The Superiority of Distributed Practice in Drill in Arithmetic

Abstract

Forty-three second and third grade non-readers who were diagnosed as having visual perceptual deficiencies were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received training in visual analysis, which included visual short-term memory, visual discrimination of letters and words, and remedial instruction. The control group received only remedial instruction. After seven months, there was no significant difference between the groups in visual perception or achievement of reading skills. However, there was a significant mean difference between pretest and posttest scores for both groups on all measures tested. Experimental subjects gained 8.9 months in reading achievement versus 9.2 months for controls, indicating that visual discrimination and visual memory of word training influenced the achievement of reading skills for this group to the same degree as did a remedial program without visual training.     

A pilot study of the Australasian Readwell program

Abstract

The “Readwell” program is an Australian‐designed approach to remediation of children's reading difficulties. Although used in most Australian states, the program has not been evaluated. This quasi‐experimental pilot study reports on a first phase of an evaluation of the program. It involves a preliminary examination of the program with a group of 18 grade six and seven students with significant reading delays. It was conducted over a ten‐week period during which students received 45‐minute group instruction with the Readwell program each day. In addition, interviews with the students and their teachers were conducted to examine perceived outcomes of the program. Surveys with selected parents of students who had completed the program 12 months previously were also conducted to gauge the endurance of students’ gains in reading competence. Some comparisons with the literature reporting on Reading Recovery programs are also included and some initial conclusions are draw in relation to the place of the Readwell program in remediation practices for students with a reading difficulty.     

Design,Assessment, and Evaluation of a Problem‐based Learning Environment in Undergraduate Engineering

This article describes the design, evaluation, and results of an innovative undergraduate engineering course at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The course, ENGR 110 — Introduction to Engineering, is a problem‐based learning environment in which freshmen students work in teams to solve problems integral to a “mission to Mars”, that is, getting to Mars, constructing a research site on Mars, and developing a renewable power source there. In addition to traditional knowledge and skill objectives, the course focuses on “higher order” outcomes such as: framing and resolving ill‐defined problems; communicating via multiple media; exhibiting intellectual curiosity; and developing a rich conceptualisation of engineering. The course is described in terms of a set of pedagogical dimensions for problem‐based learning environments. Several cognitive assessment methods were used to assess student achievement and evaluate the effectiveness of the course. Results included statistically and educationally significant differences in “problem‐solving” between two classes of ENGR 110 students and two control classes of sophomore engineering students.     

An Experiment in Teaching Elementary School Methods via Closed Circuit Television

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of two testing approaches on informational achievement in a technical industrial education course. Two equated groups of students were administered either a high difficulty or low difficulty form of unit achievement examinations which served as the experimental factor. Informational achievement was measured by pretest-posttest gain of each testing approach. Comparisons were made (1) between the total populations of the treatment groups, (2) of the ability levels between the treatments, and (3) of the ability levels within each treatment. The findings revealed that while significant gains were found in the informational achievement of both groups, the gains associated with the “low difficulty testing approach” were significantly higher than those of the “high difficulty testing approach.”     

Teacher preparation: A collaborative model

Abstract

Criticism of education and teacher preparation persists. The “Teachers Educating and Motivating Students,” or TEAMS, model was developed to address this criticism. The TEAMS model has been structured using a Professional Development School (PDS) concept as the core component. The model is a competency‐based, structured block program featuring concurrent enrollment in groups of courses and a corresponding field component.

Evaluation of the TEAMS program is a continuing process. Completion of a “perceptions” survey and a workplace competencies instrument by students and mentors/administrators revealed that the TEAMS program is accomplishing intended goals. Furthermore, t tests revealed only one significant difference in perceived adequacy between students and mentors/administrators on the workplace competencies. The data also revealed an overall positive attitude toward the project and satisfaction regarding the achievement of workplace competencies.     

A Study of Supervised and Nonsupervised Programed Instruction in the University Setting

Abstract

Thin study examined the effects of Interaction with “warm” teachers or “friendly” peer leaders on the scholastic achievement and conformance of underachievers. One experimental group of 28 seventh, ninth and tenth grade underachievers was assigned to “warm” teachers for nine months; each member of a second group of 31 underachievers was paired with a friendly peer leader for four months. Following treatment periods, experimental and control groups were compared on achievement and conformance variables. Significant differences were noted In teachers’ grades, tardinesses and severity of disciplinary offenses for the peer leader treatment and In frequency and severity of disciplinary offenses for the “warm” teacher condition.     

Parent-Teacher Contacts and Student Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teacher-parent contacts on the reading achievement of 398 underachievers in an ESEA program in a desegregated elementary school district. Most of the students were black. The central hypothesis was that the home environment influences classroom learning. The results, as measured by normed CAT achievement tests, indicate that the number of contacts was found to have a differential effect on achievement gains. With increasing numbers of contacts, younger students made significant gains in reading; however, increasing numbers of contacts were associated with decreased achievement in older students.     

An Experimental Study of Formal Reading Instruction at the Kindergarten Level

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of formal reading instruction on kindergartners with respect to reading achievement, attitude toward reading, and attitude toward school.

Altogether 220 children, classified on intelligence and reading readiness variables, were randomly assigned to formal reading and readiness programs for four months. Criterion data respecting to achievement and attitudes were collected by means of the California Reading Test and constructed attitude inventories.

Analyses of data reveal that in terms of reading achievement, the reading program was more effective than the readiness program, but that attitudes toward school and reading were a function of intelligence and reading readiness when attitudes were measured by a teacher-reporting scale. When measured by a pupil self-reporting scale, attitudes were a function of the type of instruction, with children in the readiness program showing more favorable attitudes.     

An Appraisal of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal

Abstract

Successful prediction of achievement involves, as a minimum, selecting significant variables, measuring them accurately, and finding a way of combining them to account for maximum achievement variance. Extending earlier work, this report is of two studies-one on developing a refined combination of predictors including ability, “likability,” and “motivation”; and the other aimed at validating this multiple regression equation against actual school achievement, Prediction is in terms of whether students would fall in “good” or “poor” categories determined by dichotomizing the rank-ordered list of actual achievement at a grade point average of 3.33. The biserial r between the dichotomized variable of actual achievement and predicted achievement scores is .882, which is highly significant. The importance and shortcomings of the method are discussed.     

A controlled field study of the use of coloured overlays on reading achievement

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of using Irlen coloured overlays on reading rate, accuracy, fluency and comprehension under regular class conditions, with class teachers instigating the study and conducting the assessment. All subjects in grade 3 at Whitney and McKinley Elementary schools were screened for symptoms of Irlen syndrome, with 31 subjects identified at Whitney and 40 subjects identified at McKinley. The effects on reading achievement were investigated under conditions of immediate use and delayed use, with one group (Whitney) provided optimum coloured overlays for 3 months and the other group (McKinley) delayed treatment for 3 months. The effects were then assessed for a further three months with both groups.

After three months of use of overlays, the Whitney group demonstrated a significant improvement in reading achievement with mean gains in grade equivalence scores of between 1 year 2 months and 1 year 7 months. However, between the three to six month period of use, the gains for the Whitney group reached a plateau, with no significant improvement in reading achievement. The McKinley group had negligible gains in reading achievement during the first 3 months without the use of overlays, but significant gains during the 3 month to 6 month phase with the use of overlays, which ranged from 1 year 8 months to 2 years 8 months. It was suggested that the reported reduction in print and background distortions may improve accuracy of word recognition and allow attention to be directed more to the meaning of what is being read than to word recognition thus enhancing reading comprehension. The plateau effect identified for the Whitney group between 3 and 6 months could be related to the fact that after 3 months of overlay use, many students had reached grade level in reading achievement.     

The Effectiveness of Selected Visual Illustrations in Teaching Science Concepts to College Freshmen

Abstract

This study was an exploration of the effectiveness of three types of visual illustrations used to complement oral instruction. It also attempted to evaluate the reliability of the “realism continuum” as a predictor of learning effectiveness. One hundred eight students were randomly assigned to one of four groups, their achievement being evaluated in terms of total criterion test scores and in terms of four individual criterion tests designed to measure specific educational objectives. comparisons among the four treatment groups yielded significant differences in achievement on tests measuring different educational objectives. It was also noted that different continuums of learning effectiveness existed for each learning objective—these continuums being significantly different from those predicted by the realism continuum.     

The “books in schools” project in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, English is taught in the primary school, by language specialists, starting in Grade 3. During 1995, staff at the National Institute of Education investigated the impact of a “Book Flood” of 100 good quality English reading books per school, in 20 small disadvantaged schools, at Grades 4 and 5. Half the schools were urban and half were rural. The books were donated for the project by Wendy Pye, a New Zealand publisher. In preparation for the project, teachers were trained, in short workshops, to use the Shared Reading method, and to read stories to children. The books were used for 15–20 min daily during normal English periods. The achievement levels of the pupils were tested before and after the program, which continued from March 1995 until January 1996. In comparison with matched control groups, the project groups showed highly significant gains in reading achievement, approximately three times that of control groups, and substantial improvements in writing and listening skills. Apparently, the daily practice at reading and related activities contributed to a marked improvement in English literacy acquisition. The Ministry of Education recommended extension of the program to all schools, in English, Tamil and Sinhalese. Teachers in over 400 schools have now been trained in the approach.     

RECALL AND PRINTED‐WORD RECOGNITION OF RECENTLY‐TAUGHT EMOTIONALLY CHARGED WORDS AS COMPARED TO RECENTLY‐TAUGHT NEUTRAL WORDS

This study is an experimental test of the hypothesis that “emotionally charged” words will result in greater learning as measured by tests of “recall” and “printed‐word recognition” than words that are judged to be emotionally “neutral”.

Ten third‐grade subjects were pre‐tested on “printed‐word recognition” of ten words judged by two clinical psychologists to be “emotionally charged” and similarly pre‐tested on ten words judged to be emotionally “neutral.” After equal exposure to both “neutral” and “emotionally charged” words on four successive teaching days, subjects were post‐tested for “recall” and “printed‐word recognition” five days after the last teaching session.

The results strongly indicate for both the “recall” and “printed‐word recognition” that there is a significantly greater retention of the “emotionally charged” words over the “neutral” words. Despite the fact that a significantly greater number of “neutral” words was recognized in print at the outset of the study, the final performance level for “printed‐word recognition” for both the “emotionally charged” and “neutral” words is identical.

The major implications of the results obtained in this study is that the content of reading materials and the methods for teaching them must be revised so that reading deals with events, ideas, and feelings which are emotionally significant to the child, A personally relevant reading program will not only facilitate the task of learning to read, but will capture and explore the feelings and emotions of each child, as well.     

Educational Measurements and Evaluation

Abstract

The problem with which this research is concerned is that of determining the effectiveness of television instruction as compared to conventional instruction. Data was secured by organizing control and experimental groups in Finite Math and General Botany. The control groups received their instruction via conventional means. The experimental groups received their instruction via live or closed circuit television.

The next step was to secure student and instructor opinions concerning television instruction. The achievement of the groups was tested using the “null hypothesis.” The .05 level was used to accept or reject each research hypothesis. This research indicated that there was no significant difference between the methods used in Finite Math. Although slight, there was a significant difference in General Botany.     

Student and Teacher Outcomes of The Superkids Quasi-Experimental Study

In this article, we report kindergarten student and teacher outcomes from a quasi-experimental evaluation of The Superkids, a systematic, phonics-based, comprehensive K-2 reading program. We recruited 23 kindergarten teachers to implement The Superkids program from a diverse, yet predominantly ethnic minority, group of classrooms from across the United States. We then employed a precise computerized matching methodology to derive a statistically equivalent comparison group of 20 control teachers who implemented their standard “business as usual” core literacy program. Multilevel analyses of classroom-level effects of The Superkids revealed achievement advantages of more than 1/10 of a standard deviation, d = 0.11, to 1/4 of a standard deviation, d = 0.25, for the treatment group on the 5 subtests from the Stanford Achievement Test, 10th edition (SAT-10). Four measures of teachers’ self-reported satisfaction with the core reading program used in their classrooms also revealed statistically significant advantages for Superkids of nearly three-quarters of a standard deviation, d = 0.72, to nearly 1½ standard deviation units, d = 1.49.     

Computer-Assisted Tutoring in Success for All: Reading Outcomes for First Graders

Abstract

This article presents a randomized experiment evaluating a computer-assisted tutoring program. The software program, Alphie's Alley, provides reading tutors with assessment and planning tools and performance support. It provides students with animated presentations and engaging activities. In a yearlong study involving 25 schools using the Success for All reading program, 412 low-achieving first graders were randomly assigned to be tutored daily for 20 min with or without Alphie's Alley. Tutors were also randomly assigned. On individually administered reading measures, controlling for pretests, there were no significant differences overall, but among students with tutors rated as “fully implementing,” those who experienced Alphie's Alley scored significantly better on three of four measures. These results suggest that if well implemented, technology that enhances the performance of tutors has promise in improving the reading performance of at-risk children.     

Preventing a summer slide in reading – the effects of a summer school

ABSTRACT

Researchers have found that summer reading loss contributes to the reading achievement gap between low and high socioeconomic (SES) children. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a 3-week summer intervention in addressing this slide for 36 low SES children compared with another 36 children in a matched control group from one New Zealand school. The program involved one-to-one tutoring with explicit phonics instruction, high-frequency word-reading practice and application of these skills in reading age-appropriate texts. Results showed that although the mean reading comprehension slide was 5.8 months for both groups, the summer school group had higher word reading scores than the control group. The summer school participants showed improvements in phonological recoding ability, word reading, spelling and passage reading accuracy. These were not sufficient to stop the reading comprehension slide, but the program did make inroads. With further emphasis on comprehension strategies, the achievement gap may narrow.     

The Relationship of Cognitive Style and Instructional Style to the Learning Performance of Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effect of two different instructional styles, “discovery” and “expository,” on the change in learning performance of subjects of contrasting cognitive styles, field dependent and field independent. Based on the administration of the Group Embedded Figures Test, sixty-four subjects (thirty-two field dependent and thirty-two field independent) were randomly assigned to one of nine experimental groups (three expository experimental groups, three discovery experimental groups, and three no-treatment groups). The Behavior Modification Achievement Test, an original research instrument, was administered to all subjects on a pretest-posttest basis to measure change in learning performance. ANOVA revealed no significant interaction tied to the manipulation of the independent variable.     

Using Student-Determined Needs to Evaluate Environmental Education Programs

Abstract

All too often, evaluation is not used as the important management tool it could be, because educators feel inadequately prepared to use complex evaluation techniques. “Direct evaluation,” as a research concept, is based on the idea of “research as an intermediate technology,” developed by Steven and Rachel Kaplan in Cognition and Environment (1982: Praeger). Direct evaluation means you ask what you need to know of those who are participants in a program you wish to evaluate. The results, when collated, can be used for justification as well as modification of programs.     

Recognition and development of academic talent in educationally disadvantaged students

Abstract

We studied 36 students identified as “educationally disadvantaged” who scored above average on standardized achievement tests and completed a program to reinforce their academic skills in either language arts or mathematics. We pretested and posttested an additional (control) group of 28 students who received no instructional intervention. We found a significant effect of the instructional intervention for both achievement and aptitude test scores in language arts as well as mathematics. Gains in mathematics were significantly greater than in language arts. After instructional intervention, the majority of students were eligible and academically qualified for challenging gifted‐talented programs. These findings are consistent with two other similar research projects using the same instructional program and model, suggesting stability of results. We discuss implications of this study for identifying and developing academic talent in such a population.