Effects of Questions and Test-Like Events on Achievement and On-Task Behavior in a Classroom Concept Learning Presentation

Abstract

Fifty-one third grade subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. Both groups were exposed to a standard presentation on the concept of first class lever and were asked the same questions in both treatments. Experimental subjects were all required to make overt responses to every question, while questions to control subjects were addressed to one individual at a time. Those in the experimental group exhibited significantly fewer off- task behaviors than control subjects, and classified new examples of levers more accurately. Apparently, oral questions are nominal stimuli when individually addressed, and Rothkopf’s theory extends from prose learning to concept learning tasks in classroom settings.