This study examined the teaching experiences of six elementary student
interns from Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR during fall and winter quarters,
1991. The primary intent of the study was to examine critically the roles and
effects of mind styles as applied in actual classroom instruction and learning, in
terms of feasibility and student outcomes.
The research focus was to examine the roles and effects of mind styles in
an elementary educational setting by addressing the following questions: (1) Do
elementary school students exhibit mind styles that are dominant or less dominant
and which vary among individuals, as has been found in adults; (2) do mind
styles exist among elementary students, (3) are mind styles determinable among
elementary students; (4) can a researcher-developed self-assessment instrument
for elementary students be used to accurately identify their dominant mind styles?
The research methodology was qualitative. Specifically, the nature of the
invisible driving forces that shaped students behavior within the classroom setting
were observed. Data was gathered through journals and lesson plans from the
student interns, video tapes of teaching experiences, task analyses, field notes,
and maintenance of a diary by the researcher. The Self-Assessment Children's
Instrument was administered to each elementary student who took part in the
study, involving them in self-ranking themselves in relation to a variety of qualities.
The research methodology and instrument were field-tested with satisfactory
results. After testing 129 students and completing 43 observations on each
student in six classrooms, the following was concluded from the results of the research:
1) Some learners are generalists who enjoy understanding the big picture
before focusing on specifics. They want a context in which to
put new ideas, and they are good at seeing relationships as they
learn.
2) Some learners display an active, hands-on, exploratory pattern.
These students learn physically and through concrete experiences
and activities.
3) In every classroom there are students for whom personal relationships
are important. These learners enjoy helping each other and
working in groups.
4) Other students are structured and systematic in their approach.
These students want rules for new materials to be presented clearly
and logically with examples that build from the simple to the complex. / Graduation date: 1994
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/35373 |
| Date | 22 February 1994 |
| Creators | Davis, Patsy Ann Cassedy |
| Contributors | Strowbridge, Edwin |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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