71-7493 KIEFT, Lewis Dean, 1941- AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT ON COGNITIVE LEARNING WHEN A PSYCHOMOTOR TASK IS ANTICIPATED. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1970 Education, industrial University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT ON COGNITIVE LEARNING WHEN A PSYCHOMOTOR TASK IS ANTICIPATED DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Lewis Dean Kieft, B.S., M.A. ****** The Ohio State University 1970 Approved by Adviser College of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere appreciation and thanks are expressed to Dr. James J. Buffer for his time, advise, and assistance, and to Dr. Desmond L. Cook and Dr. James K. Duncan for their suggestions as members of the dissertation reading committee. Appreciation is also expressed to Dr. Peter Anderson for his assistance in the statistical analysis of this investigation. For their cooperation and assistance, the writer wishes to thank the staff and students of Dominion Junior High School VITA May 13, 1941... Born - Lansing, Michigan 1963....... B.S., Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan 1963-1965..... Active Duty, Officer in U.S. Army, Artillery 1965-196 7..... Research Assistant, Department of Industrial Education, Eastern Michigan University 1967.......... M.A., Eastern Michigan University 1966-1967...... Teacher, Roosevelt High School, Ypsilanti, Michigan 1967-1969...... Research and Teaching Associate, Industrial Arts Curriculum Project, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio i 1969-1970..... Teacher, Dominion Junior High School, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Industrial Technology Education Professor James J. Buffer Minor Fields: Curriculum and Instruction Professor James K. Duncan Educational Development Professor Desmond L. Cook Teacher Education Professor L.O. Andrews TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................... ii VITA................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES..................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES..................................... viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. 1 Introduction Background of the Problem Statement of the Problem Statement of the Hypotheses Assumptions Definition of Terms Significance of the Problem Summary and Organization of the Study II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.................. 23 Problems in Educational Research Theories of Learning and Motivation Studies of Motivation for Educational Improvement Curriculum Changes in Industrial Arts III. METHODOLOGY OF THE INVESTIGATION.......... 69 Design of the Experiment Nature of the Experiment Development of the Primary Metals Processing Presentation Development of the Criterion Measure Chapter Page Selection of the Sample Conducting the Experiment Administration of the Questionnaire Variables involved in the Experiment Summary IV. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA........ 97 Treatment and Results of Achievement Data Conclusions Relating to Hypotheses Results of Questionnaire Data Discussion of the Results V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS, and RECOMMENDATIONS.......................... 123 Summary of the Study Conclusions Limitations Recommendat ions APPENDIX A Metal Processing Presentation............ 137 B Reading Assignment. .................. 146 C Construction Pattern Sheets....... 150 D Criterion Measure......................... 153 E Questionnaire............................. 161 F Individual Student Scores............... 163 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................... 172 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Design of the Study......... 16 2 Analysis of Criterion Measure for 7th Grade.... 79 3 Analysis of Criterion Measure for 8th Grade.... 80 4 Means and Standard Deviations of the Criterion Measure and Permanent Record Scores for 7th Grade Students.................. 98 5 Means and Standard Deviations of the Criterion Measure and Permanent Record Scores for 8th Grade Groups.................... 99 6 Analysis of Variance of Covariate Scores for 7th Grade Groups.................... 101 7 Analysis of Variance of Covariate Scores for 8th Grade Groups.................... 102 8 Analysis of Variance of Variate Scores for 7th Grade Groups.............. 104 9 Analysis of Covariance of Variate Scores for 7th Grade Groups................... 105 10 Analysis of Variance of Variate Scores for 8th Grade Groups.................... 106 11 Analysis of Covariance of Variate Scores for 8th Grade Groups.................... 107 12 Adjusted Means of Variate Scores............... Ill 13 Comparison of Adjusted Means of 7th Grade Groups Using Studentized Range Statistic...... 112 vi Table Page 14 Comparison of Adjusted Means of 8th Grade Groups Using Studentized Range Statistic....... 113 15 Mean Scores from Questionnaire Representing Student Interest................. 117 vii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1 First Order Matrix of Industrial Technology.................................. 53 s 2 Second Order Matrix of Industrial Technology Affecting Materials.............. 56 3 Third Order Matrix of Industrial Technology Affecting Constructed Material... 57 4 A Conceptual Structure of the Knowledge Necessary to Understand American Industry... 63 5 Understanding of American Industry.......... 64 6 American Industry Course Outline............ 67 7 The Experimental Design..................... 71 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Since the turn of this century, there has been a great expansion of man's knowledge in almost all fields of study. With this expansion of knowledge and with our changing society, have come pressures on curriculum specialists to revise school curriculums that will meet the needs and de­ sires of students and the various segments of society. How­ ever, areas of study are becoming so numerous and so special­ ized that educators are faced with the problem of how to fit all of the appropriate subject matter into the students' program. In many areas of study, efforts are presently being made by educators to determine the criteria for subject matter selection; to select and develop this content into teachable units; and to make available these units to the schools. However, continuous analysis and evaluation of selection criteria; lack of agreement concerning student and societal needs; and the discovery of new knowledge and concepts, will continue to bring about revisions and changes in the curriculum. Changes in the curriculum and units of study will often necessitate changes in the methods of teaching and learning. It is this change— one of finding more efficient methods of teaching the vast amounts of subject matter that students must learn— that this writer wishes to pursue further. BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM In public schools today, students appear to be learning complex concepts at a faster rate than educators envisioned possible a number of years ago. This may be the result of more efficient and effective instructional materials and practices as well as the utilization of educational inno­ vations (e.g. educational television, teaching machines, special classes for gifted and underachieving students, etc.). This rate of learning will no doubt continue to increase as man's knowledge regarding technical concepts and the teaching-learning process increases. Students may not successfully fulfill their roles in society if they lack the motivation to adjust to the increased rate of learning of the vast number of concepts which will be part of the school curriculum. Because of the continuous development of theories in education, it is doubtful that an ideal method of learning will ever be accepted. However, new ideas, new theories of learning, and new classroom equipment will continue to be developed and tested to make the student's learning process as efficient as possible. One factor which needs consider­ ation when attempting to improve the learning process is the motivational drive of the student. Motivating students to "want to learn" is a common and persistent problem in the education of most junior high school students. Much of the teacher's work centers around problems of motivation and "almost invariably the teacher who fails is the one who is unable to take proper account of motivational factors (Blair, Jones, & Simpson, 1962, p. 167)." "The success of a teacher is, to a very large extent, dependent upon his ability to motivate pupils effectively (Bernard, 1965, p. 238)." --- The term "motivation" is defined for this investigation as a combination of forces or stimulations to action which arouse, direct, control, and sustain a student's behavior towards an objective. The motivations that underline this behavior are not single or simple, but are very complex. A discussion of some of the theories of motivation is provided in Chapter Two. Several known methods of motivating students to learn include the use of praise, rewards, punishments, and compe­ tition, and arousing their curiousity and interest towards subject matter. No single method of motivation will work for all students, nor will it usually work all the time for the same student. The teacher must be constantly alert to the changing needs of the students and then must modify the methods of motivation to meet these changes. In fact, change itself is often a motivational factor. "People are motivated to participate in new activities that are differ­ ent from their previous experiences