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A COMPARISON OF TWO METHODS FOR TRAINING FIFTH- AND SIXTH-GRADE STUDENTS TO ASK OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS

Author
ALLISON, A. WAYNE
Physical Description
239 pages
Additional Creators
Pennsylvania State University
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Summary
During the last twenty years, the goals of public-school education have been revised to place an increased emphasis on teaching life-long learning skills. A prerequisite to the development of these skills is the ability to ask productive questions. Such questions enable the asker to independently direct his own learning. Alfke called these questions operational questions. The present study focused on the use of cognitive modeling and directed written practice to train students to ask operational questions.
Seventy-two fifth- and sixth-grade students were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Group One (X(,1)) received teacher modeling of operational questions. Group Two (X(,2)) received directed written student practice in writing operational questions in addition to the cognitive modeling presented to group one. Group Three (X(,c)) received a treatment designed to limit exposure to operational questions through cognitive modeling and directed written practice.
The treatments were administered by three classroom teachers on a rotating basis so that each teacher spent one week with each group. Each unit consisted of four physical science lessons. A question-writing practice session concluded each unit of study. The practice session was administered as the posttest at the conclusion of unit three.
Analysis of variance and t-test techniques were used to analyze each of the three null hypotheses. Each comparison of posttest means resulted in the rejection of the null hypothesis.
Further statistical comparison of all three group means using analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD test also resulted in establishing significant differences.
Conclusions. (1) Fifth- and sixth-grade students' ability to ask operational questions, when confronted with cognitive conflict presented in the form of discrepant science demonstrations, can be enhanced by the use of cognitive modeling. (2) The use of directed written practice in creating operational questions with cognitive modeling will significantly increase the likelihood of fifth- and sixth-grade students using operational questions. (3) The skill of asking operational questions is not intuitively present in fifth- and sixth-grade students and must be taught.
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Dissertation Note
D.ED. The Pennsylvania State University 1982.
Note
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-10, Section: A, page: 3211.
Part Of
Dissertation Abstracts International
43-10A
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