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A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF LOCUS OF CONTROL, DIVERGENT AND CONVERGENT QUESTIONS, AND ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS USING AN INDIVIDUALIZED DICTIONARY USAGE PROGRAM (INSTRUCTION, PERSONALITY, COGNITIVE)

The problem investigated was: What is the effect of inserted divergent and convergent questions on the achievement of internal and external locus of control (IE group) intermediate students using an individualized dictionary usage program? / The independent variables were IE group and two types of inserted questions. The dependent variable was achievement. The design was an experimental 2 x 2 with random assignment to treatments. There was no control group. Students were randomly selected and assigned to divergent and convergent treatments. Two hundred seventy-two students were used in the analysis and represented a large urban school district stratified by its four districts. / Two sets of six modules on dictionary usage were developed. The modules were identical except for inserted questions and represented the two treatment conditions. IE identification was done with Crandall's IAR scale. The study lasted ten school days. A total of three tests were administered, pretest, IAR scale, and posttest. Pretests and posttests were identical, containing both divergent and covergent items. / ANCOVA was the procedure used to analyze the data. The dependent variables (posttests convergent, divergent, and total) were analyzed with the pretest (subtests and total) as covariates. A significant relationship was found. Means were adjusted. / There were three primary findings. The first was, there was a significant interaction for IE group and treatment for posttest divergent question. The interaction was in the predicted direction. Differences were small and the interpretation of the interaction was explained as a weak confirmation of the hypotheses. The other primary findings showed: (1) no interaction for posttest convergent and (2) no interaction for total posttest. / There were three other findings, unrelated to the hypotheses. Further analysis found: (1) a significant main effect for convergent questions, (2) no main effect for divergent questions, and (3) no effect for treatment. / The study left unanswered the specific effect of inserted questions, but concluded that the effect was present, and inherent in the mathemagenic behaviors (cognitive variables) and locus of control (noncognitive variables) of the learner. The study supported the use of inserted questions as an instructional technique. The study supported the hypotheses--but not strongly. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-04, Section: A, page: 0882. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75547
ContributorsJOHNSON, BETTY OATES., Florida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText
Format245 p.
RightsOn campus use only.
RelationDissertation Abstracts International

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