THE EFFECTS OF TWO INSTRUCTIONAL TREATMENTS ON EIGHT-GRADE STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD ANIMAL LIFE
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of two instructional treatments upon the attitudes of eighth-grade students toward animal life. This study also examined the effectiveness of the instruction upon critical thinking skills. Knowledge level information on animal life and basic reading comprehension were considered as factors in the shaping of attitudes. Reading comprehension level was checked by the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test assessed the students' critical thinking ability. A researcher-designed measure, the Animal Attitude Survey and Cognitive Assessment, determined the students' attitudinal and cognitive levels about animal life. The subjects of the study were 147 eighth-grade students. One experimental group (N = 43), which consisted of two intact classrooms, received print material and media-based instruction on animal life issues. A second experimental group (N = 43), which consisted of two intact classrooms, received print material and lecture method instruction on the same animal life issues. Both experimental groups received instruction on fifteen, consecutive school days during fifty-five minute class hours. A third group (N = 61), which consisted of three intact classrooms, served as a control and received no treatment in animal life issues. Oneway analysis of variance was used to analyze pretest scores. Each test was treated as a separate entity. For each separate, dependent variable, t-tests were used to compare the posttest mean scores of each individual group against every other group. For each separate variable, the combined experimental groups' posttest mean scores were compared against those of the control group. These results suggested that both eighth-grade experimental groups' attitudes toward animal life improved in a positive direction. The media-based instruction group showed a superior change in positive attitude toward animal life. In the cognitive, knowledge-level area, the lecture treatment group made a slight improvement. In comparing the three groups in critical thinking ability, no significant change was detected.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching
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