Acquisition of hierarchically organized knowledge and prediction of events in world history

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that training in the construction and use of hierarchically organized knowledge would enable students to make predictions across chapters in a 10th‐grade world history text. First, a history text that provided only exemplars of the American, French, and Russian revolutions was modified by the insertion of explanatory material on the causes of revolutions. Then, two 10th‐grade classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control group status. The experimental group had instruction in: (a) the construction of hierarchically organized knowledge via the use of graphic organizers, and (b) use of this knowledge for predicting events. The control group received traditional instruction. They read the modified text, outlined it, and engaged in regular class discussions of the material. The results revealed that on regular chapter tests both groups displayed equal comprehension of text‐based information. However, on an essay test asking students to predict events in the Cuban Revolution which they had not read about in their history text, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group. The results indicate that textbook explication alone of causes of events is insufficient for acquisition and use of hierarchically organized knowledge. Students must be taught how to construct text‐based information into hierarchically structured form and use it for making predictions.