Changes in attitudes toward contraceptives concomitant with instructional activities in physiology

Expatriate science teachers are being asked with increasing frequency to participate in science classroom instructional activities in a large number of developing nations. The peculiar nature of social problems in many of these countries calls for a broader definition of curricular activities in the science classroom. This report is based on a study that assessed the influence of subsidiary learning activities in a physiology class on attitudes toward contraceptives. Students enrolled in a physiology course were exposed to various subsidiary learning activities through reading assignments, group projects and group discussion sessions. A pre- and posttest evaluation of changes in attitudes toward contraceptives was found to be statistically significant. A significantly larger proportion of students possessed positive attitudes toward contraceptives at the end of the semester's learning activities than at the beginning.     

Locus of control,instructional mode and students' achievement

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among locus of control, instructional mode and achievement. Externally and internally oriented students were taught by the same instructor using two different teaching methods. The findings posited a definite relationship among locus of control, instructional style and achievement. Notably, students who were internally oriented appeared to attain higher levels of achievement under conditions where intrinsic reinforcers constitute the stimuli.