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A study of the relationships among student MBTI psychological profiles, microcomputing time-on-task, achievement, and attitude in introductory college genetics

A quasi-experimental study was implemented to investigate student achievement, time-on-task, and attitude toward microcomputer instruction in relation to the Meyers-Briggs psychological subgroup types of IN, EN, IS, and ES as they interact simultaneously. A pretest-posttest nonrandomized control-group design study comprised of 52 control group subjects and 39 experimental group subjects was carried out during four separate quarters of instruction in a college introductory genetics course during a unit on Mendelian genetics. The control group was instructed with a conventional lecture, discussion, and laboratory method that was based on identified conceptual blocks that are guided by clearly defined learning objectives. The experimental group was taught using the same conceptual blocks and learning objectives, but this group's instruction emphasized the supplementary use of microcomputers to generate genetic cross data with a software program called CATLAB in place of actual fruit fly crosses. Additionally, the experimental group used a microcomputer tutorial programmed by the investigator from a Mendelian genetic programmed instruction book used regularly in the course. This investigator taught both groups throughout the study of Mendelian genetics.Psychological type equivalency between the two groups was established through the use of computer software called the Selection Ratio Type Table PC program (SRTT). No significant differences were identified between the control and experimental group with respect to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (Form G) testing either in relation to the sixteen main classes or to their subgroupings.A MANOVA statistical analysis was carried out on the data and was performed to test for significant differences between vectors of means for the three dependent measures of time-on-task, posttest achievement, and attitudes toward the instruction given with microcomputers. There was no significant difference between the two treatments toward the instruction given with regard to time-on-task, achievement, and attitude, when considered simultaneously, F(3,72) = 2.58 and p < .06. Further, when the MBTI subgroups of IN, EN, IS, and ES were considered simultaneously in relation to the three dependent measures as vectors of means, no significant differences toward the instruction given were discovered among the types in the treatment samples, F(9,175) = 1.47 and p < .16. / Department of Biology

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/175679
Date January 1990
CreatorsCrawford, Ronald R.
ContributorsHendrix, Jon R.
Source SetsBall State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Formatv, 138 leaves ; 28 cm.
SourceVirtual Press

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