The effects of individualized instruction on the achievement of cognitive and affective objectives by selected first-year algebra students

Abstract

high schools. One class in each school was randomly selected as a treatment group and followed the individualized instruction procedures described as Individually Diagnosed and Prescribed. The other two classes served as control groups and were taught by a traditional lecture-discussion method. The same teacher taught both classes in each school. The study was limited to one academic year, 1973-74, when the students were in ninth grade. Participation in the study was restricted to those students who selected algebra over general mathematics as a ninth-grade mathematics course. All ninth-grade students were required to choose one course or the other. The students had all been in a modified continuous progress learning model in mathematics in eighth grade. Students originally selected for participation in the study were excluded if their parents did not grant them permission to participate. These students were replaced by randomly selected alternates. Five students were unable to complete the study because they moved to another attendance area. Variables on which the experimental and control group were com pared were confined to achievement on a criterion-referenced, locallywritten algebra achievement test, attitudes toward mathematics, algebra grades, number of senior high school mathematics courses elected prior to graduation, and cumulative mathematics grade point in those elected courses. Two teachers, one in each building, taught the algebra classes in the study. Each teacher taught one experimental and one control class * Significance greater than or equal to .05 level.

Teacher perceptions of agricultural teaching practices and methods for youth and adults in Iowa

“…Although teachers using this method have done an adequate job of teaching mathematics to many students, it is not ideally suited to teaching mathematics to the individual" (Farrell, 1980, p. 3). Farrell (1980) indicated that lecture is not a good method of teaching for the following reasons:…”