Effect Of Two Methods Of Instruction On Level Of Achievement

And Attitude Of High School Home Economics Students

By
Betty Lee Stout

Liezl Q. Solano
Andrew Talledo
Kent Jhon Taray
Jeahlyn Tejero
Justen Tudio
________________________________
Students

Charmain Viaflor S. Reponte, PAE

Subject Teacher (Special Science Teacher- I)
Adviser

MAY, 2024

ABSTRACT
This study investigated the impact of two instructional methods, traditional
lecture-based and experiential learning, on the achievement level and attitude of
high school home economics students. A sample of 79 students was randomly
assigned to either method, and pre- and post-tests were used to assess
achievement level, while a survey was used to measure attitude towards the
subject. The data collected was analyzed using statistical tools such as mean
standard deviation, t-test, and effect size. The findings revealed that students
who were taught using the experiential learning approach had significantly
higher level of achievement compared to those taught using the traditional
lecture-based method. Students who were taught using the experiential learing
approach also reported a more positive attitude towards the subject compared to
those taught using traditional method. The study concludes that the experiential
learning approach is more effective in enhancing student learning and attitude
towards home economic education.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 The author wishes to express sincere appreciation to the
participants of this study, who generously gave their time, effort, and
cooperation. The author also extends gratitude to the school
administrators, teachers, and staff who facilitate the research project and
provided access to resources necessary for its successful completion.
Their invaluable contributions have significantly enriched this study.
Finally, the author thanks their family and loved ones for their
unwavering support and encouragement.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page…………………………………………………………… i
Abstract…………………………………………………………….. ii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………… iii
Table of Contents…………………………………………………… v
Chapter 1. THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND…………. 1
1.1 Introduction………………………………………………. 1
1.2 Theoretical/Conceptual Framework……………………… 4
1.3 Statement of the Problem………………………………… 7
1.4 Significance of the Study………………………………… 9
1.5 Scope and limitation of the Study………………………. 9
1.6 Definition of Terms……………………………………… 9
Chapter 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE……………… 11
Chapter 3. RESEARCH METHODS……………………………… 13
3.1 Research Design…………………………………………. 13
3.2 Participants of the Study………………………………… 13
3.3 Setting of the Study………………………………………. 14
3.4 Research Instrument…………………………………….. 14
3.5 Data Gathering Procedure………………………………. 16
3.6 Data Analysis……………………………………………. 18
Reference……………………………………………………. 21

Chapter 1
 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUNDS

1.1 Introduction

The study reported herein was a part of a departmental research and development

project concentrated on exploration of methods of effective teaching. Findings will

contribute to the educational philosophy of and practice in preservice and inservice

education of teachers in the department in which the study was carried out.

According to Borg and Gall (1971) educational research and development programs can

help bridge the gap between research and classroom practice and are one of the most

promising changes that have occurred in education. Borg and Gall outlined the

following characteristics of research and development:

1) The objective of educational research and development is usually a finished product

that can be used effectively in schools.

2) Teams of researchers are usually involved to carry out the objectives of a single

research and development project.

3) The research usually extends over a period of years before its objectives are

accomplished.

4) The sequence followed in carrying out the research is itself considered a major

contribution to the field of educational research and is quite different from that

followed in basic and applied research.

The objective chosen as a result of a review of the literature was to establish the level

of cognitive functioning and attitude of students in classes taught by two different

modes of instruction: Expository and Guided Discovery.

This choice was made though probably nothing has been more consistently pursued in

education yet seemed more elusive than has been the teaching of thinking. Although

information or knowledge is recognized as an important outcome of education, there is

need of evidence that individuals can apply the information to new situations and

problems and can acquire generalized techniques for dealing with new problems and

materials. This has been termed the development of intellectual skills and abilities

(Bloom, 1956).

Given that the development of intellectual skills is a worthwhile pursuit of education,

the question becomes one of facilitating this development in the educational system.

Conflicting responses in the search for the "one best treatment" for developing the

intellect of learners with particular traits was found in the research of educational

psychologists, in theorists' beliefs about learning as well as in models for classroom

teaching. The review of the literature regarding methods of teaching provided evidence

that expository and discovery modes of instruction represented polar means of

approaching the question of learning and therefore were conducive to research given

that the barrier of defining the discovery mode could be overcome ( Keislar and

Shulman, 1966).

The study aims to compare the effectiveness of the traditional lecture-based

instructional method with the experiential learning approach in enhancing student learning

and attitude towards the subject.

The study involved a sample of 79 high school home economics students who were

randomly assigned to either the traditional lecture-based instructional method or the

experiential learning approach. The traditional lecture-based instructional method involved

students participating in hands-on activities and projects. To measure the effectiveness of the
two methods, the study used pre- and post-tests to assess student achievement level, and a

survey to measure student attitude towards the subject. The data collected was analyzed using

statistical tools such as mean, standard deviation, t-test, and effect size.

The findings of the study showed that students who were taught using the experiential

learning approach had a significantly higher level of achievement compared to those who

were taught using the traditional lecture-based method. The study concludes that experiential

learning approach is more effective in enhancing student learning towards home economics

education. The findings of the study contribute to the literature on effective teaching practices

in home economics education, and can be used to inform educational policy and practice.

1.2 Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

It is assumed that the manner in which subject matter is presented to students will

make a difference in how well the students learn the material. This raises the question

of how concepts are formed. A concept was defined in the work of Martorella (1972,

p. 5) as a "continuum of inferences by which a set of observed characteristics of an

object or event suggests a class identity, and then additional inferences about other

unobserved characteristics of the object or event."

Conflicting ideas exist regarding the development of concepts in the classroom.

Burton et al. (1950, p. 165157) cited the advantages of concept learning as giving a

relatively stable and permanent system of knowledge, providing the additional

advantages of facilitating generalizing, and providing a framework and guidepost for

thinking. However, errors in aim and method of teaching occur to the detriment of

concept formation in that concepts are given out readymade by teachers who believe

that telling is equivalent to teaching and that hearing amounts to understanding.

Concepts in real situations are achieved or discovered, not just accepted and given

acquiescence by students, according to Burton. The attitude of the student is not one of

absorbing, but one of groping, hunting. searching, and trying one idea with another in

Burton's idea of concept development. An additional criticism by Burton of some

teaching situations is that activities and experiences are not carried to the level of

concept derivation. For example, many activities may be going on in the school but the

student is not stimulated to attempt generalizing, but instead is allowed to remain

submerged in specifics (pp. 165157).

Bruner (1965) is an ardent supporter of discovering concepts with his belief that

"knowledge didactically transmitted to the learner is not likely to fit into the learner's

existing cognitive organization. As a result the learner is less able either to remember

or apply the knowledge" (p. 612). Learning by discovery, or the hypothetical mode, as

it is termed by Bruner, has precisely the effect upon the learner of leading him to

reorganize what he is encountering in a manner not only designed to discover

relatedness of concepts, but also to aid retention. Discovery learning, according to

Bruner, helps the student become intrinsically motivated and provides the opportunity

for the student to learn the heuristics of discovery and to establish a problem solving

style into his/her own behavior. Discovery can also aid retention. The very attitudes and

activities that characterize "figuring out" or discovering things for oneself also seem to

have the effect of making material more readily accessible in retrieval (pp. 606620).

Ausubel (1963), in contrast to Bruner, holds that concepts may be presented to

students in an expository manner. He does not share the enthusiasm for discovery

learning and has presented a point' by point critique of the position in which he

recognizes that "learning by discovery has its proper place in the repertoire of pedagogic
techniques, but denies that it has extraordinary advantages that cannot otherwise be

achieved" (p. 139). The following statement indicates the depth of Ausubel's belief:

Perhaps the most unique attribute of human culture, which distinguishes it from every

other kind of social organization in the animal kingdom is precisely the fact that the

accumulated discoveries of millennia can be transmitted to each succeeding generation in

the course of childhood and youth and need not be discovered anew by each

generation, (p. 145) Thorndike's wellknown conclusion cited by Wittrock (1966) that

"refusal to supply information on the grounds that the bearer will be more profited by

discovering the facts himself, runs the risk not only of excessive time cost but also the

strengthening of wrong habits" lends support to those opposing discovery learning.

Ausubel believes that discovery learning can be rote learning while reception learning

can be meaningful learning just as the opposite can be true. Why make a fetish of

autonomy of the learner and self-discovery? He does see the importance of

development of an adequate cognitive structure which is organized using the concepts

and principles in a given discipline that have the widest explanatory power,

inclusiveness, generalizability and relatability to the subject matter of that discipline.

Methods should be employed that enhance the clarity, stability and integratedness of the

cognitive structure to aid new learning and problem solving.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

Student achievement level and attitude towards home economics education need to

enhance. The problem statement, therefore, focuses on the need to compare the effectiveness

of the traditional lecture-based instructional method with the experiential learning approach

in enhancing student achievement level and attitude towards home economics education.
 The study aims to provide empirical evidence to support the use of one instructional

method over the other, which can inform educational policy and practice and contribute to the

literature on effective teaching practices in home economics education.

Null/Alternative Hypothesis
The hypotheses that follow were generated for analysis by both classes and

subjects. One hundred seventy students comprised the sample for the subject analysis

and 12 classrooms comprised the sample for the analysis with classes as the unit of

observation.

1) Achievement scores for students and classes receiving an Expository Mode of

instruction will not differ significantly from achievement scores for students and classes

receiving instruction in a Guided Discovery Mode.

a) Achievement scores measuring the ability to recall facts for students and for classes

receiving an Expository Mode of instruction will not differ significantly from

achievement score measuring the ability to recall facts for students and classes receiving

a Guided Discovery Mode of instruction.

b) Achievement scores measuring ability to apply knowledge for students and for

classes receiving an Expository Mode of instruction will not differ significantly from

achievement scores measuring ability to apply knowledge for students and classes

receiving a Guided Discovery Mode of instruction.

2) Attitudes toward energy conservation/management of students and classes receiving

an Expository Mode of instruction will not differ significantly from attitudes of

students and classes receiving a Guided Discovery Mode of instruction.

1) Achievement scores for students and classes receiving an Expository Mode of

instruction will not differ significantly from achievement scores for students and classes

receiving instruction in a Guided Discovery Mode.

a) Achievement scores measuring the ability to recall for students and classes

receiving an Expository Mode of instruction will not differ significantly from

achievement scores measuring the ability to recall for students and classes receiving a

Guided Discovery Mode of instruction.

b) Achievement scores measuring ability to apply knowledge for students and

classes receiving an Expository Mode of instruction will not differ significantly from

achievement score measuring ability to apply knowledge for students and classes

receiving a Guided Discovery Mode of instruction.

2) Attitudes toward energy conservation/management of students and classes receiving

an Expository Mode of instruction will not differ significantly from attitudes of students

and classes receiving a Guided Discovery Mode of instruction.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of two instructional

methods, traditional lecture-based and experiential learning, in enhancing student

achievement level and attitude towards home economics education.

The study contributes to the literature on effective teaching practices in home

economics.
 The study highlights the importance of student-centered learning and the need to

tailor instruction to meet the unique needs and interests of individual students.

The study provides valuable empirical evidence to support the use of the experiential

learning approach in enhancing student achievement level and attitude towards home

economics education.

1.5 Scope and limitation of the study

The study is limited to a specific population of high school home economics

students in a particular geographic location. The study was conducted in one high school

in the United States, which means that the findings may not be generalizable to other

populations or contexts. The study is also limited by the potential for the bias in the

selection of instructional methods and the administration of tests and surveys. The study

did not consider other variables that may have influenced student learning outcomes, and

the long-term impact of the two instructional methods was not considered.

1.6 Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined as they were used in the study:

Concept a continuum of inferences by which a set of observed characteristics of

an object or event suggests a class identity, and then additional inferences about

other unobserved characteristics of the object or event (Martorella, 1972, p. 5).

Generalization a statement of some abstract relationship among several concepts

which is more complex than any single component concept, which expresses an

underlying truth and which has an element of universality.

Expository Mode the instructional treatment in which students were shown or told

the content for development of concepts and generalizations through the knowledge

level of the taxonomy of educational objectives in the cognitive domain as defined

by Bloom (1955).

Guided Discovery Mode the instructional treatment in which learning opportunities

were organized in a manner which allowed for inferring the generalization through

classroom questioning and activities which encouraged application of knowledge by

students as defined by Bloom (1956).

Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Related Literature

 The research literature regarding the mode of teacher operation and student

response in the expository manner was, for the most part, straightforward. There

has been some difficulty in defining expository teaching as in research by Hoover

and Cauble (1974) in which expository teaching was used as the control group

and defined as the method which the teacher normally used in the classroom. The

experimental treatment was a concept development mode of instruction. Two

researchers did the teaching in collegelevel classrooms and reported a possible

confounding of the two methods of teaching because the expository mode

incorporated principles, concepts and relationships just as did the concept

development mode. It had been planned that the control group would receive

unrelated or disassociated facts.

Keislar and Shulman (1966) noted in the summary of the conference on

learning by discovery that examination of both the exhaustive reviews of literature

and deliberations of the conference lead to an inescapable conclusion: The

question of the effectiveness of discovery learning is not amenable to research

solutions because the implied experimental 14 treatment, the discovery method, is

far too ambiguous and imprecise to be used meaningfully in an experimental

investigation (p. 191).

According to Bloom (1956), although information or knowledge is

recognized as an important outcome of education, there is need of evidence that

students can apply the information to new situations and problems. Berliner and

Cahen (1973) have defined the areas in which research has been done regarding

classroom treatments for development of intellectual skills as follows:

1. Inductive and deductive treatments.

2. Structured and unstructured treatments.

3. Subject matter treatments.

4. Concept learning treatments.

5. Treatments involving mathemagenic (questioning) activity.

6. Treatments involving programmed instruction.

7. Traittreatment interactions as they affect assessment.

2.2 Related study

A study by Wu and colleagues (2017) that investigated the effectiveness of

flipped classroom instruction in enhancing student learning outcomes and attitudes

towards home economics education.

A study by Kim and colleagues (2018) that examined the impact of problem-

based learning on student learning outcomes and attitudes towards home economics

education.

A study by Chen and colleagues (2015) that compared the effectiveness of

traditional lecture-based and student-centered instructional methods in enhancing student

learning outcomes in home economics.

Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODS

3.1 Research Design

 The research design used in this study is a quasi-experimental design. The

study had a pretest-posttest control group design with two treatment groups. The two

methods of instruction were the traditional lecture method and the problem-solving

method. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of these two methods of

instruction on the level of achievement and attitude of high school home economics

students.

3.2 Participants/Subject of the Study

A total of 170 tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade high school home

economics students comprising 12 classes in Iowa made up the sample from which

data were collected.

The original sample included 184 students. Foreign exchange students and

students whose low grade point average indicated were outliers were eliminated

leaving a total of 179 students in the sample.

Nine of the 179 students in the sample had missing values for one or

more of the five measures and were therefore eliminated from the analysis leaving

a total of 170 observations on which findings were based. The number of

classrooms remained intact at twelve. The total sample size was 161 subjects in

any of the analyses in which the grade point average of the students was included.

Parental permission was necessary for the researchers to gain access to grade point

averages in some of the schools making up the sample. The researchers were not

granted permission to attain the data in some instances.

Freedom in setting sample selection criteria was limited by the human and

environmental resources necessary for traveling to the schools to carry out the

research as designed. Two researchers taught for a tenday period with an eleventh
day for testing in six classrooms each for the main study. A calendar for the pilot

and main study is included in

Appendix A.

Criteria used for selecting the sample were as follows:

1) Intact home economics classrooms within a 50 to 60 mile radius of Iowa State

University.

2) Classrooms of 8 to 30 sophomore, junior and senior high school students.

3) Classrooms that could provide 11 days with the equivalent of 45 to 60 minute

periods each day in which the researchers could teach and administer tests.

4) Schools which would provide access to students' records and in which the

principal and teacher whose classroom would be in the research project were

agreeable to the project.

5) Classrooms serving primarily rural communities.

6) Classrooms in which the energy management content would be acceptable. A

preference was stated for teaching the lessons in housing classes in view of the

content of the modules.

Times for the treatments are shown here by teacher and class.

Class 1 refers to the first class to receive the treatment; Class 12

refers to the last class receiving the treatment.

Teacher Treatment time

in minutes
Class 1 A 315
 Class 2 B 550

Class 3 A 405

Class 4 A 405

Class 5 B 480

Class 6 A 500

Class 7 B 520

Class 8 A 520

Class 9 B 320

Class 10 A 500

Class 11 B 500

Class 12 B 500

The study participants were high school home economics students. The study

used 79 participants. The participants were high school home economics students from

two high schools in the Southeastern United States. The study used a non-randomized

sample of students, with 39 students in the traditional lecture group and 40 students in

the problem-solving group. The participants were selected based on their enrollment in a

home economics course and their willingness to participate in the study.

3.3 Setting of the Study

The study setting is two high schools in Southeastern United States. The

researcher choose this locale because it was convenient and accessible for researchers.

3.4 Research Instrument

 Measure of achievement An objective referenced test, referred to as the Energy

Management Achievement Test, was developed in conjunction with the companion

study by Njus (1977), and is used to measure student achievement as a result of the

two modes of instruction. A copy of the device is included in Appendix E. The test

was made up of a knowledge subset and an application subset. Items making up the

subsets are identified in Appendix E. Items were written to assess attainment of

objectives in the modules which were at the knowledge and application levels as

specified in the Taxonomy of Education Objectives Handbook I: Cognitive Domain

(Bloom, 1956). Items were judged by specialists in energy use and in evaluation for

accuracy of response and for appropriateness for the Taxonomy levels. In addition,

several trial administrations were made. The final form as used in the study contained

25 items with one or more items for each lesson at each level. Test quality vjas based

on an N of 177. Difficulty level overall was 52; levels for knowledge and application

were .63 and .45 respectively. Mean discrimination index was .32. Only three items

were lower than desired .20, but positive; others ranged to .52. The reliability,

estimated at .64 by the SpearmanBrown procedure, was judged acceptable for test

length and intended use. Further description of the development of the test is included

in research carried out by Njus (1977). 75 Measure of attitudes The purpose of the

attitude scale. Use of Energy at Home, was to assess subjects' attitudes toward energy

resource management. The instrument was developed to include the following

components: control of.energy usage, rights related to energy usage, responsibilities

related to energy usage, action to conserve energy, relative importance of conserving

energy, and whether there is an energy problem. Fortysix students responded to an

openended questionnaire based on the components listed above, and their responses

were used in developing the initial Likerttype scale. Where possible, the items were
stated exactly as the student responded. The items were judged as positive or negative

by a graduate student, an extension agricultural engineer, and a professor of family

environment, all of whom were wellversed on the issue of energy usage in the home.

Thirtythree items were judged appropriate, approximately half of the items being rated

positive and half being rated negative. A four point scale of degrees of agreement and

disagreement was used. To determine the quality of the 33 items, 105 Iowa juniors

and seniors in home economics classes not in the sample responded to the

questionnaire. Each of the 104 questionnaires was scored using the four point scale

consistent with the judges' assessment. The highest 25% (26 questionnaires) and the

lowest 25% (26 questionnaires) were identified for use in calculating the difference in

mean responses of the two groups. The t values calculated for each item reflect the

extent to which an item differentiated between the two groups. The level of

significance utilized was 1.75 (Edwards, 1957). The seventeen items having the highest

t values 76 and best reflecting the components of a positive attitude toward energy use

were selected for the final instrument (see Appendix E). The t values for those items

ranged from 2.25 to 6.67; the item with a 2.25 value was retained to adequately

measure one of the components. All other values were above 3.00. The reliability of

the instrument was estimated at .84 using the Hoyt and Stunkard (1952) procedure. On

the basis of the trial, quality of the instrument was judged adequate for use in the

study. The section of this chapter on data analysis describes its use.

3.5 Data Gathering Procedure

Each of the 12 classes involved in the study was visited prior to the research

project to obtain permission for gathering background data on students. In most cases
this necessitated conferring with the principal, guidance counselor and the classroom

teacher. Parental permission for data gathering was solicited in those schools in which it

was necessary. 72 Grade point averages for the semester prior to the time the

treatments were administered in the classes were collected for each student to

determine group equivalence. All averages were based on a fourpoint scale. These data

served as a control variable to measure student ability although it was recognized that

there could be variance from one school to another. School identification numbers or

numbers assigned to the student by the regular classroom teacher were used to assure

anonymity of subjects. Sex and grade level of the student were recorded. An attitude

device was administered on the first and last days of the treatment in each school,

before any teaching had been done, and at the culmination of the treatment in each

classroom. Though no time limit was imposed, approximately 10 minutes were used

for each administration of the attitude measure. Items on the attitude pretest were

reordered for administration as a posttest. Eleven periods, each 4560 minutes, were

scheduled for each class in the sample. Comparable amounts of time were scheduled

for the schools on modular teaching plans. Ten of the eleven days were used for the

treatment with the exception of time needed for the pre and post attitude measure. The

eleventh class period in each classroom was used for student written reactions to the

modules, data gathering for the companion study and to administer the Energy

Management Achievement Test, a nontimed 'device prepared by Njus (1977). All

measures were given immediately after the treatment with no efforts made in this study

to allow an interval of time to pass to test retention. 73 A standard introduction varying

according to the mode of instruction was given to the six classes taught in the

Expository Mode and to the six classes taught in the Guided Discovery Mode. All

classes were told that a test would be administered on the final day to assess what
had been learned as a result of the lessons. Directions to students for responding to

the attitude and achievement devices were standard for all classes. Efforts were made

to assure that students worked individually on all measures. In no case did the regular

classroom teacher, use test scores as a part of the student's grade. This was

communicated to students if they requested this information. Students were eliminated

from the study if data were missing for the attitude pre or posttest or for the Energy

Management Achievement Test. Students whose grade point average was missing were

eliminated in any analysis using that variable. Nowhere in the report were specific

schools or school personnel and students identified with findings. Such information was

treated as confidential. A letter requesting permission to acknowledge schools, principals

and teacher involved is shown in Appendix A as is a listing of those who granted

permission for acknowledgment.

3.6 Data Analysis

A
Analysis with grade point average as covariate (N = 161) Prior grade point average was

found to vary significantly (p<.01) with scores on the Energy Management Achievement

Test. The beta coefficient for the grade point average variable was .46, a positive value

indicating that subjects with higher achievement scores also had higher grade point averages.

Analysis with grade point average as a covariate (N = 161) Prior grade point averages varied

significantly (p<.01) with application achievement scores. The beta coefficient was ,28, a

positive value, with students with higher grade point average and assumed greater ability

achieving higher scores on application subset of the Energy Management Achievement Test

than those students with lower grade point averages. When sex of the subject' was entered as

an independent variable it remained a significant (p<.01) source of variation for application

subset scores with effects of prior grade point average having been accounted for in the
analysis. The sex variable was also significant with grade point average excluded from the

analysis (see Table 19).

Effect of mode and teacher with grade point average as discrete variable Students were

dichotomized based on grade point average into groups receiving < 2.66 > 2.66. Grade point

average was then treated as a discrete independent variable. Of primary interest was the

possibility of an interaction between the mode of instruction and grade point averages of

students; none existed for application subset scores.

Summary of analyses with subjects as the experimental unit

When subjects were considered the experimental unit there were no significant differences in

attitudes or achievement scores as a result of the two treatments or the two teachers.

The teachers consistently elicited higher attitude scores from one particular mode of

instruction. Students taught in an Expository Mode by Teacher A attained higher scores on

the attitude device than those she taught in a Guided Discovery Mode. Students taught in a

Guided Discoven• Mode by Teacher B attained signifiacntly higher scores on the attitude

measure than those she taught in an Expository Mode.

Students receiving each treatment and the students each teacher taught did not vary

significantly in ability as shown when the grade point averages of students were analyzed as

dependent variables. What did make a significant difference was the fact that modes and

teachers were not

ordered similarly to ability levels of students. Teacher A received stuÜdents with higher

ability in those classes she taught in an Expository

Mode while Teacher B taught higher ability students in the Guided Disucovery Mode. This

finding corresponds to the responses to attitude den vices for each teacher. However, when

grade point averages were treated as discrete and entered into the analyses as independent

variables they did not interact significantly with modes and/or teachers.
Prior ability as measured by grade point averages made a significant difference in all scores

received with the exception of attitude change scores when an analysis of covariance was

done for each dependent variaZble. All beta coefficients were positive values which

indicated that stußdents with more ability as measured by grade point average had corre120

spondingly high scores on the achievement and attitude devices as might be expected. This

was true for the knowledge and application subset of the achievement test as well.

Change scores for the attitude measure showed that each teacher sigllnificantly fostered

higher change scores teaching in a particular mode of instruction. The findings were

consistent with those reported earlier; students taught by Teacher A in the Expository Mode

experienced more attitude change than those taught in Guided Discovery Mode. Students

taught in a Guided Discovery Mode by Teacher B changed their attitudes more from the time

of the pretest to posttest than when she taught in an Expository Mode.

Attitude change scores were not significantly affected by the students' ability. The beta

coefficient for grade point average was a negative value in the case of change scores.

The amount of time students received treatments, though varying from 315 minutes to 520

minutes, made no significant difference in results. Sex of the student made a significant

difference in response to the attitude and achievement measures. Males received higher

scores on allachievement measures than did females. The reverse was true for the atti Etudes

of students with females receiving higher scores. There were no significant attitude change

score differences due to sex, however.

Each teacher interacted differently with modes of instruction and sex of subjects on attitude

measures, suggesting that scores varied due to sex of subjects when taught by a specific

teacher using a specific mode. The 121 low number of male subjects in the study makes any

of the findings tenuous when the sex variable is include Analyses by Class Findings with

classes as the experimental unit are based on the following: l) an analysis of variance for
classes carried out to test the effect of mode of instruction and teacher on scores on the

attitude test, the Energy Management Achievement Test, the knowledge subset of the Energy

Management Achievement Test and the application subset of the Energy Management

Achievement Test; 2) the effects of two continuous variables, the amount of time classes

received the treatment and the prior grade point averages by class using analysis of

covariance procedures; 3) diEference scores generated for the pre- and postattitude tests,

tested by mode and teacher; and 4) an analysis of variance mode and teacher with prior grade

point average as a dependent variable. Regression procedures were used for all analyses and

partial sums of squares were used rather than sequential sums of squares.

No analyses in this section with classes as the unit of observation use sex of the subject as a

variable because some classes had no male students. This portion of the findings chapter is

divided into sections according to the dependent variable.

REFERENCE

Stout, Betty Lee, "Effect of two methods of instruction on level of achievement and attitude

of high school home economics students "

(1977). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 6107.

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/6107