Social Need and Learning in Algebra with Programed Instruction

Abstract

THE RELATIONSHIPS between student personal ity characteristics and learning in different instruc tional setting have become of increasing importance to those doing educational research. McKeachie (3), for example, has noted that failure to take into ac count the varying appropriateness of methods for dif ferent students may help to explain the m any nonsig nificant differences in experimental comparisons of teaching methods. McKeachie's point is illustrated by the work of Oliver and Shaver (4). They found that two markedly different patterns of class room behavior (6) did not result in significant differ ences in student achievement. However, in several instances significant interaction effects were found between personality variables and teacher style. The research activity in programed instruction has undoubtedly exceeded that related to any other new method of instruction (5), but few studies have been published that deal with the relationships of in dividual differences in personality to learning with programed instruction. Schramm (5), in his review of research in programed instruction since 1954, reported only one such study (2). Doty and Doty (1) were unable to find any such research reported. Programed instruction, particularly of the linear, Skinner-type, typically presents the student with a highly structured learning situation. He follows a prescribed sequence of frames, working in rela tive isolation from his fellow students or a teacher. The solitude of such a situation m ay well have an ef fect on learning for some students. Doty and Doty (1) found that when 100 sophomores in an introduc tory psychology course studied physiological psy chology outside of the classroom for two weeks us ing a linear program, social need, as measured by the GuiKord-Zimmerman Temperament Survey (G* ZTS) Sociability Scale, was negatively corre lated with achievement. On the other hand, Hough and Revsin (2) found that when 90 university students in education studied a linear program on Historical Foundations of the Secondary School over a three week period, high and low achievers did not differ significantly on any of the seven scales of the Thur stone Temperament Schedule (TTS). Included in the TTS is a sociable (S) Scale. According to the Ex aminer's Manual, among other characteristics, per sons who score high on this scale enjoy the company of others. A high score on the TTS Reflective (R) Scale also is supposed to indicate that the person likes to work alone. The two studies available that bear on the rela tionship of social need to learning in the programed instruction setting have, then, produced inconsistent results. The study reported here used The Califor nia Test of Personality (CTP) to investigate the re lationship of personality variables to achievement with programed instruction. The CTP is heavily loaded with social need, and findings with the meas ure should shed light on the effects of social need and adjustment on learning in the relatively solitary programed instruction setting.