Comparison of Achievement of Pupils Who are Good and Poor in Learning Division with a Two-Figure Divisor

Abstract

Such studies as those by Bond,1 Fendrick, 2 and Russell3 have shown the difference between pupils who are good and poor in some particular subject. There is no published report to indicate if there is any distinguish ing difference between pupils who are good and poor in arithmetic. This study is an attempt to find if there is a quantitative difference between pupils who are good and poor in a certain restricted function in arithmetic. A group of each kind was selected on the basis of success in learning to divide with a two-figure divisor. The measure of success in learning to divide with a two-figure divisor is the number of errors made. A pupil who learned the process and made no errors, or a very few, is considered good in division. On the other hand, a pupil who learned the process and made many different kinds of errors is considered poor in division. The pupils considered in this study were used in another investigation by the writer.4 A record was kept of the number of different kinds of errors which each pupil made from the time of the beginning of the in vestigation until its completion, or a total of 76 school days. Elsewhere the writer5 showed that most of these errors were sporadic and not constant.