit exams. RTOP observations suggest that teacher implementation was consistent across the two treatment strategies. Teachers disclosed personal preferences for the two strategies, indicating the whole class treatment was easier to manage (at least at the beginning of the school year) as students gained experience with science inquiry and the associated increased responsibility. Possible mechanisms linking the two strategies, negotiated questions, and student outcomes are discussed.     

Chapter 7 Sociometric Choice

To determine relationships between key variables in a teacher training program, twenty-one trainees were randomly assigned to criterion-referenced and control treatment groups. Criterion-referenced trainees received 126 hours of instruction in a model where the focus was on achieving intended behavioral objectives with pupils. Trainees were administered a written checkup to determine verbal mastery of criterion-referenced instruction and were rated by observers for effective use of the model in practice sessions. Each trainee was also required to teach an identical resource unit to randomly assigned pupils to measure their ability to achieve objectives. The only significant relationship obtained was between effective practice and pupil achievement (.58, p<.05).     

The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Student Achievement and Motivation in a High School Geometry Class

In this study, the effects of a form of cooperative group instruction (Student Teams Achievement Divisions) on student motivation and achievement in a high school geometry class were examined. Eighty students were randomly assigned to either a control group receiving traditional instruction or one of two treatment groups receiving cooperative learning instruction. Geometry achievement was assessed using scores from the IOWA Test of Basic Skills and teacher-made exams. An 83-item questionnaire was used as a pretest, posttest, and post-posttest assessment of efficacy, intrinsic valuing, goal orientation, and cognitive processing. Students in the cooperative treatment groups exhibited significantly greater gains than the control group in geometry achievement, efficacy, intrinsic valuing of geometry, learning goal orientation, and reported uses of deep processing strategies. The implications for cooperative group structures and motivation theory are discussed.